Danny Aiello, the Oscar-nominated actor best known for movies including _Do the Right Thing _and _Moonstruck_, has died, PEOPLE confirms. He was 86. “It is with profound sorrow to report

that Danny Aiello, beloved husband, father, grandfather, actor and musician passed away last night after a brief illness,” his family said in a statement. “The family asks for privacy at

this time. Service arrangements will be announced at a later date.” Aiello died on Thursday night at a medical facility in New Jersey, TMZ reports. According to the outlet, he was in the

facility being treated for a sudden illness and had suffered an infection related to his treatment. The actor broke into Hollywood in 1973 with a role in the Robert De Niro-starring baseball

pizzeria in Brooklyn. Though Aiello is best known for _Do the Right Thing_, he also starred in movies including _Moonstruck_, _Hudson Hawk _and _Jacob's Ladder. _ Outside of Hollywood,

Aiello was also a stage actor, performing in multiple Broadway plays including _Gemini_, _The Floating Light Bulb _and _The House of Blue Leaves. _He also acted in television shows including

_Lady Blue _and _The Last Don_. “You know, I've only been in this business 17 years,” Aiello told PEOPLE in 1990. “For actors, that's no time at all. Everything is happening so

damn fast. It's like a beautiful dream that never seems to end.” The actor is survived by his wife Sandy Cohen, whom he married in 1955, and three children. His son, Danny Aiello III,

died of cancer in 2010.