‘Godfather’ star Abe Vigoda dies at 94, and this time it’s not a hoax

Abe Vigoda, famed character actor best know for “The Godfather” and the 1970s police sitcom”Barney Miller,” has passed away, according to the Associated Press. He was 94. His daughter,Carol Vigoda Fuchs, says her fatherdied Tuesday morning in his sleep at herhome in Woodland Park, New Jersey. The cause of death was old age. “This man was never sick,” Fuchs tells the AP.

Vigoda is one of the few celebrities whose obituaries require extra assurances, as he’s regularly been the subject of false death reports and hoaxes. People magazine first reported his death in 1982, and for several years would often accidentally include “the late” before his name. A website was even launched in 2001 with the sole purpose of keeping track of his alive-or-dead status.Vigoda turned the mistakes into a running gag, showing up on late night talk shows to surprise the hosts with his continued existence. At 94, he was the same age as Betty White.

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