Contains spoilers for “Blue Bloods” Season 13, Episode 18 — “Family Matters”
“Blue Bloods” Season 13, Episode 18, “Family Matters,” has everything from wedding brawls to car explosions, with a side story involving an emotionally charged reaction from the tragic loss of a loved one thanks to Fentanyl. After witnessing the poignant storyline, some fans might wonder which actor plays the retired police sergeant Sam Velucci.
Early in the episode, an older man in a wheelchair named Velucci is seen holding a man at gunpoint and accusing him of selling pills laced with Fentanyl to his nephew, a Notre Dame football star who developed an opiate addiction following an accident. The outcome was the death of his nephew, and despite the unconventional and illegal means he uses to draw the police’s notice, they culminate in an undercover operation that ends with the dealer’s capture.
The actor who portrays Velucci is Larry Manetti. If it looks like Manetti has a knack for TV acting, it’s because the man has an abundance of experience dating back to the ’70s.
Manetti has made appearances in shows like “JAG,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Walker Texas Ranger,” and the original “Battlestar Galactica.” His biggest claim to fame is the over 150 episodes of “Magnum P.I.” he appears in, where he plays Orville “Rick” Wright alongside the titular star and “Blue Bloods” headliner Tom Selleck.
Manetti’s impactful yet brief run in “Blue Bloods” is a solid addition to the show, and some won’t be surprised by how the actor feels about his experience working on the CBS series.
Larry Manetti had an blast on Blue Bloods
While playing a grieving individual partaking in a desperate attempt at justice may seem like it would be a daunting affair, Larry Manetti not only pulls off the part but also has a great time in the process. The actor admits he is a “Blue Bloods” fan and only has good things to say about his time on set as Sam Velucci.
“I love the show, and I watch it religiously,” Manetti said to TV Insider. “I worked with Vanessa Ray, and she was so wonderful, giving, and a great actress. We got along like bread and butter. Selleck and everybody on the show bent over backward for me, treated me like a king. I never did a show as a guest star that I was so enthused and excited about.” If there is one thing to know about Manetti is that he has done a vast amount of guest spots on various shows, and it seems like his time on the CBS crime-drama is a solid contender to be the best over all the rest.
The fact that the “Magnum P.I.” cast is sort of reuniting for his special guest appearance makes it much more pleasant. Donnie Wahlberg marked the occasion on Instagram with a snapshot of his family dinner that includes Manetti. Sam Velucci isn’t there at the family dinner, but if he had, the incident might have qualified as one of the best dinner moments on the show.