# Barney Miller and Chano and Inspector Luger **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221 "2012-09-09T19:12:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/21 "2012-09-10T17:21:42Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I assume Loach was making a specific reference though. Gregory Sierra, who played Chano on _Barney Miller_, had been a guest star on _All in the Family_. He played a guy who got blown up in a car. A Jewish terrorist, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/22 "2012-09-10T18:06:00Z")
This is just a semi-hijack to observe that an aged partner at this law firm is a dead ringer for Inspector Luger. He looks like him and his manner of speaking sounds like him. The only way he differs is that he delivers far more racist and sexist jokes, and chews gum constantly. All attempts by the partnership to reform him have failed. He’s close to retirement age anyway. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/23 "2012-09-10T18:19:50Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > Since I saw a great discussion in my earlier thread about “Hogan’s Heroes” inconsistencies, I have to throw another similar one out regarding “Barney Miller.” When Jack Soo died, he was written out of the show. However, at some point Gregory Sierra’s character of Chano is no longer on the series and nothing is ever mentioned of him again. Why did Gregory Sierra leave the show and was Chano’s disappearance from the 12th Precinct ever explained? Also, my own personal favorite character was Inspector Luger played by James Gregory. While James Gregory played Inspector Luger as a rather devoted but often clueless boob, I have to wonder: If Inspector Luger was such a boob, how would someone like that be promoted to the position of Inspector? It’s not a stretch. It probably happens at someone’s place of employment every week. The coworker that seems to screw everything up becomes a manager or director. We did it back in 2000, when we elected Baby Bush. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/24 "2012-09-10T18:39:52Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > They blew him up in his car. Before or after he was skewered on a bamboo booby trap? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/25 "2012-09-10T19:19:21Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Yes. An episode that has stuck with me all these years. Was that the episode where the Bunkers had a swastika on their front door? ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/26 "2012-09-10T21:12:40Z")
Yes, they had a swastika on their door because some terrorist group thought they were Jewish. Gregory Sierra was some commando with the ADL (or some such group) and hung out at the house to protect them. When he got word that the target had moved, he jumped in his car and got blown up. (Yes, I watched A LOT of TV as a kid.) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/27 "2012-09-10T21:21:13Z")
> [@boozilu](#): > > Gregory Sierra was some commando with the ADL (or some such group) The Hebrew Defense Association - interestingly, that episode’s plot is given in more detail in [Sierra’s wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Sierra) than a lot of actual ‘plot’ sections on actual movie and TV episode entries. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/28 "2012-09-10T21:24:02Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > The Hebrew Defense Association - interestingly, that episode’s plot is given in more detail in [Sierra’s wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Sierra) than a lot of actual ‘plot’ sections on actual movie and TV episode entries. Youtube has the entire episode. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYOYGVj1bq8) is the last 7 minutes along with the chilling ending that has always stuck with me. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/29 "2012-09-11T05:47:18Z")
I’ve probably only seen that All in the Family episode once, nearly 40 years ago when it first aired! And yet I remember it well. More than others that episode did an amazing job of blending serious drama with goofy comedy. Just the opening scene when the swastika on the door is revealed, the audience literally gasped. Then Archie covers it with an American flag but he hangs it slightly wrong so a Boy Scout knocks to tell him, Archive just tells him to fix it, then the kid casually yells, “Hey mister, you know there’s a swastika on your door?” to which Archie just yells, “Get outta here!” to the kid. And when über-liberal Mike surprisingly can’t support the jewish guy for using terrorists tactics, but Archie can. And the ending was absolutely shocking. There was suddenly a big explosion sound, the family all run to the door, and Carrol O’Conner just says, “They blew him up in his car…” The End. The fact that the show was shot on videotape in front of a live audience really added to the drama. ---
