The Joe Spinell Story (2001 Video)

William James Kennedy: Self

Photos 

Quotes 

• William James Kennedy : Joe was the most versatile of the stereotypical Italian wise guy actors. Joe actually broke through that typecasting, and not many others have. For example, the actors you see today such as Joe Pesci, or James Giandolfini, in the Goodfellas, or the Sopranos-type guys, that's all they're ever going to do. Play tough mafia type. But Joe played all kinds of roles. He played priests, Southern-accented coal miners, Western-accented prison guards.

• [on the death of Joe Spinell's mother in 1987] 

  William Lustig : Shortly after Joe's mother passed away, I saw even a further decline in Joe. He became someone who... I didn't even want to be around anymore. Because he was just so out of it.

  [cut to William James Kennedy] 

  William James Kennedy : I stayed with Joe in his apartment for a few months after his mother died. Every time we'd walk into the apartment after we were out for the day or night or whatever, Joe would say out loud into the apartment, "Hi Ma, were home."

  [cut to Luke Walter] 

  Luke Walter : When she passed on, it really did affect him. I mean it really, really did. Joe and I were sort of away from each other at that point in time. I made an effort to reconsile. I showed up at the funeral and payed my respects. Joe thanked me and everyone for attending and lending him emotional support. But... I don't think I ever saw Joe happy again after that.

  [cut to Jason Miller] 

  Jason Miller : With Joe being a Mama's Boy all his life and to have her die... it's something I belive that Joe could never cure himself of the pain over his mother dying.

  [cut to Grace Raimo] 

  Grace Raimo : Joey's health got worse after our mother died. I lived only a block away with my husband and after that really more or less took care of him. It was really tough for me. First as a teenager dealing with my very sick father, and now with my younger brother Joe... with almost the exact same health problems.

• William James Kennedy : I was aware of Joe's drinking problem which got worse year after year. I used to own this summer house in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania. During the summers of 1983 and 1984 when Joe wasn't working, I would invite him with some of my friends where for fishing, nature trail hiking, etc. The deal was that he could come... if he wouldn't drink and brought no booze. So, every time Joe would arrive at the cabin I would go through his bag and check his pockets and find a bottle now and then. But he would always find a way around that. For example, he would sneak out and go to one of my neighbors houses down the road and just invite himself in asking to borrow some firewood or food, and when they weren't around he would go to their liquor cabinet and quickly pour himself a shot, down it, and leave.

• William James Kennedy : One day you would kill for Joe, the next day you'd want to KILL Joe. For example, he and I were in a local bar in Manhattan one evening and he just walked out where he had a couple hundred dollar tab going with all the drinks he brought for himself and me... and I got stuck with it. The very next evening he came back to the very same bar-restaurant and bought the whole place, including me, dinner... and all was forgiven.

• William James Kennedy : All his life, Joe had this little tax problem with the IRS where he would be audited for underpayment of income taxes, which in his sister, Grace, was forced to take control of his finances. She would give him $20 here and there to eat, buy food, pay his utility bills and other stuff. Then, after he would get paid for his latest movie role, he would cash his paychecks he would receive and we be out in the local New York and Los Angeles bars spending THOUSANDS of dollars every night.