Al Molinaro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Al Molinaro
Molinaro as police officer Murray Greshler in The Odd Couple in 1974.
Born	Umberto Francesco Molinaro (1919-06-24)June 24, 1919 Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	October 30, 2015(2015-10-30) (aged 96) Glendale, California, U.S.
Other names	Albert Francis Molinaro
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1940–2003
Spouse(s)	Jacquelin Martin ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1980)​ Betty Farrell ​ (m. 1981)​
Children	1

Albert Francis Molinaro (born Umberto Francesco Molinaro; June 24, 1919 – October 30, 2015) was a famous American actor. He was best known for playing Al Delvecchio on the popular TV show Happy Days. He also played Officer Murray Greshler on The Odd Couple. You might have also seen him in many TV commercials.

Early Life and Family

Molinaro as Father Anthony Delvecchio, the twin brother of Al Delvecchio on Happy Days, performing Fonzie's baptism in 1977

Umberto Francesco Molinaro was born on June 24, 1919. He grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was one of ten children in his family. His parents, Raffaele and Teresa Molinaro, had moved to the U.S. from Italy.

Al's father owned a popular restaurant and hotel. He was also an important person in the Italian community in Kenosha. He helped many other Italian people move to the United States.

Al found he was good at public speaking in school. After high school, in 1940, he moved to Los Angeles. He wanted to become an actor. In 1948, Al Molinaro married Jacquelin Martin. They had one son, Michael. Later, they divorced.

From Business to Acting

When Al Molinaro first moved to California, he worked many different jobs. He saved enough money to start his own business. Later, he sold his business and started investing in real estate. This means he bought and sold land or buildings.

His investments paid off when a company bought one of his properties. This gave him enough money to finally follow his dream of becoming an actor. He was financially secure, so he could focus on acting.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Al Molinaro studied acting. He got small roles in TV shows like Bewitched, Get Smart, and Green Acres. He took an acting class where he met Penny Marshall. Penny later introduced him to her brother, Garry Marshall.

Garry Marshall was a TV producer. In 1970, he offered Al Molinaro a role on the TV show The Odd Couple. Al played Officer Murray Greshler, a police officer. This show was on TV for five years, until 1975.

Becoming Al Delvecchio

In 1976, Garry Marshall hired Al Molinaro again. This time, it was for another popular TV show called Happy Days. Al Molinaro played Al Delvecchio. Al Delvecchio owned Arnold's malt shop, a popular hangout spot.

His character, Al Delvecchio, was famous for his sighing catchphrase: "Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah...". Happy Days was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which was Al Molinaro's home state. The show ran for many years, from 1974 to 1984.

Al Molinaro also played a part in helping another famous actor get his start. For one episode of Happy Days, the original guest actor couldn't make it. Al Molinaro suggested that Robin Williams be cast instead. This gave Robin Williams a big chance to show his amazing talent.

In 1981, Al Molinaro married Betty Farrell. He left Happy Days in 1982. He then joined a short-lived spin-off show called Joanie Loves Chachi, playing Al Delvecchio again.

Later Career and Legacy

In 1987, Al Molinaro and his Happy Days co-star Anson Williams opened a chain of diners. They called them Big Al's, but the business did not last.

From 1990, Al Molinaro played Grandpa Joe Alberghetti on the TV show The Family Man. This show was also produced by the same company that made Happy Days.

Al Molinaro was very proud of his role on Happy Days. He often talked about how popular the show was around the world. He also appeared in Weezer's 1994 music video for the song "Buddy Holly". The video was set in Arnold's diner, just like Happy Days. He introduced the band in the video.

He stopped acting in TV shows and movies in the early 1990s. However, he continued to appear in TV commercials until the early 2000s. He was in many commercials for On-Cor frozen foods. He also appeared in ads for other products.

In 2004, Al Molinaro looked back on his acting career. He said that it took him a long time to succeed. He believed that you "just got to be lucky and in the right place at the right time."

Death

Al Molinaro passed away on October 30, 2015. He was 96 years old. He died in Glendale, California, due to problems from an infection.

Filmography