**Author:** ![game6e3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/54ee81/32.png) [@game6e3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/game6e3)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/30 "2013-04-01T12:45:32Z")
Gregory Sierra left _ **Barney Miller** _ to star in another Danny Arnold sitcom _ **AES Hudson Street** _. The show didn’t last long. The only reference they made to Chano leaving was when they introduced the character of Roslayn Lacori, a detective that last only a few episodes. Barney was confused when Lacori first reported to duty. He then found out she was the replacement that he requested for Chano two years earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/31 "2013-04-01T13:29:45Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Was that the episode where the Bunkers had a swastika on their front door? Trivia: the Boy Scout who comes to the door in that episode was played by Jean Stapleton’s real life son, John Putch (who did a lot of character work in the '70s and '80s). I didn’t realize that Sierra’s _Barney Miller_ episodes were all after his recurring role on _Sanford & Son_.a Other short term detectives included Wentworth (played by Linda Lavin, who went on to fame and fortune as _Alice_), and Det. Dorsey (Paul Lieber, who’s had a successful career of “that guy who was in that thing” appearances- frizzy haired younger guy when on _Barney Miller_- politely accuses them of taking bribes in his first appearance). ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/32 "2013-04-01T13:56:17Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Trivia: the Boy Scout who comes to the door in that episode was played by Jean Stapleton’s real life son, John Putch (who did a lot of character work in the '70s and '80s). Right- Jean Stapleton’s married name was Jean Putch. That’s why, in one episode where she played Theodore Bikel’s Italian girlfriend, she was listed in the cast as “Giovanna Pucci.” Giovanna is the Italian equivalent of Jean, and “Pucci” sounds like an Italian version of “Putch.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/33 "2013-04-01T13:59:34Z")
I don’t think Frank Luger was supposed to be a moron, though he usually came across as dim. I think it’s more likely that he was “kicked upstairs” because he was too old to be a productive detective but didn’t want to retire. He was the type who’d been a cop his whole life, who didn’t know how to do anything else and didn’t really WANT to. The department couldn’t fire him without cause, and couldn’t force him to retire… so they “promoted” him to a job with no responsibilities, and he had nothing to do except hang around the precinct, “supervising” and making a nuisance of himself. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/34 "2013-04-01T14:08:54Z")
I think that’s called a [sinecure](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinecure) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/35 "2013-04-01T17:10:43Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > That’s why, in one episode where she played Theodore Bikel’s Italian girlfriend, she was listed in the cast as “Giovanna Pucci.” Giovanna is the Italian equivalent of Jean, and “Pucci” sounds like an Italian version of “Putch.” And the name Pandora Spocks was taken. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/36 "2013-04-02T22:32:45Z")
One of my local channels shows about 4 episodes a week. They just showed an episode some 3 years after Chano left in which HQ finally sent them a (female) replacement. Barney specifically mentions “Det. Chano” to his replacement and the fact that he left nearly three years ago! > [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Abe Vigoda was about fifty at the time - he just looked 90 years older than God. I just mentioned this in another post, but Vigoda outlived Yamana, Luger, Levitt and even Dietrich! > [@kunilou](#): > > I always figured Luger was so close to retirement that the department just found the least demanding job they could for him (Fish was also ancient, but he hadn’t worked his way that far up the promotion list. > > However, I do remember one episode where Barney was being investigated by Internal Affairs or something. James Gregory’s snapping off the line “I’ll need your badge and your gun” was a perfect blending of weary regret and someone determined to do the rottenest part of their job with brutal efficiency. I just saw this episode, and it had one of the funniest moments in it. After Luger gets Barney’s gun & badge he asks him who’s next in the chain of command. Barney hesitates for a second and then says, “Nick” to which Yamana replies, “Oh my god!”. It was just a nice little moment showing that Nick actually was the most senior (by way of time served anyway) but how ill-suited and not-wanting his character felt about the idea of that kind of responsibility! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/37 "2013-04-03T00:30:50Z")
That people cycled into and out of the precinct was a nice touch of realism. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/38 "2013-04-03T18:46:59Z")
I don’t recall Luger being incompetent or even too old for the job. IIRC, he was just “quirky”, there for comedic value. His age just gave him the excuse to be hanging around the precinct, rather than doing work. I think the funniest one of his episodes is where he asks Barney to pick out a Vietnamese wife for him (Luger) from some mail order bride place. Barney says no, and Luger said “OK, Barney, just remember that when some VC broad slits my throat.” ---
**Author:** ![dirwuf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dirwuf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirwuf)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/39 "2017-11-11T00:57:06Z")
Chano was also briefly acknowledged in the series finale…in the last scene as Barney walks around to the various desks, we see clips of departed cast members who occupied them…Chano, Fish, Wentworth and Yemana are shown. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221/40 "2017-11-11T01:12:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I assume Loach was making a specific reference though. Gregory Sierra, who played Chano on _Barney Miller_, had been a guest star on _All in the Family_. He played a guy who got blown up in a car. That’s how I interpreted the remark too (I remember when Gregory Sierra’ character was blown up on All in the Family too). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-miller-and-chano-and-inspector-luger/634221.md?page=3)