'Beverly Hills 90210' Actor Joe E. Tata Passes At 85: 'There Will Never Be Another'

Actor Joe E. Tata has died at the age of 85.

The beloved actor, best known as the owner of the Peach Pit in the long-running show "Beverly Hills, 90210" was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014. His daughter, Kelly, updated the details of his passing on a GoFundMe she began earlier this year. News of Joe's death was met with sadness and several tributes from colleagues, friends, and fans.

Born in New York City, Joe's early career included roles on "The Outer Limits," "General Hospital," and "Mister Roberts." Even though his TV career flourished in the 1970s and '80s when he appeared in multiple cop dramas like "Mannix," "Adam-12," and "The Streets of San Francisco," it was not until he joined "90210" that he became a household name.

For the ten seasons he appeared on the show, Joe made his role as Nat Bussichio one to cherish. His character was so good that the "Wonder Woman" guest star reprised it in several appearances in the "90210" spinoff. So, when his daughter, Kelly, released a statement on his death, Hollywood was shattered. In her words:

"I am devastated to report that my father Joe E. Tata passed away peacefully last night. My father and I are forever grateful for the love and support of family, friends, and fans."

Joe's daughter had started GoFundMe to help with the financial implication of dealing with his Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, Kelly stopped being his caregiver when she suffered health struggles, causing her to get admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.

When Kelly was out of the hospital, her dad had inadvertently signed documents that "entered him into a conservatorship." However, Joe maintained that he agreed to "this conservatorship under duress." She added:

"I was never served proper notice of these arrangements. In 2019, his conservator insisted I move out of the home my father and I shared. Since that time, she has kept me mostly in the dark regarding his decisions that should include family. I even have to ask her permission to visit him."

She subsequently had to move to her mother's place in Palm Springs and her lack of "stable housing, income, or a reliable car" made it "extremely difficult" to spend time with Joe. The uncertainty of it all eventually impacted her and Joe's lives as his illness progressed to its final stages. 

The actor spent his last days "scared and confused" even though he felt relieved whenever he saw his daughter. Joe eventually died two weeks before his 86th birthday.

One of the first stars to send in their tribute was Jason Priestley, who shared a throwback snap of him and Taya rocking formal wear on Instagram. The "90210" co-stars looked happy-go-lucky as they held each other around the waist and shoulder. In the caption, the 52-year-old wrote:

"Today we lost my dear friend and TV boss Joe E Tata. Nat Busiccio was a huge part of Beverly Hills 90210, and Joey was a huge part of my life. Rest In Peace Joe. There will never be another."

The post has received well over 70k likes and 2k comments, with one follower penning, "I just found out Joe E. Tata passed today at 85. Thank you, Nat Bussichio, for being the adult all us lost kids could count on at the Peach Pit. It was kind of like Rebel Without A Cause in the 1990's. Love you and R.I.P., Joe."

Ian Ziering initially broke the news of Tata's passing in an Instagram post with two photos of himself and his late co-star. After he reminded his 554k followers of the deaths of two other co-stars — writer and producer Jessica Klein and Denise Douse, who played Mrs. Teasley — Ziering wrote:

"Joey was truly an OG, I remember seeing him on the 'Rockford Files' with James Garner years before we worked together on '90210.'"

Acknowledging that Tata was one of the "background villains" in the original "Batman" series, the 58-year-old disclosed that Tata was "One of the happiest people I've ever worked with, he was as generous with his wisdom as he was with his kindness." He concluded the touching tribute by sending his love to the late actor's family and loved ones.

Actress Jennie Garth wasn't far behind in the tributes when she declared, "Another great loss for our family today [broken heart emoji]," with a two-slide post of herself, Joe, and Tori Spelling. Although Garth confessed that she felt "sad," she chose to take comfort in the late actor's "smile and mischievously loving laugh."

The 50-year-old actress' remaining message then read, "I feel like there's a reunion party going on at the Peach Pit in heaven and I find comfort knowing that there will be a seat there for me someday surrounded by my dear friends [prayer hand emoji] Sending hugs to all that loved Joey today. Loss is so hard…"