Nicholas Georgiade


Nicholas Georgiade was an American film and television actor, best known for playing Agent Rico Rossi in the television series The Untouchables.

Early life and education

Georgiade was born in New York City on March 25, 1933, of Greek ancestry. After serving four years with the U.S. Army in Berlin, he attended Syracuse University, where he was a heavyweight boxer for three years. Intending to become a teacher, he majored in sociology and psychology, and graduated 1956. Lucille Ball discovered him when he acted in a little theatre production in Hollywood, which led to his participation in the Desilu Workshop theater.

Career

;Television
Georgiade's career in television began on the December 11, 1958 Playhouse 90 episode titled Seven Against the Wall, about the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, featuring actors Warren Oates, Tige Andrews, and Paul Lambert.
In April 1959, he made an appearance as Frank Kotter, who is caught during a brewery raid on the CBS anthology, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse in the episode, "The Untouchables: Part 1" which serves as the pilot for the ABC series of the same name. Georgiade's best-known role is Federal Agent Enrico "Rico" Rossi on 105 episodes of the 1959-1963 hit program, The Untouchables.
Also on Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, he played Tommy on the January 23, 1960 episode Meeting at Appalachia which included Cameron Mitchell and Jack Warden. Other appearances were on such notable programs as Hawaiian Eye, Daniel Boone, I Spy, Batman, Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, Kojak, and The Equalizer.
;Film
In theatrical films, he had a small uncredited role as a police detective in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. He also had a brief uncredited appearance as a prisoner in Hang 'Em High. Georgiade had roles in The Young Runaways, Stacey, Seven, Mugsy's Girls, Picasso Trigger and Indecent Proposal.
From May 2016 until his death, Georgiade was the last living regular cast member of The Untouchables, as well as one of two surviving cast members of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the other being Barrie Chase.

Personal life and death

Georgiade married Anita Khanzadian in 1956, whilst he was a senior in college. In 1964, he remarried after meeting New York model, Davee Decker, who was then 28. In 1977, he married Alicia Razaf, who was 18 years his senior. They remained married until her death in January 2017, at the age of 102.
He died in Las Vegas on December 19, 2021, at the age of 88. He was survived by his daughter, Anastazia Juliet Georgiade.

Filmography

Film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1958Playhouse 90RoccoEpisode: "Seven Against the Wall"
1958WhirlybirdsAnders1 episode
1959Hawaiian EyeKala1 episode
1960Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseFrank KotterEpisode: "The Untouchables: Part 1"
1959The UntouchablesFrank Kotter Episode: "Pilot"
1959–1963The UntouchablesAgent Enrico "Rico" RossiMain cast
1960Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseTommyEpisode: "Meeting at Appalachia"
1963Combat!Londos1 episode
1966I Spy1st Guard1 episode
1966Daniel BooneChief White Wolf1 episode
1966Run, Buddy, RunMobsterEpisode: "Steam Bath & Chicken Little"
1966Run, Buddy, RunWendell3 episodes
1967BatmanKayo1 episode
1968MannixLogan2 episodes: "Deadfall", "Deadfall: Part II"
1970Hawaii Five-OAndreas1 episode
1976The Rockford FilesDanny1 episode
1978KojakGino1 episode
1978–1982Quincy, M.E.Andros / Lew Malloy / Bob Gooden / Vince Lasker4 episodes
1987The EqualizerFBI Agent #2Episode: "Blood and Wine "