Early life
Rhoda Barbara Cohan was born on October 21, 1939, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Leo and Lillian Cohan.1 Her older brother Martin Cohan went on to become a television comedy writer and co-creator of Who's the Boss?2 She attended San Francisco State College, where she trained as an actress and built a foundation in classical stage work.1 Her early theater credits include demanding classical roles: Cleopatra in Caesar and Cleopatra, Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Golde in Fiddler on the Roof.1
Career
Gemignani began appearing on television in the early 1970s. Her first prominent television credit was on The Bob Newhart Show, where she appeared in three episodes across 1973-1974.3 Through the late 1970s and early 1980s she accumulated a wide range of guest-starring credits across both drama and comedy, including Kojak, Police Woman, Diff'rent Strokes (three episodes, 1981-1983), and the CBS anthology revival The Twilight Zone.3
Her most substantial television role came when her brother Martin Cohan cast her on Who's the Boss?, the ABC sitcom he co-created. Gemignani played Mrs. Carmela Rossini, a recurring neighbor whose Brooklyn Italian-American character was written in part with her in mind. She appeared in twenty-one episodes across all eight seasons (1984-1992), making her one of the show's most recognizable recurring players.1 She also appeared in episodes of Hill Street Blues, Walker, Texas Ranger, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air during this period.3
In film, her most prominent credit is Ghostbusters (1984), covered below. She subsequently appeared in Three Fugitives (1989) and in the Coen Brothers' neo-noir The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), where she played a character named Costanza.3
Her later television work includes eight episodes of The Great Defender (1995), guest appearances on Seinfeld and Friends, and eight episodes of the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! (1999-2003).3 She also appeared as a guest star in the Moonlighting episode "Poltergeist III - Dipesto Nothing" (Season 3, January 13, 1987), which contains multiple references to Ghostbusters within the same episode.
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters (1984)
Gemignani played the Real Estate Woman in Ghostbusters, appearing in Chapter 05: Fixer-Upper.4 Her character is the realtor who shows Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Peter Venkman around the derelict Firehouse on North Moore Street. Despite Egon's suggestion that the building ought to be condemned, Ray's enthusiasm closes the deal, and the Real Estate Woman departs visibly delighted with the sale.
The 8/5/1983 draft of the script identified her character as an agent from Century 21. That brand reference was removed from the final shooting script; however, in the finished film Gemignani wears what appears to be Century 21's signature gold blazer, making it an unspoken remnant of the earlier draft.
In the 2022 Ghostbusters Ultimate Edition, the previously unreleased Preview Cut restores an extended version of the Firehouse scene (at approximately the 16:55 mark). In the extended footage, the Real Estate Woman mentions a substantial work area in the basement before covering office space, sleeping quarters, and showers on the upper floor. She states the property totals 10,000 square feet; Egon corrects this to 9,655.44 square feet. The Real Estate Woman asks Peter if Egon is his accountant, and Peter jokes that Egon is his dad. Peter's remark that the price is a little pricey follows from there.5
In Richard Mueller's novelization Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, the Real Estate Woman is given the name Mrs. Scott.6
Personal life
Gemignani married theater musical director Paul Gemignani in 1961; the couple later divorced.7 She is Jewish. Her surname comes from her marriage to Paul Gemignani, who is widely known in Broadway circles as one of the foremost musical directors of the Sondheim era.7
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
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"Rhoda Gemignani," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhoda_Gemignani.
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"Martin Cohan," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Cohan.
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IMDb, "Rhoda Gemignani: Biography and Filmography" (accessed 2026-06-13), https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0312564/bio/.
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Ghostbusters (1984), Chapter 05: Fixer-Upper. Columbia Pictures. Dir. Ivan Reitman.
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Ghostbusters Ultimate Edition (2022), Preview Cut, at approximately 16:55. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
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Mueller, Richard (August 1985). Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular. Tor Books, New York NY USA. ISBN 0812585984.
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"Paul Gemignani," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gemignani.
