Vincent Pastore, Star of The Sopranos, Dead at 80

Vincent Pastore, best known for his iconic role as Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero in HBO’s The Sopranos, has died at age 80.

According to Deadline, the actor was found dead at his Bronx residence on Saturday, August 1st, by a neighbor after not being heard from for the past three days. An investigation has launched into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Pastore was born on July 14th, 1946, in the Bronx. Before becoming an actor, he fought in the Vietnam War and attended Pace University, where he earned a degree in drama.

He had small roles playing mobsters in such films as Goodfellas and Carlito’s Way before landing the part of Big Pussy in The Sopranos, which premiered on HBO in 1999 and lasted six seasons. The role saw him playing a mob enforcer and longtime friend to lead character Tony Soprano (played by the late James Gandolfini).

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Over his career, Pastore’s acted in dozens of movies from 1988 through the present day, in addition to appearing on many television shows. He also acted on Broadway in Chicago and Bullets Over Broadway.

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