Richard Romanus, Actor Known for ‘Mean Streets’ and ‘The Sopranos,’ Dies at 80

December 30, 2023 @ 12:52 PM

Richard Romanus, an actor best known for his roles in “Mean Streets” and on “The Sopranos” as well as voice acting, died Dec. 23 of undisclosed causes. He was 80.

Romanus was a longtime resident of Skiathos, Greece, and according to his son, he died in a private hospital in the city of Volos.

Born in Barre, Vermont on Feb. 8, 1943 to a Lebanese American family, Romanus studied philosphy at Xavier university, graduating in 1964. He then studied at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg.

As actor, Romanus was most proliffic during the 1970s and 1980s. He played the loan shark Michael in Scorsese’s “Mean Streets,” and also appeared in “The Gravy Train” and “Protocol” among many other live action roles. He also frequently performed as a voice actor, most notably in the Ralph Bakshi films “Wizards” and “Hey Good Lookin’” and animated science fiction anthology film “Heavy Metal.”

His television credits included episodes of “Mission: Impossible,” “The Mod Squad,” “Rhoda,” “Kojack,” “Rockford Files,” the original “Hawaii Five-0,” “MacGyver” and “Diagnosis: Murder.” On “The Sopranos, Romanus played  Richard La Penna, the ex-husband of Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), appearing in 4 episodes.

In 2004 he and his wife, Oscar-nominated costume designer Anthea Sylbert, moved to Skiathos. Retiring from acting, Romanus focused on writing, including his memoirs and a novel.

Romanus and Sylbert married in 1985 and remained together until his death. He had previously been married to Tina Bohlmann from 1967-1980, having one son together. He’s survived by his son and Sylbert.