Joe Viterelli, the mountainous character actor whose fleshy, thuggish visage made him a shoe-in for mobster roles, most memorably in the popular comedies Analyze This and Analyze That, died in Las Vegas on January 29 from a stomach hemorrhage. He was 62.

Born on March 10, 1941 in the Bronx, New York, Viterelli spent most of his life in a colorful series of jobs: guitar teacher, truck driver and even a stint drilling holes in bowling balls. A resident of Los Angeles since the late '70s, he became friends with director Leo Penn, and it was through Penn's son Sean that Viterelli broke into acting. Penn recommended Viterelli to director Phil Joanou for the role of Borelli, a gangster (what else?) in the drama State of Grace (1990). He proved to be so good that a string of roles would be offered to him throughout the decade, establishing Viterelli as a sought after and reliable character actor.

Granted, the roles that Viterelli took weren't exactly a stretch, the character's names alone emphasize the "Mafioso" stereotype: Joe Profaci Mobsters (1991), Fat Tommy Carducci What She Doesn't Know, and Joseph Valachi Ruby (both 1992); yet when Woody Allen cast him as Nick Valenti in Bullets Over Broadway (1994), Viterelli's hulking presence and deadpan delivery touched on some comic potential few knew he had. His breakout role would happen by decade's end - his comic turn as Jelly, Robert De Niro's faithful sidekick in the mafia comedy Analyze This (1999). After that, Viterelli aligned himself exclusively with comedies: Mickey Blue Eyes (also 1999), Shallow Hal (2001), Serving Sara, and Analyze That (both 2002). While it's arguable that such roles didn't exactly challenge him as an actor, few could deny that Viterelli's raffish charm and fine comedic timing added much verve to these broad farces. He is survived by his wife, Catherine, and five children.

by Michael T. Toole