Joe Santos, a Brooklyn-born actor of Italian descent, was born Joseph John Minieri, Jr. on June 9, 1931. His father died on the same day, and his mother, Rose (née Sarno) Minieri, later married Puerto Rican-born Daniel Santos, taking his surname.
Growing up in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, Santos attended military schools and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He played football at Fordham University and turned semi-pro before pursuing a career in acting.
Santos worked various blue-collar jobs while taking acting classes and searching for roles. He debuted with a small part on the TV series "Naked City" and appeared in several films, including "Cross-Country Romance," "The Detective," and three of his cousin Joseph W. Sarno's film exploitations.
Santos' breakthrough role came with "The Panic in Needle Park" (1971),thanks to the encouragement of his friend and co-star Al Pacino. He went on to appear in several films and TV shows, including "The Legend of Nigger Charley," "Shaft's Big Score!," "The Blue Knight," and "The Rockford Files."
Santos earned an Emmy nomination for his role as Lt. Dennis Becker on "The Rockford Files" and continued to work in film and television throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He appeared in several urban crime films, including "Shamus," "The Friends of Eddie Coyle," and "Blade."
In the 1980s, Santos moved into lighter roles, starring in the sitcoms "Me and Maxx" and "a.k.a. Pablo." He also appeared in several TV shows, including "Trapper John," "Hill Street Blues," and "The 'A' Team."
In the 1990s and 2000s, Santos continued to work in film and television, appearing in shows such as "The Sopranos" and "Hardcastle and McCormick." He also wrote the play "Sunset Normandie," in which he starred.
Santos was married to his wife, Maria Montero, until her death in 1988. He died on March 18, 2016, at the age of 84, after suffering a heart attack. He was survived by his three children: Perry, Joe Jr., and Lili.
