---
name: "Penny Santon"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/penny-santon"
roles: []
born: "2 September 1916"
died: "12 May 1999"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-20T05:07:20.469192+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Penny Santon

Actor. Born 2 September 1916 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 12 May 1999.

## Details

- **Born:** 2 September 1916, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 12 May 1999
- **Also known as:** Penny Stanton
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 other
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Santon, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110566689, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0763842/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/80599

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Funny Girl*](https://film.one/film/funny-girl.md) (70)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Penny Santon (born Pierina Burlando) was an American actress who worked in film, television and theatre from the early 1950s until the late 1990s. She frequently played Italian-American wives and mothers, drawing on her fluency in Italian.

She appeared on stage in the original Broadway production of Tennessee Williams's *The Rose Tattoo* (1951). Her film credits include *Funny Girl* (1968) as Mrs. Meeker, *Fletch* (1985) and *Short Circuit* (1986). On television she had recurring or notable guest roles in series such as *Laverne & Shirley*, *Hill Street Blues*, *Columbo*, *Friends* and *Matt Houston*.

Santon was married to actor Bruno Della Santina from 1936 until his death in 1968. She died in Burbank, California, on 12 May 1999.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

### Performed in (1)

- *Funny Girl* (1968), Fi1m 70, as Mrs. Meeker — [page](https://film.one/film/funny-girl.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *West Side Story* (1961), Fi1m 80, as Madam Lucia (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/west-side-story.md)

## Complete filmography (75)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Friends* (1994), series, as Nonna — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/friends.md)
- *Burke's Law* (1994), series, as Mrs. Piatte
- *There Was a Little Boy* (1993), as Maria
- *One Good Cop* (1991), as Mrs. Cristofaro
- *Northern Exposure* (1990), series, as Mama Grippo
- *Quantum Leap* (1989), series, as Monchelli Sister
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Tessa Gianelli
- *Short Circuit* (1986), as Mrs. Cepeda
- *Moonlighting* (1985), series, as Madame Palmer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/moonlighting.md)
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Mrs. Rizzo
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Mrs. Fiori
- *Rhinestone* (1984), as Mother
- *Airwolf* (1984), series, as Market Owner
- *When Your Lover Leaves* (1983), as Flora
- *St. Elsewhere* (1982), series, as Frannie Catalano — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md)
- *Matt Houston* (1982), series, as Mama Rosa Novelli
- *Moonlight* (1982), as Josephine Barbella
- *T. J. Hooker* (1982), series, as Mrs. Martinez
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), series, as Barbara Furillo — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *B.A.D. Cats* (1980), series, Actor
- *The Last Word* (1979), as Mrs. Tempino
- *...And Your Name Is Jonah* (1979), as Grandma
- *Rosetti and Ryan: Men Who Love Women* (1977), as Ma Rosetti
- *Delvecchio* (1976), series, as Mrs. Coletta
- *The Legend of Valentino* (1975), as Madame Tullio
- *The Rockford Files* (1974), series, as Mrs. Gagglio — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)
- *Police Woman* (1974), series, as Mama Rossini
- *The Last Angry Man* (1974), as Mrs. Parelli
- *Pssst! Hammerman's After You!* (1974), as Mrs. Casino
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Sophie — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *Portrait: A Man Whose Name Was John* (1973), as Maria Roncalli
- *The Streets of San Francisco* (1972), series, as Ma Ferguson
- *The Impatient Heart* (1971), as Mrs. Esposito
- *Kotch* (1971), as Mrs. Segura
- *Columbo* (1971), series, as Lucia, Momma — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md)
- *A Storm in Summer* (1970), as Mrs. Gold
- *Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities* (1969), as Consuelo Guadalupe-Lopez
- *Adam-12* (1968), series, as Woman Shoplifter, Mary Maxwell
- *Funny Girl* (1968), as Mrs. Meeker — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/funny-girl.md)
- *The Outsider* (1968), series, as Mrs. Andrade
- *Don't Just Stand There* (1968), as Renée
- *The Flying Nun* (1967), series, as Mrs. Montero
- *Ironside* (1967), series, as Madame Kapati, Grocer's Wife
- *The Spy in the Green Hat* (1967), as Grandma Monteri
- *Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.* (1964), series, as Italian Woman
- *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* (1964), series, as Grandmama Monteri
- *Bewitched* (1964), series, as Isabella Baldoni
- *Love with the Proper Stranger* (1963), as Mama Rossini
- *My Favorite Martian* (1963), series, as Grandmother
- *Temple Houston* (1963), series, as Senora Ortega
- *Arrest and Trial* (1963), series, as Vivian Santo
- *The Lieutenant* (1963), series, as Mrs. Gorson
- *California* (1963), as Dona Ana Sofia Hicenta
- *McHale's Navy* (1962), series, as Theresa Maggiore
- *Ensign O'Toole* (1962), series, as Mama Di Julio
- *Don't Call Me Charlie* (1962), series, as Madame Fatime
- *Saints and Sinners* (1962), series, as Mama Donelli
- *Lover Come Back* (1961), as Hotel Maid (uncredited)
- *West Side Story* (1961), as Madam Lucia (uncredited) — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/west-side-story.md)
- *The Barbara Stanwyck Show* (1960), series, as Mrs. Donnatti
- *The Untouchables* (1959), series, as Mrs. Zagano, Gio's Wife
- *Bonanza* (1959), series, as Maria Rossi
- *Cry Tough* (1959), as Señora Estrada
- *One Step Beyond* (1959), series, as Mama Patruzzio
- *77 Sunset Strip* (1958), series, as The Mother Leader, Mrs. Neuman, Rosa Pucci
- *Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer* (1958), series, as Mama Chamini
- *Zorro* (1957), series, as Cresencia
- *Wagon Train* (1957), series, as Carlota Perez
- *Dino* (1957), as Mrs. Minetta
- *The Wrong Man* (1956), as Spanish Woman (uncredited)
- *State Trooper* (1956), series, as Mother May
- *No Right to Kill* (1956), as Mrs. Sciaretti
- *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* (1955), series, as Italian Tenant
- *Studio 57* (1954), series, Actor
- *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, Actor

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/penny-santon