He has appeared in diverse plays produced in New York City his hometown as well as the San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater, the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Buffalo Studio Arena Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and McCarter Theatre Company.
The character Joe Fontana played by Dennis Farina in the TV show Law & Order was named for Tom Fontana, who became one of the best friends to Law & Order creator Dick Wolf while working as writers in the same building, at the same time, on the series St. Elsewhere (Fontana) and Hill Street Blues (Wolf).
