was married to a friend of Edith's named Blanche (played by Estelle Parsons) (although in earlier seasons she was called Mabel). Blanche left Barney numerous times before the couple divorced in 1979, and Barney was ordered to pay alimony. Danny Dayton as Hank Pivnik, another regular. He first appeared in 1976 on All in the Family. Hank disappeared without explanation after the 1979–80 season. Bill Quinn as Edgar Van Ranseleer (a.k.a. "Mr. Van R"), a former schoolteacher and regular at the bar. He was blind, and usually even-tempered. He was very rarely referred to by his first name -- almost everyone called him Mr. Van Ranseleer or Mr. Van R. His first appearance was in 1978 on All in the Family. Jason Wingreen as Harry Snowden, Archie's former business partner, who continued to work at the tavern as a bartender. Another holdover character from All in the Family, which Wingreen joined in 1976. Abraham Alvarez and Joe Rosario as Jose Perez and Raoul Rosario, two Latin-American immigrants employed as assistant cooks at Archie's bar. Archie later learns they are illegal immigrants after they refuse to give a statement to police after having witnessed a mugging. Anne Meara as Veronica Rooney (1979–82), the cook at Archie Bunker's Place. She often made wisecracks and gave Archie a hard time. She insisted that Archie also hire her openly gay nephew Fred as a waiter to help him pay for law school. She was an alcoholic and privately pined to reconcile with her ex-husband, Carmine (who appeared in a few episodes and was played by Meara's real-life husband Jerry Stiller), but knew it wasn't going to happen. Meara appeared sporadically throughout the show's third season and left the show before the fourth and final season. Dean Scofield (1979–80) as Fred Rooney, a gay waiter, and Veronica's nephew. Quits because of Archie's attitude toward his personal life. Barbara Meek as Ellen Canby (1980–82). Ellen was a black housekeeper who was hired by Archie after Edith's death. She also took care of Stephanie, and helped keep Archie's tongue in check. Though Archie still harbored some prejudice toward black people by the time she arrived on the scene, he deeply respected Ellen and was grateful for the job she did in helping to raise Stephanie. Denise Miller, who joined the cast in 1981 as Archie's 18-year-old niece, Barbara Lee "Billie" Bunker. Billie—who worked as a waitress at