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‘Happy Days’ Star Al Molinaro Dies at 96

Molinaro was 96 years old a the time of his passing.

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According to his imdb.com bio, Molinaro even capitalized on that fame with fellow “Happy Days” castmate Anson Williams (Potsie) when they opened a chain or Big Al’s Diners across the midwest in 1987. He moved to California in the 1950s, starting his own collection agency and later working in real estate. Big Al eventually became owner of the joint, remaining on the show for 10 years. Murray was one of the most popular characters on the show. From then until the mid-1980s, Molinaro was a fixture on television, either in notable guest appearances on shows like The Love Boat and Punky Brewster, or in recurring roles on Green Acres, Happy Days (and its spinoffs) and The Family Man.

On “Happy Days” he played Big Al Delvecchio, who started out as the chef at Arnold’s Drive-In. He went on to appear in commercials until 2000.

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His son, Michael Molinaro, told The Washington Post he died of complications from an infected gall bladder. He enjoyed a very long life of almost a century, and died in a Wisconsin hospital on October 29, 2015.

Al Molinaro Dead Happy Days