Tony Sirico, actor of “The Sopranos”, died at 79 years old.

The cause of death has not yet been revealed; in the plot she played Paulie Walnuts

Actor Tony Sirico, best known for playing mobster Paulie Walnuts in “The Sopranos”, died this Friday, age 8, of an unknown cause in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the age of 79. . He had been suffering from dementia for two years and was hospitalized in a nursing home.

Sirico’s character was one of the funniest in Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) family, stealing scenes from the series since its inception. In his portrayal, the actor balanced threatening gangster behavior with ridiculous humor, characterized by a propensity for malapropism (use of wrong words), such as calling Sun Tzu “Sun Tuh-Zoo” and calling the philosopher himself the “Chinese Matchabelli. “(ie Machiavelli).

Sirico appeared in all six seasons of “The Sopranos,” from 1999 to 2007, but the HBO production wasn’t the first to see him as a mobster. In fact, this association has produced many films and it began in his real life.

Born Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. on July 24, 1942, he came from an Italian family in New York and spent much of his childhood in trouble with the law. Associated with the Colombo mafia family, he was arrested 28 times, the first at the age of seven, after stealing coins from a newsstand. He was sentenced to prison twice, charged with illegal possession of weapons and armed robbery.

This experience was his greatest learning to become an actor. Since his screen debut as an extra in the mafia drama “Crazy Joe” (1974), Sirico has specialized in the interpretation of gangsters. And it was so convincing that he ended up in some classics, like “Goodfellas” (1990), by Martin Scorcese, and “Cop Land: City of Cops” (1997), by James Mangold.

He was also a mobster in Woody Allen’s Shoots on Broadway (1994). And participation generated a great friendship, which led the director to call her for several roles in new collaborations, breaking the stereotype in films such as “Mighty Aphrodite” (1995), “Everybody Says I Love You” (1996), “Deconstructing Harry “(1997),” Celebrities “(1998),” Café Society “(2016) and” Ferris Wheel “(2017).

But mobster roles were persistent, even in comedy productions like “Mickey Blue Eyes” (1999), in which he worked with another famous movie gangster, James Caan (“The Godfather”), who also passed away this week.

Sirico was also a mobster in the animated series, playing the gangster Vinny in “Family Guy” and Enzo Perotti in two episodes of the cartoon “American Dad”, both produced by Seth MacFarlane.

In an Instagram post, his co-star Michael Imperioli paid a moving tribute to his “Sopranos” co-star: “It pains me to say that my dear friend, colleague and accomplice, the great Tony Sirico died today. Tony was like no other: tougher, more loyal and more generous than anyone I’ve ever known. I’ve been by his side in so many things: for better or for worse. But mostly for good. And we had a lot of laughs. We have found a perfect balance as Christopher and Paulie, and I am proud to say that I did my best and funniest job with my dear friend Tony. I will miss him forever. He is truly irreplaceable. I send love to his family, friends and his numerous fans. He was loved and will never be forgotten. Heartbroken today. “

Source: Terra

Camila

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.