Served in the US Marine Corps

Worked first as a carpet cleaner, then as a carpet salesman and installer in the 1960s

Film acting debut in "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight"

Portrayed Master-At-Arms in second feature, "Cinderella Liberty", starring James Caan

Early TV-movie credit, "The Connection" (ABC)

Played Curly in Roman Polanski's "Chinatown"

Second film with Caan, "The Gambler"

Appeared as Robert Blake's brother in episodes of "Baretta" (ABC); wrote first teleplay for the series

Had featured role in support of Jill Clayburgh and Lee Remick in "Hustling" (ABC)

Breakthrough screen role as Talia Shire's brother in "Rocky"; received Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor

Wrote and starred in the CBS TV-movie "Daddy, I Don't Like It Like This"

Sole film as writer, "Uncle Joe Shannon"; also starred

Reprised his role of Paulie in "Rocky II"

Again played Paulie in "Rocky III"

Portrayed Bedbug Eddie in "The Pope of Greenwich Village"

Had a fourth go at Paulie in "Rocky IV"

Co-starred on stage with Robert De Niro in "Cuba and His Teddy Bear"

Created and co-starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom "Roomies"; played a forty-something former drill sergeant returing to college who rooms with a teenage genius

Wrote, directed and starred in the one-man stage production "S.O.S."

Played Big Joe in "Last Exit to Brooklyn"

Reteamed again with Shire as her brother in "Rocky V"

Appeared in the syndicated miniseries "Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride"

Reprised his role in the sequel "Vendetta II: The New Mafia" (syndicated)

Fifth film with Caan, "North Star"

Had recurring role on "Walker, Texas Ranger" (CBS)

Co-starred in "She's So Lovely"

Played yet another gangster in the CBS miniseries "The Last Don"

Portrayed Mr. Ippolito in "Before Women Had Wings", an ABC movie aired under the banner 'Oprah Winfrey Presents'

Narrated HBO documentary, "City Dump: The Story of the 1951 CCNY Basketball Scandal"

Sixth film with Caan, "Mickey Blue Eyes"

Had recurring role in the HBO series "The Sopranos"

Reunited with Sylvester Stallone for the reality series "The Contender"

Starred opposite Felicity Huffman in the indie-drama "TransAmerica"

Reprised role of Paulie in "Rocky Balboa," the sixth film in the Rocky series