Lenny Montana
Actor, Producer, Writer
13 March 1926 — 12 May 1992 (66 years)
Tall and solidly built, this Italian-American professional wrestler turned actor was born Lenny Passaforo in Brooklyn, New York, and is best remembered for his first on-screen role as the not too bright but ever loyal bodyguard Luca Brasi in The Godfather (1972). Montana didn't get a lot of screen time before being eliminated by the henchmen of opposing gangster Al Lettieri with a garrote and a knife; however, he caught the eye of casting agents and over the next ten years racked up roles in 16 movies. Usually cast as "muscle for hire", he was equally good at playing the intimidating thug or a buffoonish hoodlum, such as in Battle Creek Brawl (1980) and The Jerk (1979). His last film appearance was in the B-thriller Blood Song (1982), which he also co-wrote. He died in May 1992 of a heart attack while in Italy.
Filmography
| 2016 | The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959 · as Luca Brasi (uncredited) |
| 2009 | Great Directors · as Luca Brasi (clip From The Godfather (1972)) |
| 2006 | The Godfather and the Mob · as Cast |
| 1992 | The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 · as Luca Brasi |
| 1990 | The Godfather Family: A Look Inside · as Luca Brasi |
| 1982 | Blood Song · as Skipper |
| 1982 | Pandemonium · as Coach |
| 1981 | Evilspeak · as JakeOn Plex |
| 1981 | ...All the Marbles · as Jerome |
| 1980 | Magnum, P.I. · as Marquis' Bodyguard |
| 1980 | Below the Belt · as The Geek |
| 1980 | Battle Creek Brawl · as JohnOn Plex |
| 1980 | Defiance · as Whacko |
| 1979 | The Jerk · as Con Man |
| 1979 | Seven · as The Kahuna |
| 1978 | They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way · as BrickOn Plex |
| 1978 | Matilda · as Hood #1 |
| 1978 | Fingers · as Luchino |
| 1977 | Contract on Cherry Street · as Phil Lombardi |
| 1977 | The Godfather: A Novel for Television · as Luca Brasi (uncredited) |
| 1975 | Strike Force · as Italian Dockworker |
| 1973 | Kojak · as Mccoy |
| 1973 | The Funny Face of the Godfather · as Saro |
| 1972 | |
| 1972 | The Godfather · as Luca Brasi |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense · as Barney |
| 1969 | Change of Habit · as Grocer (uncredited) |
| 1982 |
| 1982 | Blood Song · as Screenplay |
| 2006 | The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA · as Self |
| 1972 | AWA All-Star Wrestling · as Self |