Tony Sirico - best known for his role as mobster Paulie Walnuts on The Sopranos – has died aged 79.
The actor’s brother Robert made the sad announcement on Facebook on Friday.
He said: ”It is with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and a whole lot of fond memories, that the family of Gennaro Anthony ‘Tony’ Sirico wishes to inform you of his death on the morning of July 8, 2022.
“Tony is survived by his two beloved children, Joanne Sirico Bello and Richard Sirico, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews and many other relatives.
“The family is deeply grateful for the many expressions of love, prayer and condolences and requests that the public respect its privacy in this time of bereavement.”
Tony’s Sopranos co-star’s have paid tribute to the actor and offered their sympathies to his family.
Michael Imperioli — who played Christopher Moltisanti, protégé to Tony Soprano, portrayed by the late James Gandolfini — posted on Instagram, saying: “Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone i’ve ever known.”
Steven Van Zandt, who played tough-guy Silvio Dante, also tweeted: “A larger-than-life character on and off-screen. Gonna miss you a lot my friend.”
Jamie Lynn Sigler about her special bond with her colleague and friend.
“I loved you so much. I have never been able to walk into a room that you were in without you giving me an enormous hug, drenching me in your cologne, and making sure I knew any man that came near me would have to answer to you first,” she wrote.
Sources told TMZ that Tony had been living in an assisted living home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a few years due to his declining health.
The actor shot to fame at the age of 55 when he was cast as Walnuts after originally auditioning for the role of Uncle Junior.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 29, 1942, the late actor was just seven years old the first time he got arrested for stealing nickels from a newspaper stand.
He was arrested 28 more times in his lifetime, having spent two stints in prison.
In 1971, he was sentenced to 20 months at the notorious Sing Sing prison for felony weapons possession.
“The first time I went away to prison, they searched me to see if I had a gun — and I had three of ’em on me,” he told the LA Times in 1990.
“In our neighborhood, if you weren’t carrying a gun, it was like you were the rabbit during rabbit-hunting season.”
Tony went on to win two Screen Actors Guild Awards for his ensemble role: one in 2000 and another in 2008.
In his decades-long career, he appeared in numerous guest roles on other shows, including Kojak, Miami Vice, Chuck, Medium, Lilyhammer and American Dad.
He also played gangsters in over a dozen movies, including Goodfellas, Mob Queen, Mighty Aphrodite and Gotti.
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