Actor. Born Vincenzo Scognamiglio in Naples Italy and raised in New York, he didn’t begin acting until the late 1950s when he was in his mid 30s. He landed supporting roles on Broadway in “Volpone”(1957) and “Only in America”(1959), and also in films. In 1961, he appeared in “The Hustler” as a bartender and “Mad Dog Coll” playing gangster ‘Dutch Schultz.’ Gardenia appeared in many Neil Simon plays including “God’s Favorite” in a role specifically written for him by the playwright. He won the Tony Award for his work in Simon’s “The Prisoner of Second Avenue”(1972) and earned a New York Film Critics Award and his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the baseball team’s manager in “Bang the Drum Slowly”(1973). His second nomination was for playing Cher’s father in “Moonstruck” in 1987. Other films include “Death Wish,” “Death Wish II,” “Heaven Can Wait,” and “Little Shop of Horrors,” but he is perhaps best known as Frank Lorenzo, Archie Bunker’s jovial, singing neighbor on “All in the Family.” (bio by: MagicMan)