Gabriel Dell

American actor

Gabriel Dell (born Gabriel Marcel Dell Vecchio; October 8, 1919 – July 3, 1988) was an American actor and one of the members of what came to be known as the Dead End Kids, then later the East Side Kids and finally The Bowery Boys.

Born in New York City, Dell almost made his stage debut a few years before Dead End when he and his sister were slated for roles in The Good Earth with Alla Nazimova and Claude Rains. Dell served in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II. He appeared in numerous films as a Dead End Kid/East Side Kid/Bowery Boy. In the 1944 East Side Kids film Million Dollar Kid, Dell appeared as a criminal villain, pitted against the boys, who gets brought to justice in the end. Dell appeared in the play The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, written by Lorraine Hansberry. The production opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre on October 15, 1964, and was directed by Peter Kass. Jack Blackman designed scenery, Jules Fisher designed lighting, and Fred Voelpel designed costumes. The original cast featured Dell as Sidney Brustein and Rita Moreno as Iris Parodus Brustein. The play received mixed reviews and closed on January 10, 1965. Dell starred in Lamppost Reunion as Fred Santora, which opened October 16, 1975. As a result of this performance, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. His other non Dead End Kids/Bowery Boys films included The 300 Year Weekend (1971), Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971), Earthquake (1974), and Framed (1975). He also appeared in The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery (1975), and The Escape Artist (1982). Dell also made several appearances on television shows during the 1960s and 1970s. including Ben Casey, The Fugitive, Mannix, Then Came Bronson, I Dream of Jeannie, McCloud, Sanford and Son, and Barney Miller. According to differing sources, either Don Francks, Charles Bronson, or Dell was the uncredited actor providing the voice of Boba Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, in the Star Wars Holiday Special.

Dell died in North Hollywood of leukemia in 1988 at age 68.

Year Series Role Notes 1956 Armstrong Circle Theatre Howard Mukluk Brown Episode: "Operation Deep Freeze: Crash of the Otter" 1960 The Steve Allen Plymouth Show The Burgomaster 1 Episode 1963 Naked City Willie Corbin Episode: "Man Without a Skin" 1965 Ben Casey Michael M. Francini Episode: "Francini? Who is Francini?" 1967 The Fugitive Chester Episode: "There Goes the Ball Game" 1967 Mannix Alan Brewer Episode: "Coffin for a Clown" 1969 The Governor and J. J. Dr, Apthecker Episode: "Cat on a Hot Tin Mansion" 1969 Then Came Bronson Russ Faber Episode: "Old Tigers Never Die They Just Run Away" 1969 CBS Playhouse Mickey Episode: "Sadbird" 1970 I Dream of Jeannie Arvel Episode: "My Master, the Chili King" 1971 The Name of the Game Rocco Amato Episode: "Appointment in Palermo" 1971 McCloud Ira Mastin Episode: "Somebody's Out to Get Jennie" 1972 Cutter Leone TV film 1972 The Corner Bar Harry Grant 10 Episodes 1972 73 Sanford and Son Gunman / Leader 2 Episodes: "The Suitcase Case" and "The Big Party" 1972 Banyon Sam Whitney Episode: "Meal Ticket" 1973 Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law Matt Hanks Episode: "An Often and Familiar Ghost" 1974 Nakia Archie McIntosh Episode: "No Place to Hide" 1975 Barney Miller Al Shreiber Episode: "Vigilante" 1976 Risko Joe Risko TV film 1976 Switch Tony Adams Episode: "The Things That Belong to Mickey Costello" 1976 Doc Lindstrom Episode: "The Westside Clinic and Deli" 1977 Serpico Shotness Episode: "Sanctuary" 1977 Star Wars Holiday Special Boba Fett (voice) TV special 1977 A Year at the Top Frederick J. Hanover Main Cast 1979 Legends of the Superheroes Mordru 2 Episodes: "The Roast" and "The Challenge"