Michael DeLano, a prolific character actor whose career stretched across five decades — from Firehouse and Rhoda to Hill Street Blues and George Clooney's 2001 Ocean’s Eleven — has died. He was 84.
DeLano passed away on October 20 in a Las Vegas hospital following a heart attack, his wife Jean Delanotold The Hollywood Reporter. The two had been together for 38 years and married for 28.
Best known to classic-TV fans as Johnny Venture — the smooth-talking lounge singer who attempted to date Rhoda (Valerie Harper) after her split from husband Joe (David Groh) — DeLano appeared in 11 episodes of Rhoda between 1976 and 1978.
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In the mid-1970s, he also starred opposite James Drury and Richard Jaeckel on ABC’s firefighter drama Firehouse, where he played Sonny Caputo. The show only lasted one season, however.
'Hill Street Blues,' season 5, 'Intestinal Fortitude' Episode 512 -- Pictured: (l-r) Michael Delano as Paulie, Bruce Weitz as Det. Mick BelkerNBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
He went on to join another ambitious but short-lived network swing: NBC’s Supertrain, appearing as Lou Atkins on the ultra-expensive 1979 adventure series.
Born Michael Ace Del Fatti in Virginia on Nov. 26, 1940, DeLano first entertained audiences as a dancer on American Bandstand during the show’s early years in the city — receiving what his family described as significant fan mail from viewers.
By 1960, he was recording music under the name Key Larson, cutting singles for Swan Records including “A Web of Lies” and “A Little Lovin’ Goes a Long, Long Way.” The stage surname “DeLano” came later, inspired by a blinking neon hotel sign he spotted, according to his wife.
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After performing in a Chicago production of Hair, he headed to Hollywood, picking up roles in Catlow (1971), The New Centurions (1972), and guest turns on Adam-12, Kojak, Barnaby Jones, and many more.
DeLano kept working steadily in film throughout the ’70s and ’80s, including:
Hollywood Man (1976)9 to 5 (1980)Commando (1985), where he played doomed car salesman Forrestal opposite Arnold SchwarzeneggerAnother Stakeout (1993)His long list of TV credits reads like a tour through the era’s most iconic series: The Rockford Files, Wonder Woman, Starsky & Hutch, Soap, Charlie’s Angels, Taxi, Perfect Strangers, Private Benjamin, The Fall Guy, The A-Team, Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues, Hunter, Falcon Crest, Silk Stalkings, Chicago Hope, and Royal Pains.
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DeLano relocated to Las Vegas in 1992 and became a fixture in the local entertainment scene. He played a casino manager in Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and Ocean’s Twelve (2004), and regularly performed standards at the beloved old-school Dispensary Lounge on Tropicana Avenue until recently.
DeLano is survived by his wife, Jean; his daughter, Bree; and grandchildren Michael, Lincoln and Jaxon. A celebration of life will be held Sunday at The Dispensary Lounge, where he entertained audiences for years.
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