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John Aprea, “The Godfather Part II” and “Full House” actor, dies at 83
John Aprea, who played young Tessio in “The Godfather Part II” and John Stamos’ father in “Full House”, died on Aug. 5 at age 83, his manager Will Levine confirmed to CBS News. He died of natural causes in Los Angeles surrounded by his loved ones.
Aprea was born in 1941 to Italian immigrants in Englewood, New Jersey. He moved to New York City in the early 1960s to pursue acting before relocating to Los Angeles.
He got his first break in the 1967 Steve McQueen classic “Bullitt” before landing the role of young Salvatore “Sal” Tessio in “The Godfather Part II.” He had originally auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone in “The Godfather”, but Al Pacino got the part.
Aprea reportedly phoned actor Abe Vigoda, who played the older version of his character in “The Godfather” and asked for his insight. Vigoda reportedly told him to “just have a good time, kid.”
Aprea had said that the role was a highlight of his career, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Throughout his career, Aprea appeared in multiple TV shows and movies, including “The Montefuscos,” “The Idolmaker” and “Matt Houston.” His resume also included roles in “Mannix,” “The Rookies,” “NYPD Blue, “The Stepford Wives”, “American Anthem” and “The Game.”
Aprea recurred as the exterminator dad of Stamos’ Jesse Katsopolis on ABC’s “Full House” from 1988-1991 and reprised the role for the 2017 Netflix reboot “Fuller House.”
He is survived by his third wife Betsy Garci, his daughter Nicole from a previous marriage to actress Cherie Latimer and stepchildren Marika Parker and Valentino Garci.
CBS News
House Ethics Committee planned to vote Friday on whether to release report on Matt Gaetz
The House Ethics Committee, which has been conducting an investigation into sexual misconduct and obstruction allegations against Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, scheduled a vote for Friday on whether to release its report, according to three sources with knowledge of the committee’s work.
Hours after President-elect Donald Trump said he planned to nominate Gaetz to be attorney general, Gaetz resigned his congressional seat, effective immediately.
“I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress, to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump Administration,” Gaetz said in his resignation letter obtained by CBS News
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that there was about an eight-week period during which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could fill his seat by setting the date for a special election.
Now that Gaetz has resigned, it is unclear whether the panel will vote on releasing the report, since Gaetz is no longer in Congress.
There is precedent in Congress on the Senate side for an ethics committee report to become public after a member resigns from Congress, however. In 2011, this happened when Sen. John Ensign of Nevada resigned amid allegations that he tried to hide an extramarital affair.
But it’s not clear that that would apply to the House, leaving open the possibility that the report on Gaetz would not be released.
In June, the House Ethics Committee released a statement saying it was investigating a range of allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and bribery.
Multiple sources at the time told CBS News that four women had informed the House Ethics Committee that they had been paid to go to parties that included sex and drugs, and that Gaetz had also attended. The committee has Gaetz’s Venmo transactions that allegedly show payments for the women.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has called the committee’s investigation a “frivolous” smear campaign.
Some of the allegations of sexual misconduct under review by the committee were also the subject of a previous Department of Justice probe into Gaetz. Federal investigators sought to determine if Gaetz violated sex trafficking and obstruction of justice laws, but no charges were filed.
The House Ethics Committee resumed its investigation into Gaetz in 2023, following the Justice Department’s decision not to pursue charges against him.
Gaetz has long blamed then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, also a Republican, for the probe. And Gaetz later led the movement to sack McCarthy as speaker.
CBS News
Democratic Congressman on the party’s messaging, focus
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11/13: The Daily Report – CBS News
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