Richard Romanus, star ‘The Sopranos,’ dead at 80

Volos, Greece: Richard Romanus, the character actor whose gruff demeanor and commanding presence graced films like Mean Streets and television's The Sopranos, died on December 23rd in a hospital in Volos, Greece. He was 80.

Romanus built a career playing tough guys, his face etched with the hardened lines of experience and his voice a gravelly whisper of menace.

His breakout role came in Martin Scorsese's 1973 directorial debut, Mean Streets, where he portrayed Michael Longo, a loan shark with a volatile temper and a ruthless streak. The film, starring Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel, launched both their careers and established Romanus as a reliable source of onscreen grit.

He went on to appear in a string of films throughout the 70s and 80s, including Coppola's One From the Heart, The Wiz, and the animated cult classic Heavy Metal, where he voiced the sardonic cab driver Harry Canyon. In 1981, he landed a recurring role on the detective series Strike Force, playing the tough-as-nails Captain Frank Belker.

But it was his role as Dr Jennifer Melfi's long-suffering and occasionally volatile husband, Richard LaPenna, on HBO's groundbreaking mob drama The Sopranos that cemented Romanus' place in pop culture history.

From 1999 to 2002, he brought a weary depth to the character, showcasing both LaPenna's frustration with his marriage and his unwavering loyalty to his therapist wife.

Romanus continued to work well into his later years, appearing in independent films and television shows like Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Blue Bloods. He retired to Greece with his wife in 2018.

Richard Romanus is survived by his son, Robert Romanus.