”Do The Right Thing” Star Danny Aiello Dies At Age 86

Veteran actor Danny Aiello, known for his supporting roles in many acclaimed movies since the ’70s including “Moonstruck”, “Do The Right Thing” and “The Professional,” died Thursday night.

According to TMZ, The Aiello family said that Danny passed away at a medical facility in New Jersey where he was being treated for a sudden illness. He apparently suffered an infection related to his treatment. His family had come to visit him in the day on Thursday, he died shortly after they’d left that evening.

Aiello broke into movies in the early ’70s by landing a small role in the Robert De Niro baseball drama, “Bang the Drum Slowly.” He followed it up by playing Tony Rosato in “The Godfather: Part II”, and won critical praise for his supporting roles in other classic films like “Fort Apache the Bronx” with Paul Newman, “Once Upon a Time in America” and “Harlem Nights.”

Danny was also a singer and a successful Broadway actor. He gained massive critical acclaim and his first Best Supporting Oscar nomination for his role as Sal, the pizza joint owner, in Spike Lee’s, “Do the Right Thing.”