Maryann Mantegna was a protective mom who didn’t quite grasp show business. When her son Joe joined TV’s hit one-hour show “Criminal Minds,” she confided her misgivings to her son Ron. “I’m a little worried about your brother,” she said. “He used to do movies, he used to do lots of things. Now, he’s working only an hour a week.”

“Give him a call,” Mrs. Mantegna urged. “Make sure he’s OK.” She asked maternal questions about Joe’s acting jobs: “Do you dress well? And are you alive at the end?”