Dennis Farina,
who spent 20 years as a police officer in Chicago before he began
patrolling Hollywood as a character actor, starring as a detective on
the television shows “Law & Order” and “Crime Story” and sometimes
crossing into crime, as he did in the movie “Get Shorty,” died on Monday
in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 69.His publicist, Lori De Waal, announced the death. She said he had recently had a blood clot in his lung.Mr. Farina eventually had a longer career as an actor than he did in law
enforcement, infusing dozens of roles with world-weary credibility and a
convincing nexus of nose and mustache.He had been working as a detective in a special burglary unit in Chicago
when a mutual friend introduced him to the director Michael Mann, who
was making his first feature film, “Thief.” Mr. Farina was initially a
consultant for the movie before being given a small role as a crime
boss’s enforcer. The film, which starred James Caan, was released in
1981.(Read More...)
