1969: Made his acting debut in a production of "Hair".

His wife Arlene owns Taste Chicago, a restaurant in Burbank, CA.

Along with Elizabeth Taylor and Mark Hamill, he is one of only three actors to play both themselves and a fictional character in "The Simpsons" (1989). He played himself in the Season Three episode "Bart the Murderer" and portrayed Fat Tony in that and fourteen other episodes of the series.

Was Robert B. Parker's personal pick to play Spenser in "Spenser: For Hire" (1985) (before Robert Urich was cast in the role).

His daughter, Mia, is autistic.

Father of Gina Mantegna.

As of May 15, 2005 has appeared on "The Simpsons" (1989) a record 16 times.

Has been assured by "The Simpsons" (1989)' casting director that he will be the only person to voice the character Fat Tony.

He was a classmate of Walter Parazaider of Chicago, which is also Mantegna's favorite band.

Formerly an actor with an Chicago's Organic Theatre Company.

He attended Morton East High School in Cicero, IL, graduating in 1965.

1984: Won the Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) for playing Richard ("Ricky") Roma in David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross." In 2005, Liev Schreiber won his own Tony for playing the part originated by Mantegna in a revival of the play. The third major actor to play the part of Ricky Roma (in the film version of the play, Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)) was Al Pacino.

His character in the "The Simpsons" (1989) was originally intended to be a one-time guest appearance in the episode "Bart The Murderer", but it became a recurring role later on in the series' run. According to the Season 3 DVD commentary track, Mantegna liked the character and wanted to voice him again.

1978: Debuted on Broadway in "Working". He also helped write "Bleacher Bums", an award-winning play. The Los Angeles production of "Bums" ran over five years.

His favourite food is Italian beef.

4/26/04: Received the lifetime achievement award at the Los Angeles Italian Film Festival.

His character on "The Simpsons" (1989), Fat Tony, has been the subject of two inside jokes. One of Fat Tony's first appearances was in the episode where Bart becomes his errand boy. At the end of the episode, the events are turned into a TV movie, in which, we are told, Joe Mantegna is playing Fat Tony. On a much later episode, after a mafia stand-off is placated by the appearance of Maggie Simpson, everyone breaks down crying. Fat Tony remarks, "I haven't cried like this since I paid to see The Godfather: Part III (1990).".

Will Girardi, Mantegna's character on "Joan of Arcadia" (2003), was ranked #40 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue].