Tony Danza. He gets **** done.

[The]

Tony Danza interrupts priest at Philip Carlo's funeral




It could have been a funeral-home scene out of a "Sopranos" episode. At the wake for crime author Philip Carlo, Tony Danza angrily interrupted the priest, claiming he was talking too much about God and not enough about the best-selling biographer of mass murderers, including Richard Kuklinski and Richard Ramirez, during his eulogy.
A source at Thursday's wake at Peter C. La Bella Funeral Home in Bensonhurst said the priest -- "who said he was a substitute priest from a federal prison, which made some people smirk -- started to ramble on and on about religion, quoting the Bible and making mourners uncomfortable.


Tony Danza


"Tony, who was one of Carlo's closest friends, walked right up to the priest and said angrily, 'Excuse me, but this is not about you. It's supposed to be about my friend, and if you can't do that, maybe you should let someone else speak!'
"People were stunned, while the priest was visibly shaken. He tried talking about Carlo before quickly wrapping things up. Danza took over and eulogized Carlo with memories from their younger days.
"When someone then heckled Tony, he said, 'Will you give me a break? Will you stop and let me talk?' "
Guests included Chuck Zito, John "Cha Cha" Ciarcia, Danny Aiello, Carlo's family, Kuklinksi's widow, Barbara, and movie producer Matty Beckerman. Close pal Mickey Rourke -- who is starring in the movie adaptation of Carlo's "The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer," about Kuklinski -- sent a 6-foot flower arrangement.
Danza spoke again Friday morning during the service at the chapel at Greenwood Cemetery, but this time, "he brought people to tears," the source added.
Carlo died Nov. 8 at age 61.
His wife, Laura, told us, "The funeral went very well, and we know Phil would have been very happy. We all agreed that the priest had to go and leave it to Phil's friends to come to the rescue." Danza's rep said he was unreachable and declined to comment.

[StoopTroup]

Sounds like Danza eventually did the right thing. It's tough being put in front of a bunch of folks when you didn't know the deceased. Hopefully the Preist learns to do a bit more Homework the next time he speaks at a Funeral.

[DIB]

[3rdgensooner]

[OhU1]

Way to go Tony. Sounds like he had the family's support.

I've been to a few funerals that were more of a church service and had little to do with the deceased or their grieving family. I attended a child's funeral once where the preacher repeatedly made the statement that "it would be selfish for us to want (the child) back with us." That the child was "with God now". "God needed an angel" and such.

I'm pretty sure the preacher meant his words to be soothing but it only made the parent's feel like they were being told they were not justified to grieve their child's death.

I personally find the notion of a child's death being part of "God's plan" to be sick, obscene and offensive. Even if you believe in a God such as this - I can't fathom why anyone would utter something like this at a funeral or to the parents.

[StoopTroup]

I personally find the notion of a child's death being part of "God's plan" to be sick, obscene and offensive. Even if you believe in a God such as this - I can't fathom why anyone would utter something like this at a funeral or to the parents.

I agree that saying those words at the Funeral are out of line. Those are things that might be said during an exchange of feelings between those who were closest to the deceased. The Family would usually be the closest and if they seem to be handling it well and not searching for answers...then It's probably best to not even say it.

[TUSooner]

Any funeral where the deceased is eulogized only by a priest or pastor (or anyone else, I guess) who didn't know the deceased has the potential to be pathetic and embarrassing. I've been to a few like that. If I happen to out-live all the people who know me best, just pronounce me dead and get on with your business.

[47straight]

If it was a wake, then I can see this.



If it was a funeral, then how dare a priest mention religion at a religious service? We have a separation of church and funeral in this country, especially when we invite priests to say the funeral.


Now that I've gotten my sarcasm out of the way, I have to disagree with all you assuming it was actually a funeral. You ask a priest to say a funeral mass, and, well, fundamentally a funeral mass is a prayer for the dead. So it is in the end indeed all about God. Thus what we think of as a eulogy isn't typically done (yeah, I know it happens). A wake, that's different. That's more of a time to get up, tell all the great stories, etc. But if it was a funeral mass the family asked for, that's what they got. And instead of arranging it ahead of time so that a family member or friend could indeed say a few words, a priest gets yelled at while he's doing (presumably) the best he can.

[47straight]

Any funeral where the deceased is eulogized only by a priest or pastor (or anyone else, I guess) who didn't know the deceased has the potential to be pathetic and embarrassing. I've been to a few like that. If I happen to out-live all the people who know me best, just pronounce me dead and get on with your business.

The more common case that I've seen is where a family member or friend who isn't used to speaking in public gets up and rambles on about their own relationship with the deceased in a way that others may or may not relate to, and ends up pissing off the deceased's kids, etc. It reminds me of so many maid-of-honor wedding toasts.

I think I'd say that any eulogy has the potential to be embarassing if it isn't prepared for correctly, either by a minister or an 'amateur.'

[Oldnslo]

My rabbi eulogized my father essentially as a favor to me. Dad hadn't set foot in the Temple for maybe 20 years.

Everything depends on the circumstances.

[sooneron]

Heh, I know Cha Cha. He's very good friends with a director buddy of mine. Met him a few times. One word : CHARACTER! Hilarious guy. He'll also take your action on any nfl game.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I've had to speak at a handful of funerals were I didn't know the deceased. I do find out as much as I can about them, ask 2 or 3 immediate family members about something they want me to bring out, and then I go from there..

[sooneron]

I don't "do" funerals.

[Jammin']

I've had to speak at a handful of funerals were I didn't know the deceased. I do find out as much as I can about them, ask 2 or 3 immediate family members about something they want me to bring out, and then I go from there..

I think I'm interested in knowing why you would be ask to speak at a funeral for someone you don't know. Are you a priest, rabbi, god?

[3rdgensooner]

I think I'm interested in knowing why you would be ask to speak at a funeral for someone you don't know. Are you a priest, rabbi, god?

Pimps gotta pimp

[SicEmBaylor]

I personally find the notion of a child's death being part of "God's plan" to be sick, obscene and offensive. Even if you believe in a God such as this - I can't fathom why anyone would utter something like this at a funeral or to the parents.

You are absolutely 100% correct. I'll admit upfront that it simply does not jive with my personal belief in an impersonal God. I don't believe God has this set plan for everyone and we're just pre-destined to follow it. God gave man FREEWILL, the ability to make independent decisions, logic, etc. Why give us those things if we're just puppets in his show of life?

But you're absolutely right. I find the idea that God would put a small child on Earth only to have it die to prove some sort of "point" to be sick and twisted. Life is random and terrible things happen not because they're part of some God's purpose but simply because that's the nature of life.

Organized religion is the biggest crock of **** on Earth.