Link (http://www.tmz.com/2015/10/30/happy-days-al-molinaro-dies/#ixzz3q6aUN4V1)


Al Molinaro, who played the beloved chef at the drive-in on "Happy Days" ... died in a Wisconsin hospital on Thursday.

Molinaro's son confirmed the actor's death ... telling us he had very bad gall stones, but Al elected not to have surgery due to his age. He was 96.

On "Happy Days" he played Big Al Delvecchio, who started out as the chef at Arnold's Drive-In. He eventually became owner of the Fonz's fave hangout, and remained on the show for 10 years.

Molinaro also played the Big Al role on the spinoff, "Joanie Loves Chachi." His character would famously spin long tales that always started with, "Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep."

In the mid '90s Weezer put him in their "Buddy Holly" music video.

Al is survived by his wife, Betty and his son Michael .. who tells us the actor was extremely proud of his family and his roots in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

:( R.I.P. Al. Even though most know him as Al on Happy Days, I always preferred the Murray character he played on the Odd Couple.

Al's breakthrough role as Murray the Cop at 51 after years of being a bill collector proved that success could happen later in life. I read about how Al got discovered in Garry Marshall's autobiography when he saw him perform in an improvisation class his sister Penny took from Harvey Lembeck. The rest is history.