In Memorium - Al Molinaro - 'Happy Days' Actor
Al Molinaro, who played the jovial Big Al Delvecchio on the long running sitcom "Happy Days" died a painful and horrible death Friday in Glendale, California, his son, Michael Molinaro, said. He was 96. Doctors at Glendale Memorial Hospital reported that years of consuming greasy burgers, hot dogs and fries, cokes, malted milk shakes and ice cream sundaes caused his LDL or 'bad cholesterol' level to spike to over 600, well above the accepted normal range of between 150-180. The rotund comedian's weight had ballooned to 418 lbs. but despite having left the show some 3 decades ago, "he stayed in his lovable "Happy Days" character thru out the past 30-some-odd years, even though he had retired from acting when the show was canceled in 1984', his son said. " According to eyewitnesses, Molinaro was watching an old rerun of Happy Days, the one in which Ron Howard's character, Richie Cunninham wanted Al to pretend that he was mad at him in order to impress Fonzie, when something he was eating, 'went down the wrong way', said a bystander. Apparently, the always cheerful actor was laughing so hard, he began to cough, then he turned red, threw up, fell to the ground and choked on his own vomit. He died in 45 agonizing minutes. The perennially amusing Molinaro had suffered from stage two diabetes since 1991 and had his right leg amputated just below the knee and was blind in his left eye but he always managed to have a smile on his face. "He loved people", said his ex-wife Dorothy who divorced him in 1988 after a bitter two-year custody battle which left him almost destitute. In addition to having diabetes, the ever-optimistic Molinaro also had testicular cancer and in 1999 had a kidney removed and had to have dialysis treatments twice a week. "He never had a bad word for anybody", said his estranged brother Eddie, whom he hadn't spoken to in 22 years. "He will live on in our hearts" said his former business partner, Norman Goldstein. "I only wish I'd gotten paid the $250,000.00 he owed me." Friends and well-wishers are invited to stay home and binge watch "Happy Days" reruns in memory of Mr. Molinaro. A luncheon will be given in his honor where greasy burgers, french fries, hot dogs and malted milkshakes will served.