RIP Lawrence Levine

 Los Angeles Daily News

November 27, 2021

 

August 2, 1931 - November 23, 2021 Our family is now smaller by one. Our beloved Larry passed away peacefully in his sleep Tuesday morning. He is survived by his children Leslie & Umberto Gibin, Michael & Jennifer Levine, His grandchildren, Shayna & Alex, Haley & Jason and Ryan, his brother & business partner Dennis Levine and sister-in-law Anne Betti, and sister-in-law Sheila Dubin. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren Audrey Leila, Hunter & Jackson. Larry was born on August 2nd, 1931 to Monty and Libby Levine. He played high school football, college football, and to play during his service in the U.S. Navy. After the Navy, he went to work in the family restaurant, Monty's Steakhouse in Pasadena est. 1940. Larry met his wife Bobbi on a blind date in 1957, he proposed that day. They married in 1957 and were together for 62 years. Monty's in Encino was established the year they married. Larry ran successful restaurants in the valley until the day he passed away. He was a master chef, well-respected restaurateur, and wine connoisseur. Throughout his life, Larry had many hobbies and passions all of which he pursued to the fullest. He was a screen actor, team roper, tennis player, hunter, golfer, bass fisherman, runner, and cyclist... just to name a few. Larry was involved with many charities including the Aids bike ride, which he completed 18 months after his open-heart surgery. He had a heart of gold and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, November 28th, at 2 PM at Monty's Steak House. In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting one of Larry's favorite Non-Profits American Heart Association Meals On Wheels of San Francisco

 

LEVINE, Lawrence

Born: 8/2/1931, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 11/23/2021, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

RIP Steve Restivo

 Steve Restivo, Actor and Co-Owner of Studio City Restaurant Vitello’s, Dies at 81

 

Variety

By Katie Song

November 24, 2021

Steve Restivo, an actor and former co-owner of Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City, Calif., died on Nov. 5 at West Hills Hospital after a year-long battle with lung cancer and complications from COVID-19, his son Roy confirmed. He was 81.

Restivo was an actor for over 50 years. He was known for frequent roles as one of Garry Marshall’s acting troupe alongside Hector Elizondo and Larry Miller, appearing in films including “Nothing in Common” (1986), “Beaches” (1988), “Pretty Woman” (1990), “Frankie and Johnny” (1991), “Exit to Eden” (1994), “The Other Sister” (1999), “The Princess Diaries” (2001), “Raising Helen” (2004) and “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” (2004). He also guest-starred in television shows such as “Quincy M.E.,” “Cover Up,” “Remington Steele,” “Nowhere Man” and “The New Adam-12.”

He and his brother Joe Restivo had owned Vitello’s for nearly 30 years before the murder of Bonny Lee Bakley, the wife of Emmy-winning actor Robert Blake, outside the restaurant in 2001. Blake was charged with Bakley’s murder in 2002 but ultimately a jury found him not guilty of the crimes, including conspiracy and special circumstances of lying in wait, in 2005, leaving Bakley’s killing officially unsolved.

The murder gave the restaurant a certain notoriety, and it saw a large increase in customers and fame with tour-bus companies adding the location as a stop as well as several mentions on television. Restivo was interviewed about the scandalous murder case on TV programs such as “Dateline” and “Marcia Clark Investigates The First 48.”

The Restivos sold Vitello’s in 2005 and his brother, co-owner Joe Restivo, died in 2006.

In addition to his son Roy, Restivo is survived by his wife Sara, his sons Vince and Steve Jr., his brother Salvatore and his sister Lucy Ricciardone. Memorial services will be held Dec. 10 at 12:30 p.m. at Church of the Hills at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills.

RESTIVO, Steve

Born: 2/7/1940, Cefalu, Sicily, Italy

Died: 11/5/2021, West Hills, California, U.S.A.

 

Steve Restivo’s western – actor:

Hard Bounty – 1995 (card player)

 

RIP Lou Cutell

 

‘Seinfeld’ actor Lou Cutell, also on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ dead at 91

 

New York Post

By Ben Cost

November 23, 2021

His friend says he “went home.”

Actor Lou Cutell, who was best known for appearing in TV series including “Seinfeld” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” has died at age 91. Cutell’s friend Mark Furman announced his death in a Facebook post on Monday, although he didn’t disclose the cause.

“After 91 years, and a great life, my friend Lou Cutell went home,” the bereaved buddy wrote, along with pictures of the late thespian. “A film, theater and character actor. Big Larry in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, A– Man in Seinfeld, Abe in Grey’s Anatomy S12,E4.”

Furman added: “He took me to Lucille Ball’s house in 1986. Rest in peace Lou.”

Born in New York City on Oct. 6, 1930, Cutell got his start on Broadway 60 years ago, starring in the musical “The Young Abe Lincoln.”

His first television stint came in 1964 when Cutell appeared in an episode of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” From there, he went on to appear in a slew of classic TV series, including “The Wild Wild West” (1968), “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1974), “Starsky & Hutch” (1976), “The Love Boat” (1977), “The Bob Newhart Show” (1974 and 1978) and “Kojak” (1978), as well as a recurring role in “Alice” (1983-1984).

However, Cutell is perhaps most famous for playing the mysterious “a–man” in the iconic “Fusilli Jerry” episode of “Seinfeld.” He also appeared in several episodes of the 2013-2014 series “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” and two episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in 2004. The sitcom star’s final television appearance came in 2015 via a cameo in the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Along with his TV roles, Cutell appeared in notable films, including “Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster” (1965), “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” (1989) and “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985), in which he played Amazing Larry.

CUTELL, Lou

Born: 10/3/1930, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 11/22/2021, New York City, U.S.A.

 

Lou Cutell’s westerns – actor:

The Wild Wild West (TV) – 1968 (Major Frederick Frey)

Little Big Man – 1970 (Deacon)

Mr. Horn (TV) – 1979 (small man)

RIP Volker Lechtenbrink

 German actor Volker Lechtenbrink has died

 

News In 24

By Betty

11/23/2021

 

The actor, singer, general manager and director Volker Lechtenbrink is dead. He died at the age of 77 on Monday with his family as a result of a serious illness, as his agency and the Ernst-Deutsch-Theater in Hamburg announced. In July he received the Gustaf Gründgens Prize in Hamburg.

Lechtenbrink, who first appeared on stage at the Hamburger Schauspielhaus at the age of ten, became famous in 1959 at the age of 14 with the role of schoolboy Klaus Hager in Bernhard Wicki’s famous anti-war film “Die Brücke”. In addition to his work at the theater and as a musician, the all-rounder with the smoky, memorable voice and the almost insatiable longing for life was regularly in front of the camera for television films and series (for example in “Derrick” and “Ein Fall für Zwei”).

In addition to theater and television, the job of artistic director at the Bad Hersfeld Festival was added in 1995, and in 2004 he took over the management of the Ernst-Deutsch-Theater for three years – which he gladly relinquished because he said he did not have “the whole organizational” side so lay.

 

LECHTENBRINK, Volker

Born: 8/18/1944, Cranz, East Prussia, Germany

Died: 11/22/2021, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

 

Volker Lechtenbrink’s western – actor:

By Way of the Stars (TV) – 1992 (Diener Jürgen)