Obituaries

In addition to the death of Obama's re-election chances, here are some notable obituaries:

Actor Bruce Gordon, 94, one of my favorite television mobsters, notable for playing in the Untouchables and the shortlived television spoof Run Buddy Run, following a "long illness."

Gordon resided in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Gordon's Untouchables co-star Paul Picerni, 88, died on January 12. The cause of death was a heart attack.
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Music publisher Don Kirshner, 76, of heart failure:

The Brill Building age of pop, named after the Manhattan building where many of its songwriters labored, lasted from the mid-1950s to the mid-’60s and is celebrated for the people behind its innocently aching music: producers like Phil Spector, writing teams like Carole King and Gerry Goffin (“The Loco-Motion”).

But the guiding force behind many of those people was Mr. Kirshner, whose hustle, hit-trained ear and good timing helped shape pop in the days when Tin Pan Alley’s song-craft traditions were being mingled with the rhythms of rock.

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British actress Susanna York, 72, of cancer.