Law & Order’s Dennis Farina Dies

Dennis Farina, who played the sharp-dressed Detective Joe Fontana in seasons 15 and 16 of Law & Order, has died. Various reports indicate he died Monday July 22, 2013 from a blood clot in his lung. Early in his career, he served as a police officer in Chicago, and this brought a real-life dimension to his role on Law & Order. (His standard Fontana line - "We're authorized!")

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Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Jill Hennessy, Dennis Farina Attend “Luck” Premiere

Law & Order’s Jill Hennessy and Dennis Farina attended the premiere of HBO's "Luck" at the Chinese Theater on January 25, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Both Jill and Dennis have starring roles in the series. Here are a few photos!


Please note: I am sorry, but the photos are no longer available.





For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Dennis Farina Appears in 100 Club of Chicago PSA

Dennis Farina (Law & Order) appears - along with several actors from various crime shows - in a PSA for the 100 Club of Chicago. This organization helps support families of officers killed in the line of duty. The PSA is below.



For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

HBO’s “Luck” Trailer with Dennis Farina

Dennis Farina (Law & Order) will be starring in a new HBO series titled “Luck” which takes a look into the world of horse racing. The series will premiere on Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 10 PM ET on HBO, immediately following the season finale of “Boardwalk Empire.” (Trailer below.)




For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Dennis Farina Attends Chicago International Film Festival Opening Night

Dennis Farina (Law & Order) attended the premiere of "The Last Rites of Joe May" during the opening night of the 47th Chicago International film festival at the Harris Theater on October 6, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. Here are his arrival photos.


Please note: I am sorry, but the photos are no longer available.




For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Dennis Farina Attends Premiere of "The Last Rites of Joe May"

Dennis Farina (Law & Order) attended the premiere of "The Last Rites of Joe May" during the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival at Clearview Cinemas on April 22, 2011 in New York City. Here are photos of Dennis from this event.

Please note: I am sorry, but the photos are no longer available.



For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Dennis Farina “Last Rites of Joe May” Trailer

Here is the trailer for the Joe Maggio film “The Last Rites Of Joe May” starring Dennis Farina (Law & Order) which is having its world premiere today at the Tribeca Film Festival.









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Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.


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Dennis Farina Attends 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Kick-Off Party

Dennis Farina (Law & Order) attended the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Kick-Off party at the W Hollywood on March 21, 2011 in Hollywood, California. Here are a few photos of Dennis at this event, including one with director David O. Russell.

Please note: I am sorry, but the photos are no longer available.

For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Dennis Farina to Star In “Luck”

Several sources are reporting that Dennis Farina (Law & Order) will be starring in a pilot for an HBO television drama titled “Luck.” The series takes a look at horse-racing and gambling, and Farina’s character, Gus Economou, will join up with a man recently released from jail to work on a racetrack scheme. The series will be written by David Milch, and Michael Mann will direct the pilot. Mann also directed Farina in "Thief," Farina's first film.


For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Dennis Farina To Star in Indie Film

Dennis Farina (Law & Order) has signed on to star in the independent feature drama "The Last Rites of Joe May," which was written and will be directed by Joe Maggio. The film will be set in Farina’s native Chicago. It covers the last days in the life of Joe May, an aging, short money hustler who always believed that greatness was just around the corner, and he is presented with one last shot at redeeming his wasted life. Filming just began in Chicago an is expected to be released sometime in 2010.



For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Dennis Farina Get Probation

An update on Dennis Farina’s (Detective Joe Fontana, Law & Order) gun charge previously reported on this blog ( here and here): Associated Press reports he was sentenced to two years probation plus a fine. I guess he won’t be “authorized” to own a gun for a while.

Here’s the story:

Dennis Farina receives 2 years of probation for carrying gun into Los Angeles airport

By Associated Press
6:21 PM CDT, July 17, 2008
LOS ANGELES (AP)

Dennis Farina may be able to carry a gun on-screen, but he won't be able to own one in California for several months.

The actor's attorney pleaded no contest on Thursday to a misdemeanor charge of bringing a weapon into a secure area at Los Angeles International Airport. A court commissioner sentenced him to up to two years of probation and ordered him to pay $1,991 in fines, said Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan.

While on probation, Farina cannot own or carry a gun, Mateljan said.

A former policeman, Farina was arrested May 11 for having a .22 caliber semiautomatic handgun in his briefcase. He promptly apologized after his release, saying he forgot he had the gun in his baggage.

Farina, 64, did not appear in court Thursday.

Farina has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies, including a three-year stint on "Law & Order" as detective Joe Fontana.

Other charges of carrying a concealed weapon and carrying a loaded firearm were dismissed.


Check out my blog home page for the latest information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Dennis Farina Formally Charged

Well, I suppose this time, Dennis Farina (Detective Joe Fontana, Law & Order) wasn’t “authorized. “

As reported on my blog here on May 11, Dennis was caught with a handgun while boarding a flight at the LAX airport. Several sources have now reported that formal charges were made. Here’s the story from one of those sources, People Magazine:

Dennis Farina Formally Charged for Carrying Gun at LAX

By Ken Lee
Originally posted Wednesday June 04, 2008 06:00 PM EDT

Law & Order star Dennis Farina was formally charged Wednesday for carrying a loaded .22-caliber handgun in his briefcase through Los Angeles International Airport security, city prosecutors said.

Farina was charged with three misdemeanors: Carrying a concealed firearm, carrying a loaded weapon in public, and possession of a weapon in a secure area of an airport.

If convicted on all counts, Farina faces a maximum penalty of 30 months in jail, and $3,000 in fines.

Farina, 64, was arrested last month after airport screeners found the gun as he prepared to board a plane.

The actor was reportedly apologetic, explaining to airport police that he had forgotten the gun was there before he drove to L.A. from Arizona for a flight to Chicago.

A rep for the actor was not immediately available for comment.




Check out my blog home page for the latest information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Dennis Farina In Law Trouble of His Own

The LA Times is reporting that Dennis Farina, who played Detective Joe Fontana on Law & Order, was booked on weapons charges. Here’s the story:

Former 'Law and Order' actor Dennis Farina booked on weapons charge

The actor, who tried to board a flight at LAX with a handgun, tells police he forgot it was in his briefcase.

By Jean-Paul Renaud, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 12, 2008
Former "Law and Order" actor Dennis Farina has been arrested and booked on a felony charge after screeners at Los Angeles International Airport found a loaded handgun in a briefcase he tried to take on board a flight to Chicago.

Police said the 64-year-old actor, a former Chicago police officer, told them he forgot that he had placed the .22-caliber gun in the case.

Farina was originally arrested Sunday morning on a misdemeanor charge of attempting to take a weapon onto a plane, said airport Police Sgt. Jim Holcomb. After officers learned the gun was not registered, the charge was increased to a felony, Holcomb said.

"He was apologetic and very cooperative, and he said he understood what was going to happen," Holcomb said.

Farina was booked into a Van Nuys jail. His bail has been set at $25,000.

Holcomb said Farina told investigators he put the gun in the case before driving to Los Angeles from Arizona for the United Airlines flight to Chicago.

The veteran actor has starred in several films, including "Get Shorty" and "Saving Private Ryan." He served 19 years with the Chicago Police Department.

Check out my blog home page for the latest information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.