Francis Ford Coppola

Alex Rocco, a veteran character actor who secured a place in movie history playing the doomed mobster Moe Greene in "The Godfather," died Saturday at his Studio City home. He was 79.

The cause was pancreatic cancer, said his stepson, Sean Doyle.

Rocco's prolific 50-year career included voicing the role of jaded cartoon mogul Roger Meyers Jr. in "The Simpsons" animated series and his 1990 Emmy-winning portrayal of a smarmy talent agent in the short-lived sitcom "The Famous Teddy Z."

Most fans, however, knew Rocco in the role of a cop, gangster or other tough guy, an identity cemented by his work in Part I of Francis Ford Coppola's epic...