Billy Sands, born William F. Sands on January 6, 1911, in Bergen, New York, to Samuel and Henrietta Epstein, embarked on a professional acting career in 1946, making his Broadway debut alongside Spencer Tracy in Robert Sherwood's "Rugged Path".
As a television character actor, Sands gained recognition for his recurring roles, including 138 episodes as Pvt. Dino Papparelli on The Phil Silvers Show and 138 episodes as Seaman Harrison "Tinker" Bell on McHale's Navy.
Throughout his career, Sands made guest appearances in various television series, such as Car 54, Where Are You?, All in the Family, Here's Lucy, Happy Days, The Odd Couple, and Webster.
He also had a notable role in the opening scene of the iconic film Rocky (1976),portraying a booker for the fighters.
Tragically, Billy Sands passed away on August 27, 1984, at the age of 73, due to lung cancer at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
He was laid to rest at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.
