Law and Order actor Dennis Farina dies at 69

Dennis Farina, a tough-guy US actor who was a Chicago policeman for years before entering show business, has died aged 69, his publicist has said.

Farina died in Scottsdale, Arizona, after developing a blood clot in his lung, publicist Lori De Waal said.

He was recently known for his role as police detective Joe Fontana on New York-based cop show Law and Order.

He also appeared as a mobster in action comedies such as Midnight Run (1988) and Get Shorty (1995).

He is survived by his partner of 35 years, Marianne Cahill, three sons and six grandchildren.

Farina appeared as Joe Fontana during the 2004-6 seasons of Law and Order, among other television appearances.

He acted on the series Crime Story during the 1980s and most recently, starred alongside Dustin Hoffman in an HBO programme called Luck.

Farina's first credited role was as a minor character in the 1981 Michael Mann film Thief.

He also appeared in Saving Private Ryan and Out of Sight, and was a mainstay of the Chicago theatre scene.

Farina was born in Chicago on 29 February 1944 and became an actor when he was almost 40, after spending many years as a Chicago police detective.

In a 2004 interview with the Associated Press, Farina recalled his first day of work as an actor.

"I remember going to the set that day and being intrigued by the whole thing," he said.

"I liked it. And everybody was extremely nice to me. If the people were rude and didn't treat me right, things could have gone the other way."