Joseph "Joe" Fontana was a homicide detective on Law & Order from 2004 to 2006. He replaced Lennie Briscoe as Ed Green's partner after Briscoe retired. Fontana has a loose view on the law, willing to bend the rules to get what he needs.
Early Life[]
Born in Chicago, Joe Fontana grew up in "Little Italy", a working-class neighborhood composed primarily of Italian and Albanian immigrants. (L&O: "Enemy") He went to a Catholic school, finished high school, and apparently got decent grades; he was at least well-read enough to quote John Keats. He claimed to have served in the military and fought in the Vietnam War, being stationed in Saigon, but he later admitted he made it up.
He mentions that he has two sons named Eric and Taylor. (L&O: "The Dead Wives Club")
At some point, Fontana decided to become a cop, and joined the Chicago Police Department. At some point, he worked undercover. (L&O: "Gunplay") His tenure in the CPD was impressive, but he ended up leaving due to a conflict with a superior. (L&O: "Paradigm")
He transferred to a Homicide Squad in the Bronx, though this may not have been his first stop in New York City. In 1995, he was one of the officers investigating the murder of 12-year-old Sara Dolan. He was convinced she'd been killed by her father, and thus pursued that angle for months, but failed to find the necessary proof.
In "Fame", Detective Cassady revealed in a conversation with Lieutenant Van Buren that Fontana had retired.
Officer-involved shootings[]
Trivia[]
- Like Fontana, Farina grew up in Little Italy and served a Chicago police detective. However, he worked in the Burglary Division for 20 years.
- The character is named after Tom Fontana who worked as a writer and director on Homicide: Life on the Street and created the HBO series Oz, which shares a number of actors with the Law & Order franchise.
- Fontana is very well-dressed and often makes references to his expensive handmade shirts, custom-crafted shoes, and high-end vehicles.
- During his tenure as a homicide detective, Fontana often tells citizens that he is "authorized" in an attempt to convince them to give him access to information or premises that he otherwise may, or may not, be entitled to without a warrant. In addition, he has been accused of "heavy-handed" techniques when dealing with suspects.
Appearances[]
- Law & Order (2 seasons, 46 episodes):
- Season 15: "Paradigm" • "The Dead Wives Club" • "The Brotherhood" • "Coming Down Hard" • "Gunplay" • "Cut" • "Gov Love" • "Cry Wolf" • "All in the Family" • "Enemy" • "Fixed" • "Mammon" • "Ain't No Love" • "Fluency" • "Obsession" • "The Sixth Man" • "License to Kill" • "Dining Out" • "Sects" • "Tombstone" • "Publish and Perish" • "Sport of Kings" • "In God We Trust" • "Locomotion"
- Season 16: "Red Ball" • "Flaw" • "Ghosts" • "Age of Innocence" • "Life Line" • "Birthright" • "House of Cards" • "New York Minute" • "Criminal Law" • "Acid" • "Bible Story" • "Family Friend" • "Heart of Darkness" • "Magnet" • "Choice of Evils" • "Cost of Capital" • "America, Inc." • "Thinking Makes It So" • "Positive" • "Kingmaker" • "Hindsight" • "Invaders"
- Law & Order: Trial by Jury (1 season, 1 episode):
 Law & Order - Main Characters
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Senior Detectives: Max Greevey • Phil Cerreta • Lennie Briscoe • Joe Fontana • Ed Green • Cyrus Lupo • Kevin Bernard • Frank Cosgrove • Jalen Shaw Junior Detectives: Mike Logan • Rey Curtis • Ed Green • Nick Falco • Nina Cassady • Cyrus Lupo • Kevin Bernard • Frank Cosgrove • Jalen Shaw • Vincent Riley Commanding Officers: Donald Cragen • Anita Van Buren • Kate Dixon • Jessica Brady Executive Assistant District Attorneys: Benjamin Stone • Jack McCoy • Michael Cutter • Nolan Price Assistant District Attorneys: Paul Robinette • Claire Kincaid • Jamie Ross • Abbie Carmichael • Serena Southerlyn • Alexandra Borgia • Connie Rubirosa • Samantha Maroun District Attorneys: Adam Schiff • Nora Lewin • Arthur Branch • Jack McCoy • Nicholas Baxter | |