The actor, whose full name is Albert Francis Molinaro, was suffering from bad gallstones but decided not to have surgery due to his age, reports TMZ.
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In 1987 life imitated art with Molinaro opened a restaurant with his Happy Days co-star Anson Williams called Big Al’s. His final credited role is as Al Delvecchio, who he recreated for the Happy Days-themed video for Weezer’s “Buddy Holly”.
Molinaro retired from acting in the 1990s having made his breakthrough in a comedy improv class two decades earlier. “To the public in America, Happy Days was an important show, and I think it was and I think it still is”.
Born in Wisconsin, Molinaro was the son of Italian immigrants. Molinaro had one more attempt at sitcom success-a one-season run on the Gregory Harrison vehicle The Family Man-before ultimately retiring.
The character eventually married Chachi’s mother and also appeared in the Happy Days spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi.
The “Happy Days” star, started out as the chef at Arnold’s Drive-In.
The bulbous-nosed character actor became widely popular on the sitcom (ABC 1974-1984) as the proprietor of Big Al’s – the hangout where Richie, the Fonz and the gang hung out.
He had a brief teenage stint as a clarinet player with a band, then worked at a variety of jobs after leaving high school.
Molinaro acted in television and films as well as in commercials.
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He often popped up in big parts on “Bewitched“, “Get Smart” and “Green Acres“. Besides his wife, of Glendale, and son, of Encino, California, survivors include a brother and three grandchildren.
