Abe Vigoda, Actor, b. February 24, 1921 in New York City. Died January 26, 2016.
It has been said that Abe Vigoda has the face of a basset hound. This may be true, as good looks and romantic adventures have never been his forte. He was born on the Lower East Side of New York City and was nearly 40 before he got his break in show business. It was not for lack of trying, as honest Abe finished his military service and went into a serious study of drama and acting. In 1961 he won acclaim for his stage portrayal of John the Gaunt in Richard II. That, however, did not prove to be a huge breakthrough for the actor. He would wait another long ten years before his next big role when he was cast as Sal Tessio in The Godfather. It would become his most noted film role, although he is usually best remembered for his television portrayal of Inspector Fish on Barney Miller from 1975 - 1977 (and later the Fish spinoff that revolved around Fish's lengthy stays in the bathroom and his being overwhelmed with troubled children).
Being an Italian American who generally looked the part of the weird and creepy uncle, Abe Vigoda would pick up a number of supporting actor roles over the remainder of his career. Oddly enough, according to a search on Abe's films, we see he had a key role in the 1986 film Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter which was not a documentary or health film, but a feature film in which Abe Vigoda played a police detective. We should all be very, very troubled by this information.
At last check, Abe continues to act, both on stage and screen in addition to doing voice over work in animated films such as Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Now in his eighties, it appears unlikely that Abe Vigoda will ever get a role as a swashbuckling, romantic leading man. Perhaps that ship has sailed on our dear friend. Alas, one cannot have everything.
There is no information anywhere pertaining to any special value or mystical power attached to Mr. Vigoda's urine, regardless of rumors to the contrary.