by Kevin S. Butler

Actor Ron Palillo, who played gang member Arnold Horshack on "Welcome Back Kotter," died of a heart attack at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

Born in Cheshire, Ct. on April 2, 1949 Palillo began his acting career on Broadway where he played the menially disabled son Moose Balletti in "Hot L Baltimore". He would do other plays before he signed on to do "Welcome Back Kotter" in 1975. After the series run Mr. Palillo's TV appearances became few and far between.

He appeared in the forgettable TV movie remake of "The Invisible Woman" and he did voice overs for cartoons. He was the voice of Squeally the meddlesome Sgt. Pig on "Laverne & Shirley In The Army" and "Rubix: The Amazing Cube", he also appeared on "Kids Are People Too" (with the series' second host Michael Young) and "Ellen" (the ABC TV sitcom with Ellen Degeneres).

Eventually, Mr. Palillo would leave TV and return to the stage where he appeared in summer stock productions of "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf", "Camelot" and "Guys & Dolls". He appeared in a one man production about nazi leader Adolf Eichman in "The Diary Of Adolf Eichman" Off-Broadway.

Ron Palillo would move to Palm Beach, Fl. where he directed some plays but he would turn to a new career as a teacher for the G Star School Of The Arts. His last known performance was in "The Curse of Micah Drood".

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