

Tall and solidly built, this Italian-American professional wrestler turned actor was born Lenny Passaforo in Brooklyn, New York, and is best remembered for his first on-screen role as the not too bright but ever loyal bodyguard Luca Brasi in The Godfather (1972). Montana didn't get a lot of screen time before being eliminated by the henchmen of opposing gangster Al Lettieri with a garrote and a knife; however, he caught the eye of casting agents and over the next ten years racked up roles in 16 movies. Usually cast as "muscle for hire", he was equally good at playing the intimidating thug or a buffoonish hoodlum, such as in Battle Creek Brawl (1980) and The Jerk (1979). His last film appearance was in the B-thriller Blood Song (1982), which he…
Popular credits from TMDb for additional context.

The Godfather
1972 • Movie
Luca Brasi

Magnum, P.I.
1980 • TV
Marquis' Bodyguard

Kojak
1973 • TV
McCoy

Search
1972 • TV

Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
1977 • TV
Luca Brasi (uncredited)

...All the Marbles
1981 • Movie
Jerome

The Jerk
1979 • Movie
Con Man

The Big Brawl
1980 • Movie
John

The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959
2016 • Movie
Luca Brasi (uncredited)

Matilda
1978 • Movie
Hood #1
Browse local MovieFrost titles connected to this actor/director.

