Richard Aiello (September 21, 1955 – July 26, 2021) was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing Officer Long in the Spike Lee films Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever.
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Career
Aiello worked as a nightclub bouncer, bartender and club manager, and later pursued his acting career.
Aiello guest-starred in television programs including Diagnosis: Murder, L.A. Law, 21 Jump Street, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Early Edition, The Sopranos, Walker, Texas Ranger and 18 Wheels of Justice. He also appeared and co-starred in films such as Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, Jungle Fever and Clockers as NYCPD patrol officers, One Good Cop as an NYCPD detective, She Hate Me, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, The Don's Analyst, Me and the Kid, Hollywood Confidential, Sex and the City, A Brooklyn State of Mind, 29th Street and Silent Madness. Aiello also co-starred in the short-lived American crime drama television series Dellaventura, playing Teddy Naples. He retired in 2016, last appearing in the film Nobody's Perfect.
Personal life
Aiello was the son of actor Danny Aiello. Aiello died of pancreatic cancer at St. Anthony Community Hospital (WMCHealth) in Warwick, New York, on July 26, 2021, at the age of 65.