Hornell's Marino becomes the 'Homicide Hunter' on Investigation Discovery hit

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Despite what others may try to claim, Hornell native and star of Investigation Discovery's "Homicide Hunter" Carl Marino didn't intend to seek an acting and modeling career when he made the move from the Rochester area to California. Rather, it was a matter of luck and having just the perfect background to become an extra on a nationally televised drama.

"It was nothing I had ever intended to do," Marino told The Evening Tribune in a phone interview. "I wasn't somebody that grew up wanting to be an actor or doing any modeling. I was fortunate, kind of right place, right time. I had left the Sheriff's Department in Monroe County up in Rochester and moved to San Jose, Calif., which isn't the hotbed of acting.

"I moved there because I had family there who had moved out from Hornell probably 60 years ago now — my grandmother, aunt and uncle. I used to go out and visit them all the time. I have a cousin out there who's like one of my best friends. When I left the Sheriff's Department, both of my parents had passed away, pretty much lived in Hornell their entire lives. They both passed away within three years of each other in a five-year period."

The snow and the fact that Marino was "going through a bad break-up" didn't help things either so he made the move to the West Coast to live with his cousin.

Opportunity presented itself when NBC started filming the pilot for "Trauma," a spiritual successor to "ER," in San Francisco. Marino happened upon a craigslist post which asked for current or former law enforcement to play background police officers in an episode.

"Honestly I thought that sounded kind of fun and I couldn't believe they were actually going to me pay me to do something like that," Marino said. "I called the casting people up and told them I was available for three days."

There was one hang-up, however — Marino was also working as a private investigator at the time and had a case that would interfere with one of the days of filming. Marino had to call and cancel his television debut.

Then the private investigator job was canceled and Marino was able to call the show's casting staff back.

"They told me 'Sorry, we already filled all the police officer spots but would you like to be a paramedic on the show?'" Marino said. "I told them 'Not really. You said I would be a police officer' and I'm like you're doing the exact same thing just in a different uniform. It still sounds like fun and I'd love to see how stuff's made. I haven't been anywhere around a set or anything."

And the rest was acting history for Marino. He was cast as a paramedic on a show about paramedics and when "Trauma" was picked up as a series, he was called back.

"A few episodes into it, the director and producer Jeffrey Reiner gave me lines on the show," Marino said. "At the time, I didn't realize what a big deal that was until everyone around me started freaking out as far as the other background people. Once I realized that I went from making $80 in a day to about $2,000 for a day, the director knew my first name, they opened a chair for me next to the stars of the show and I ate in a different line than all of my friends. I realized it was kind of a big deal being on a network TV show."

Marino received lines again in a later episode and eventually became a character before "Trauma" was canceled after one season.

Despite the show's untimely end, Marino believed acting could be a way to make side money along with working an industrial or commercial job.

Agents then started calling as Marino was in a rare position of being a cast member on a network TV show without an agent. He inserted his name into casting in Los Angeles, leading to his eventual role as Lt. Joe Kenda during reenactments in "Homicide Hunter."

"I kind of fit the specs perfectly on this casting for this ID show, for this lead actor as a homicide detective on this show," Marino said. "I had the height and weight. They wanted someone with light-colored eyes. I had the law enforcement experience. So I submitted for it and luckily I did."

Investigation Discovery recently finished airing the fifth season of "Homicide Hunter" and filming will soon begin in Knoxville, Tenn. on the sixth campaign of the network's highest-rated show.

Now, Marino is being recognized in public places for his role as Kenda and not just by average Joes — actors like Danny Aiello and Tommy Flanagan ("Sons of Anarchy") have recognized Marino. It's a surreal experience for someone who spent 17 years as a Monroe County deputy.

"People are such huge fans of this show that it's still kind of a new thing," Marino said. "It's getting easier because it happens so often now but it's such a foreign thing to me, people wanting my autograph. I was a deputy sheriff for 17 years working at a jail and here's these people that love the show so much. All of the sudden I have a fan base. It still blows my mind today how successful this show has become."

"Homicide Hunter" is a ratings winner for Investigation Discovery with its Jan. 12 episode raking in 2.068 million viewers — fifth-most in all of cable for the 10 p.m. time slot according to a network press release.

The documentary-style program is based on Joe Kenda, a former Colorado Springs police detective who spent 19 years as a homicide investigator. The real Kenda, along with a voiceover artist, provide the show's narration.

"We never thought we'd get a Season Two, much less a Season Six," Marino said. "I think it's an interesting show and it's definitely developed a lot from Season One, it's gotten so much better. You can totally see a huge difference from Season One to Season Five ... It's just been amazing how big the show has gotten. Kenda, he's the man, it's his show but I'd like to think I add something to do it. I feel like I've worked very hard on this show and helped make it the success it is."

Kenda has stayed hands-off in critiquing Marino's performances. In fact, the two didn't meet face-to-face until Kenda visited the show's set during the third season.

"We kind of immediately hit it off, had a great time talking and we hang out as frequently as we can now," Marino said. "We just went on a fan cruise a few weeks ago and they're already planning another cruise for next year so we've gotten to be pretty good friends and I think I've gotten him down pretty good."

Aside from "Homicide Hunter," Marino worked has worked as an extra in "Funny People," "Hereafter," "Rizzoli & Isles," "Fairly Legal," "The Master" and "The Five-Year Engagement" among other films and TV shows.

Marino has also had the opportunity to walk the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in recent years.

"Walking across there and realizing just a year prior to that I was a deputy sheriff in upstate New York, and here I am standing on the red carpet with all these huge stars, hanging out and having dinner with them inside the Shrine Auditorium," Marino said regarding his first SAG Awards experience. "This is what actors pray for their entire lives and I was fortunate to have it come very quickly."

But through it all, Marino is proud of his Hornell roots and remembers his time in the Maple City fondly.

"I love the fact that I grew up in Hornell," Marino said. "I know it's changed over the years like everything, and everyone who's there is always claiming they want to get out and everything else but I loved growing up there. I thought it was one of the greatest places to grow up as a kid. We didn't lock our door at night. I lived on Thacher Street, I was close to the schools. I took the bus to Bryant School for two years but other than that I never took a bus to school.

"My uncle owned a dairy farm right outside in Fremont, Hendee Homestead Farms. I spent almost every weekend on the dairy farm. I wasn't really much of a help, I was more of the kid that got in the way of the older cousins and they kind of gave me the s--t jobs but I loved being out in the country."

Marino, a Hornell High School graduate who excelled in track and cross-country, also hunted deer on Gravel Run Road in Canisteo and still has a fondness for Keuka Lake, where he spent many summers. In addition, his wife has grown to enjoy the Finger Lakes and the Canisteo Valley upon multiple visits.