Biography
Joe Santos, born Joseph John Minieri Jr., was an American actor. He was best known for playing Police Sgt. (later Lt.) Dennis Becker on the NBC series The Rockford Files (1974–1980). The role earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He reprised the character in eight The Rockford Files television movies between 1994 and 1999.
Santos appeared in films including The Panic in Needle Park (1971), The Last Boy Scout (1991), The Postman (1997) and The Man from Elysian Fields (2001). On television he had recurring roles as Angelo Garepe on The Sopranos and Lt. Frank Harper on Hardcastle and McCormick (1985–1986). Born in Brooklyn, New York, on 9 June 1931, he died on 18 March 2016 in Santa Monica, California.
