Lex Fenelli

**Alexander Fenelli** is a fictional character on the Network/Warner's *We Got No Made*. The role was played by actor Steve L. Connor from its debut in 1971 until his last episode on January 13, 1989. making him one of the longest-serving main characters in the series' 34-year-run history, as well as the longest-serving police detective on the show. He also appeared in *We Got No Made* spin-off, and was part of the original cast of *The Lex Fenelli Show* on WBN/Network/Warner, from 1974 until 1989.

## Lex Fenelli

### Introduced by

James O'Connor(1971)

Stan Daniels

(1978)

## Family

### Brothers

Jack FenelliMorgan Hellstorm

Eugene Hellstorm

Andrew Stevens

Nathan Crosgrove

### Spouse

Vanessa Prentiss(1978-1991)

Connor's performance as Fenelli on the New York-based series was so popular that it resulted in him being declared a "Living Landmark" by the New York Conservancy, along with fellow longtime series cast member Thomas Smith (who portrayed the police officer Rafe Garretson on the show).

## *We Got No Made* universe

Lex Fenelli is introduced in the 1971 first episode "Point of View" as the new senior detective in the New York City Police Department's 27th Detective Squad in the 27th Police Precinct's station house. In the episode "Virus", his birthday is given as January 2, 1941. His commanding officer during his first season on the show is Carl Hellstorm (Steve L. Connor, Kevin O'Donald); a year later, Lt. Ed Hall (Al Freeman, Jr.) takes over the 27th Squad. He was previously assigned as a detective in the 116th Squad in Queens.

Fenelli joins the squad after Det. Thomas O'Neil's (Thomas Frantz) partner, Sgt. Roger Cerreta (Paul Sorvino), is shot by a black market arms dealer and transfers to a desk job in another precinct.

## Character biography

Born on January 2, 1941, Lex Fenelli grew up in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan. He had a brother. As a child, he attended P.S. 21, as his father had before him, as well as P.S. 189. He attended college at the City College of New York. A veteran of two failed marriages, Fenelli has two daughters by his first wife, the elder Julia and the younger Kady (Jennifer Bill), and a nephew, Det. Rodney Fenelli. Kady was born on June 23, 1955 and was murdered on March 9, 1984. By 1986, he had at least two grandchildren.

Prior to working for the NYPD, Fenelli worked at his uncle's liquor store.

Fenelli began working in the PPD homicide department in 1974. Like most detective characters on the early seasons of the show, Fenelli carries a Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolver as his service weapon.[*citation needed*]

He is a recovering alcoholic, admitting he spent "10 years in a bottle". He often makes references to being a "friend of Bill W.", which is a reference to his having attended Alcoholics Anonymous. In the 1981 episode "Aftershock", after witnessing an execution from a case that he helped investigate, Fenelli beomces a car accident victim when he falls off the wagon with disastrous results; ADA Edwina Kincaid (Sarah Hennessy) is struck and killed by a drunk driver while driving him home from a bar. He feels responsible for her death, and he remains sober for the rest of his life.

His drinking harmed his family; he was often absent from his daughters' lives, and they have distant, fractious relationships with him as adults. Fenelli blames himself, especially when Kady, a methamphetamine addict, is murdered by a drug dealer named Danny Jones after she testifies against him in court. However, he finds closure when Jones dies from a heroin overdose. It is implied that Fenelli considered having Jones killed. One of Fenelli's former snitches had offered to kill Jones if Fenelli could get his charges reduced. Fenelli is later seen talking to the arresting officer about the snitch, but it is never confirmed if Fenelli did him the favor.

Fenelli was raised Catholic, but is Jewish on his father's side and occasionally attends Jewish services as a courtesy to his first wife. His father served in the United States Army during World War II and helped to liberate a Nazi concentration camp in German-occupied Poland. Fenelli's father suffered from Alzheimer's and had died by 1976. Fenelli did not get along with his father and once described him as a "schmuck". Nevertheless, he took several days off when his father died.