MONDAY MEMORIAL THEORY OF RELATEEVEETY - THE PANTUSSOS

From the Los Angeles Times:
Carmine Caridi, the actor best-known for portraying Carmine Rosato in “The Godfather: Part II,” has died. He was 85.

Caridi died on Tuesday after being in a coma at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, his reps confirmed to Variety. TMZ first reported the news.

“From broadway, to film and television, Carmine spent over six decades entertaining audiences, and nothing made him happier,” his reps said in a statement. “His talent, wit, warmth, and charm will be missed. Carmine passed peacefully, surrounded by friends and family, yesterday afternoon at Cedars Sinai Hospital.”

His character in “The Godfather: Part II,” Carmine Rosato, played a key role in the territorial feud with Frank Pentangeli, played by Michael V. Gazzo. Studio executive Robert Evans said in his 1994 memoir “The Kid Stays in the Picture” that Caridi was director Francis Ford Coppola’s first choice for the role of Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather.” However, Evans he said in the book that he over-ruled Coppola because he thought Caridi was too tall for the role, which instead went to James Caan.

I didn't know Mr. Caridi; I got to meet him a couple of times though while I was working at "That Place" in Times Square.  Like a lot of savvy actors in New York City, he knew to come to eat at the cafe which was part of our building, and he would schmooze with us in the lobby who knew him well from his roles.  For just about everybody else among my co-workers, it was his two roles in the second and third "Godfather" movies which they knew best.  For me, being the tele-fanatic, it was his role as Dan in 'Phyllis'.

None of his TV roles are eligible for membership in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, but I still wanted to find some way to pay tribute to his TV career in some small way.

And looking over his various roles, I found what I was looking for with a theory of "relateeveety".

But first, we have to look at a different actor and his most famous character....

From Wikipedia:
Ernie Pantusso, commonly known as "Coach", is a fictional character on the American television show 'Cheers', portrayed by Nicholas Colasanto between 1982 and 1985. Coach was originally Sam Malone's baseball coach before the show's pilot episode. He later became a bartender of Cheers, while Sam became its owner and another bartender. He is not "worldly wise" but has some shred of wit. He also has a daughter [with his late wife Angela] named Lisa, who appeared in "Coach's Daughter" (1982).

As a young man, Ernie attended Catholic School, but dropped out of high school and joined the Navy. He has a sister and two brothers; the younger brother has a daughter Joyce (Cady McClain), who appears in only "The Godfather, Part III" (episode 117, 1987). 

Occupation
Baseball coach (retired)
Assistant bartender (1982–1985) (until death)
Family
Two unnamed brothers
Unnamed sister
Spouse
Angela (deceased)
Children
Lisa (daughter)
Relatives
Joyce Pantusso (niece)
Phyllis Pantusso (sister-in-law)

Here's my theory of relateeveety - even though he wasn't seen in 'Cheers', Carmine Caridi was that youngest brother of Coach.  He was the father of Joyce Pantusso with his wife Phyllis Pantusso.

Why do I think that unnamed brother would look like Carmine Caridi?  Because Caridi played him in another TV series....

'Taxi'
"Out of Commission" (1981) 
... Lou-Lou Pantusso

From the IMDb:
After Tony's third knockout in five fights, a concerned doctor goes to the boxing commission and convinces them to revoke Tony's license. 

The character of Lou-Lou was based on Tony Danza's real life boxing manager.

A few months later, Lou-Lou Pantusso made another appearance in 'Taxi':

On the Job: Part 1 (1981) 
... Lou-Lou

From the IMDb:
After the Sunshine Cab Company goes bankrupt, the gang decides to meet at Mario's a month later to tell stories about their new jobs.

It turned out that Lou-Lou wasn't just Tony's manager, but he was a bookie as well.  And when Tony needed a job while the cab company was shut down, Lou-Lou hired him to be his "enforcer" in order to get deadbeat gamblers to pay up on their bad bets.  (Tony proved to be too soft for the job, while Lou-Lou proved to be so as well.)

Apparently Lou-Lou realized that he just wasn't cut out for such a life.  Or it could be that soon after trying to shake down the priest, Lou-Lou got in trouble with either the Law or with the Mob and decided it was too hot for him to stay on the East Coast with his wife Phyllis and his daughter Joyce.

They moved to Reedsport, Oregon, and six years later Lou-Lou's daughter Joyce showed up in Boston where she was going to go to college.  And she grew close to her uncle's former "padiwan", Woody Boyd.

According to Toobworld Central rule of thumb, characters are the same age as the actors who played them unless otherwise stated in the script.  So Ernie Pantusso was born in 1924, while his brother Louis "Lou-Lou" Pantusso was born ten years later.  Therefore, he's the younger brother.

Lou-Lou Pantusso was created by Sam Simon who would later go on to write five episodes of 'Cheers' where Ernie Pantusso already existed.  I have to wonder if maybe Simon also had in mind that Lou-Lou was a brother to Coach.

Good night and may God bless, Carmine Caridi....