Actor Tony Lo Bianco dies aged 87

Actor Tony Lo Bianco has died aged 87.

The actor's representative confirmed that he passed away on Tuesday night after a battle with prostate cancer.

"Tony Lo Bianco passed away last night at his horse farm in Maryland after a battle with prostate cancer. His wife, Alyse, was by his side. Tony was 87 years old," the statement reads.

The New York native began his career in the theatre, appearing in a number of Broadway shows in the sixties.

Lo Bianco then made his big screen debut in 1965 with The Sex Perils of Paulette, which also starred Alan Feinstein and Darlene Bennet. He later starred in the 1970 crime film The Honeymoon Killers.

The actor then landed roles in William Friedkin's critically acclaimed 1971 film The French Connection and Larry Cohen's 1976 horror film God Told Me To.

Lo Bianco is also known for roles in the long-running drama series Law & Order, in which he appeared in three episodes between 1992 and 2002.

The star also received a number of awards for his humanitarian efforts, including the Man of the Year Award from the New Jersey State Senate, the Lifetime Entertainment Award from the Columbus Day Parade Committee, and the Humanitarian Award from Boys' Town of Italy.

Lo Blanco has three daughters with his ex-wife Dora Landey, to whom he was married from 1964 to 1984. He was then married to Elizabeth Fitzpatrick from 2002 to 2008. He later married Alyse Best Muldoon in 2015.