Vincent Pastore, the actor best known for playing mobster Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero on The Sopranos, has died at age 80. His death came to light on Saturday after a neighbor discovered his body at his home in the Bronx.
Pastore had not been heard from for three days before he was found. An investigation was reportedly underway, according to Deadline, but sources later told TMZ that Pastore had died of natural causes.
His last public appearance came in 2024, when he reunited with his Sopranos co-star Stevie Van Zandt at the Tribeca Festival premiere of the documentary Steve Van Zandt: Disciple in New York City. Van Zandt played Silvio Dante on The Sopranos.
The pair posed for a series of lighthearted photos on the red carpet. Pastore smiled as Van Zandt draped an arm over his shoulders, and at one point pinched his cheek, causing both men to laugh for the cameras.
Early life and path to acting
Pastore was born in 1946 to an Italian family in the Bronx but was raised upstate in an Italian neighborhood of New Rochelle, living with his family above the local Foresters club.
"I can still smell the pizza!" he told Edge magazine a few years ago. "Roller skating every Friday night at the Boys Club. Great memories."
Although he encountered "bookies and loan sharks" as a child and acknowledged that many fans assume he grew up around the kinds of characters he later played, Pastore insisted he "grew up in a pure Italian-American home. Tradition."
After serving in the US Navy during the Vietnam War, he opened bars and clubs, including the 1980s New Rochelle nightspot the Crazy Horse. He had long nurtured dreams of acting, having earned a drama degree at Pace University, and began pursuing them in the late 1980s.
A break came while he was working as a New York City limousine driver and got to know Kevin Dillon and his brother Matt Dillon. "I told them about my dreams of becoming an actor. They ended up seeing me at this community theater I was doing, and Kevin helped me out. He gave me the direction I needed to finally act," Pastore said.
From bit parts to Gotti
Pastore took small roles in mob films including GoodFellas and Carlito's Price, then landed a major supporting part in the 1995 crime comedy The Jerky Boys: The Movie as the sidekick of a mob boss played by Alan Arkin.
The following year brought his breakthrough, playing real-life Gambino family capo Angelo "Quack Quack" Ruggiero in the HBO film Gotti, starring Armand Assante and featuring Anthony Quinn. His co-stars included Tony Sirico, Dominic Chianese and Frank Vincent, all of whom later joined him on The Sopranos. He described Gotti as a "turning point" that led to him being recognized in the street and later cast on The Sopranos, according to Cryptic Rock.
Big Pussy and The Sopranos
On The Sopranos, Big Pussy was one of Tony Soprano's closest friends and a member of his inner circle alongside Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico), Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) and Silvio Dante (Steve Van Zandt). A key plot thread of the first two seasons follows Pussy's failed attempt to conceal that he had become an FBI informant, a betrayal for which he is ultimately shot dead by Tony, Silvio and Paulie.
Pastore later revealed that one of his most memorable scenes, in which Tony furiously searches Pussy for a wire, grew out of an improvisation by James Gandolfini. "We were scripted on Sopranos, but you don't know the moment he's going to come in whether he's going to be mad at you," Pastore said. "In the scene when he was frisking me down in the basement of the house in Episode One, Season Two, he's really frisking me. I didn't know he was going to do that." Pastore took a dim view of unflattering remarks made about Gandolfini by colleagues after the actor's death from a heart attack at age 51 in 2013.
Later career
After The Sopranos, Pastore appeared on reality shows including Dancing with the Stars, Celebrity Family Feud, Celebrity Apprentice and Shark Tank, and documented his weight loss efforts on Celebrity Fit Club. On scripted television he guested on General Hospital, Mad TV, Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-0 and, as recently as last year, Yellowjackets. He voiced a role in the animated film Shark Tale, alongside Will Smith and Renee Zellweger, and appeared in the 1999 comedy Mickey Blue Eyes with Hugh Grant.
He also had a long stage career, including playing Amos Hart in the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago, and starring alongside Zach Braff in the original Broadway cast of the 2014 musical Bullets Over Broadway. While working on that show, Pastore was diagnosed with prostate cancer and won praise for refusing to miss rehearsals or performances during treatment, which was ultimately successful.
He went on to run his own small theater company, working with Sopranos alumni including Maureen Van Zandt, Nicholas Giangiulio, Joe Lisi, Garry Pastore, Tony Rossi, Anthony Ribustello and Janet Sarno. "I try to produce three plays a year. It really enables people to see the actors work," Pastore said four years into the venture. "I don't make a lot of money because I own the theater company, but we've had a pretty good run."
Pastore is survived by his 55-year-old daughter, Renee, whom he shared with his ex-wife, Nancy Berke.
Tributes
Edie Falco, who played Carmela Soprano, told Page Six in a statement that Pastore's death was both an "awful loss" and "unexpected," adding, "Vinnie was always so full of life."
Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher Moltisanti, shared a throwback photo of the two of them on Instagram. "Our beloved friend and collaborator VINCENT PASTORE has passed away," he wrote. "This is a hard one for us, it seems like I've known Vinny forever. We did lots of work together and traveled all of the USA as well as Italy and Australia. Lots of good times." He added, "Lots of laughs. Vinny was a kind hearted brother who cared deeply about his family and friends. I will miss him always."
Lorraine Bracco, who played Jennifer Melfi, posted a black-and-white photo of Pastore to her Instagram stories on Saturday, writing, "Such a funny & charming man...just a beautiful soul. Absolutely heartbreaking."
Dominic Chianese, who played Corrado "Junior" Soprano, also paid tribute on Instagram: "We lost a friend today. Paying respect and sending Love in tribute. You were a gem Vinnie."
Robert Attermann, who had been Pastore's manager for more than 30 years, shared a statement with Page Six saying Pastore had been "so much more" than his Sopranos character. He said Pastore was "one of the kindest, most generous people" he had ever known, who "treated everyone with warmth and respect, never turning down a fan who wanted a photograph or an autograph," and who was passionate about offering guidance and support to young actors. Attermann said Pastore would be remembered for his "remarkable career but also the incredible person he was," adding that he "leaves behind a legacy that extends far beyond his memorable performances" and would be "never forgotten."
