Luigi Gilbert "Louis" Tomei (February 17, 1910 in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
– May 15, 1955 in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
) was an American
racecar
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
driver active during the 1930s and 1940s, and a
stuntman
A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
active during the 1940s and 1950s.
Indy 500 results
Stunt performer
After World War II, Tomei worked as a
stuntman
A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
and bit-part actor. His most notable appearance was in ''
A Star is Born'' (1954). The following year, he died doubling for actor
Edward G. Robinson during the filming of the movie ''
Hell on Frisco Bay
''Hell on Frisco Bay'' is a 1956 American CinemaScope film noir crime film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Alan Ladd, Edward G. Robinson and Joanne Dru. It was made for Ladd's own production company, Jaguar.
The film featured an early ...
''. Tomei was performing a fight scene on a motorboat that marked the climax of the movie when he was hurled against a metal fitting on the boat. He suffered a severe head injury, and died in hospital later that night.
Filmography
Note
He is not related to the actresses
Concetta Tomei
Concetta Tomei (born December 30, 1945) is an American theatre, film and television character actress, best known for her roles as Major Lila Garreau on the ABC series ''China Beach'' (1988–1991) and as Lynda Hansen on the NBC series ''Provi ...
and
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei ( , ; born December 4, 1964) is an American actress. She came to prominence as a cast member on ''The Cosby Show'' spin-off ''A Different World'' in 1987. After having minor roles in a few films, she came to international attention ...
.
References
External links
Louis Tomei at Historic Racing*
1910 births
1955 deaths
American stunt performers
Indianapolis 500 drivers
Racing drivers from Portland, Oregon
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