Joe E. Tata, the actor who played Nat Bussichio, owner of the Peach Pit Diner in over 200 episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210, has died in Los Angeles. He was 85 and had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018.
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He was a veteran character actor and has cropped up for guest or recurring roles on many TV series since the 60s.
Some of his first screen appearances (credited as Joey Tata) were in the sitcom Gomer Pyle: USMC and a 1963 episode of General Hospital.
Joseph E. Tata was born on September 13, 1936, in The Bronx, New York, a funny coincidence given he would eventually become synonymous with Beverly Hills.
His father, John Lucas, was an old Hollywood star known for singing vaudeville acts like Rosey the Singing Barber.
Tata made a name for himself in television and was all over the silver screen, voicing robots in Lost And Space and playing background villains in the original Batman series. While he worked substantially in bit parts around a number of series for years, his best-known role in 90210 began 30 years after becoming a working actor.
Tata played the diner owner for a whole decade from 1990 to 2000, and his death prompted tribute from dedicated fans and some of his co-stars.
Actress Christine Elise shared a photo of her with Tata and other cast members calling his passing “a very sad day for the 90210 family.”
The actor is survived by his daughter Kelly Katherine Tata.
