Ronald Joseph Cicenia was born in Newark, New Jersey on December
11, 1935. Best known as Ron Carey to film and TV audiences he’s best remembered
for playing ambitious NYPD Police Officer Carl Levitt on TV's ‘Barney Miller’,
in which he was almost always surrounded by male actors (and sometimes female
guest stars) who stood at least 4 inches (10 cm) taller.
Carey was among the slate of actors who were members of
Mel Brooks unofficial repertory company, appearing in several of the director's
films; Carey was featured in “Silent Movie”, “High Anxiety”, and “History of
the World: Part I”. He also appeared in “Fatso”, directed by Brooks' wife Anne
Bancroft and featuring several Brooks regulars.
The son of Fanny and John Cicenia, he was raised in an
Italian American Catholic family. Carey did stand-up comedy in the 1960s, after
earning a bachelor's degree in communications from Seton Hall University in
1956. His comedy centered mostly on Catholicism and his childhood of being the
undersized but quick-witted kid on the block. His break came in 1966 when he
appeared on ‘The Merv Griffin Show’ and in 1967 he released a comedy album
entitled The Slightly Irreverent Comedy
of Ron Carey.
He also appeared in supporting roles in films and on
television, and was seen in scores of commercials, including some T-shirt ads
for Hanes, and an ad for Nabisco's snack cracker Better Cheddars where he sang.
Because of his short stature he was perfect for the role of Joe Dalton in
Terence Hill’s TV series and film as the leader of the ‘Daltons’. He later
played Sheriff Fox in Terence Hill and Bud Spencer’s last western
“Troublemakers”.
Carey died of a stroke at a Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
in Los Angeles, California, on January 16, 2007. He was survived by his wife,
Sharon, and his brother, James Cicenia.
CAREY, Ron (Ronald
Joseph Cicenia) [12/11/1935, Newark,
New Jersey, U.S.A. – 1/16/2007, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (stroke)] –
singer, film, TV actor, comedian, married to actress Sharon Carey (Sharon Boyeronus) [1944- ] (1967-2007).
Lucky Luke (TV)
– 1990-1991 (Joe Dalton)
Lucky Luke – 1991 (Joe Dalton)
Troublemakers – 1994 (Sheriff Fox)
I went to high school with Ron. He was always a comedian even in school. He was however a nice person. I know he will be missed
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