Tom Rosqui

{{Infobox person

|image=

|birth_name = Thomas Francis Rosqui

|birth_date= {{birth date|1928|6|12}}

|birth_place= Oakland, California, U.S.

|death_date= {{death date and age|1991|4|12|1928|6|12}}

|death_place= Los Angeles, California, U.S.

|occupation= Actor

|spouse = Erica Yohn (August 18, 1963 – April 12, 1991; his death)

|children =1 (+2 stepchildren)

}}

Thomas Francis Rosqui (June 12, 1928 – April 12, 1991){{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Tom Rosqui - Broadway Cast & Staff - IBDB |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/58384 |website=ibdb.com |access-date=November 27, 2022 |language= |date=}} was an American character actor known for his versatility at portraying a variety of stage and film roles.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-18-mn-320-story.html|title=Tom Rosqui; Versatile Actor|date=1991-04-18|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-24}}

Early life

Born in Oakland, California, the son of a Portuguese mother, Sally (née Fernandes), a homemaker, and an Italian father, Thomas A. Rosqui, a traffic manager,{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/49/Tom-Rosqui.html|title=Tom Rosqui Biography|website=Filmreference.com|accessdate=October 15, 2017}}

Rosqui grew up in Sacramento and attended Sacramento Junior College and won a drama scholarship to the College of the Pacific, appearing in college productions and winning the school's F. Melvyn Lawson Award in dramatics.

Career

Rosqui's career as a professional actor began in 1951, when he appeared in St. John Terrell's Music Circus in Sacramento, appearing in a production of Show Boat.{{cite news |title=Nine From Capital Win Plaudits in Show Boat Roles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-tom-rosqui-in-show-bo/131028183/ |access-date=September 1, 2023 |work=The Sacramento Bee |date=21 June 1951 |pages=3|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |last1=MacNeil |first1=William A. |title=Resident Theater Called Boon to Actors |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-hackensack-record-rosqui-1/131029752/ |access-date=1 September 2023 |work=The Record |date=November 16, 1967 |page=C-1|via=Newspapers.com}}

He went on to appear in the national touring company production of The Cocktail Party. While serving in the U.S. Navy he appeared in the Actor's Workshop in San Francisco. After discharge he moved to New York, returning to San Francisco to appear in Gift of Fury, a play by Herbert Blau, who had headed the San Francisco Actors' Workshop with Jules Irving. When Blau and Irving formed the Lincoln Center Repertory Company, he was invited to join it, performing there for two years, appearing in The Condemned of Altona and Danton's Death.

He appeared on Broadway in Sticks and Bones and The Price, among other productions. He also appeared on television, but his most prominent role was as Corleone family bodyguard Rocco Lampone in the first two Godfather movies. By the 1980s, he was appearing largely on stage.{{cite news |last1=Glackin |first1=William |title=All The World's A Stage--Theaters Prove It |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-sacramento-bee-1986/131028862/ |access-date=September 1, 2023 |work=The Sacramento Bee |date=25 May 1986 |page=Encore 3|via=Newspapers.com}}

Personal life

Rosqui was married to actress Erica Yohn until his death at age 62 in 1991, following a long struggle with cancer. He was survived by a son, Yohn Rosqui, and two stepchildren.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1991/scene/people-news/tom-rosqui-99126576|title=Tom Rosqui|date=May 6, 1991|website=Variety.com|accessdate=August 28, 2023}}

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
1962 \| Days of Wine and Roses \| Bettor \| Uncredited
1966 \| The Crazy-Quilt \| Henry \|
rowspan=3\|1968 \| Madigan \| Man \|
What's So Bad About Feeling Good? \| Radio Cop \| Uncredited
The Thomas Crown Affair \| Private Detective \|
1971 \| The Pursuit of Happiness \| District Attorney Keller \|
1972 \| The Godfather \| rowspan="2"\|Rocco Lampone \| Uncredited
1974 \| The Godfather Part II \|
rowspan=2\|1976 \| The Great Texas Dynamite Chase \| Jason Morgan \|
Raid on Entebbe \| Amos Eran \| TV movie
rowspan=3\|1977 \| Airport '77 \| Hunter \|
MacArthur \| General Sampson \|
Heroes \| Patrolman #2 \|
rowspan=2\| 1978 \| Shame, Shame on the Bixby Boys \| Doc \|
Lady of the House \| Sergeant John Guffy \| TV movie
rowspan=2\|1979 \| California Dreaming \| George Booke
Little House on the Prairie \| Matthew Dobbs \|episode: "The Faith Healer"
1980 \| The Night the City Screamed \| Tom Burnham \| TV movie
1988 \| Defense Play \| Chief Gill \|
1991 \| Guilty by Suspicion \| Norman \| (final film role)

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

1962

| Days of Wine and Roses

| Bettor

| Uncredited

1966

| The Crazy-Quilt

| Henry