Felice Quinto | 'King of paparazzi,' 80

Felice Quinto, 80, a celebrity photographer and the likely model for the character Paparazzo in Federico Fellini's 1960 film,

La Dolce Vita

, died of pneumonia Jan. 16 in Rockville, Md., his wife, Geraldine, said yesterday.

Mr. Quinto often was referred to as the "king of the paparazzi" - a term derived from the character in La Dolce Vita - and he pioneered some of the aggressive tactics that celebrity photographers use to this day.

He would hide in bushes, wear disguises, and zip around Rome on a motorcycle, taking photos that appeared in gossip publications around the world.

He befriended Fellini while living in Rome in the 1950s. According to his wife, Fellini asked Quinto to play a photographer in La Dolce Vita, but he declined because he was making more money taking pictures. He briefly appeared in the film as a bystander.

Mr. Quinto moved to the United States in 1963 to work for the Associated Press. His assignments included John F. Kennedy's funeral and civil rights marches.

He was best known for his celebrity photography. He worked at the Studio 54 nightclub in the 1970s and was Elizabeth Taylor's personal photographer for a time. - AP