Life and career

Santoni was born in New York City of French and Spanish descent, and began his career in off-Broadway theatre. His first significant film role was an uncredited appearance in the 1964 film The Pawnbroker (starring Rod Steiger), in which he played a junkie trying to sell a radio to the title character (using anti-Semitic slurs to no effect).

Santoni's first leading role was as the young actor in Carl Reiner's Enter Laughing. Other film roles included Inspector "Chico" González in 1971's Dirty Harry, prison official Ramon Herrera in the 1983 drama Bad Boys and detective Tony Gonzales in the 1986 action film Cobra. He also made guest appearances on television shows such as Barnaby Jones, Lou Grant, Hawaii Five-O, Hardcastle and McCormick, Hill Street Blues, The Odd Couple and Midnight Caller. In 1973, Santoni played a junior partner on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law.

Santoni continues to work in film and television. Notable roles include Poppie (the unhygienic restaurateur in Seinfeld) and Captain Carlos Rodríguez in Carl Reiner's comedy film Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid.

Filmography

• Strangers in the City (1962)
• The Pawnbroker (1964)
• Enter Laughing (1967)
• Anzio (1968)
• Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969)
• Dirty Harry (1971)
• I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977)
• They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way (1978)
• Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)
• Bad Boys (1983)
• Brewster's Millions (1985)
• Radioactive Dreams (1985)
• Cobra (1986)
• The Pick-up Artist (1987)
• Bright Lights, Big City (1988) (voice)
• The Package (1989)
• Men Don't Tell (1993)
• The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
• The Late Shift (1996)
• Private Parts (1997)
• Dr. Dolittle (1998) (voice)
• Can't Hardly Wait (1998)
• 28 Days (2000)
• Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) (voice)
• Kingpin (2003) (mini series)
• Gang Warz (2004)
• Double Tap (2006)
• Irene in Time (2009)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]