Career
Mengatti joined the cast midway through the second season and was a fan favorite with his distinctive New York-style accent. In 1982 he had guest appearances on The Facts of Life and CHiPs. In 1984, he appeared in Meatballs 2.
After The White Shadow, Mengatti had sparse television and movie acting roles until 1986.
He dropped out of acting for a while, but recently resurfaced on New York City Police Department Blue in 2004 in a recurring role as Officer Howard. He was in the movie Knights of the City (originally Cry of the City), a 1986 action adventure film starring Leon Isaac Kennedy, Nicholas Campbell, John Mengatti and Janine Turner.
lieutenant was directed by Dominic Orlando and written by Leon Isaac Kennedy and filmed in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, Florida.