American actor Tony Sirico, best known for his role as Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri in HBO's The Sopranos, has died at the age of 79.
His family and a former colleague announced the news of Tony Sirico's death on Friday evening. The actor had been ill for some time.
Sirico played minor guest roles in series and movies for decades before being cast in the 1990s as the eccentric and at times sassy Paulie, who went on to become one of the most memorable characters of The Sopranos.
“It is with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and fond memories, that the family of Gennaro Anthony 'Tony' Siroco would like to inform you of his passing on the morning of July 8, 2022,” his family said in a statement on Facebook.
Another Sopranos star, Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher in the show, said “it hurts to say that a dear friend, colleague and partner in crime” has passed away.
“Tony was like no one else: he was tough and loyal and I am heartbroken,” Imperioli wrote on Instagram.
Italian-American cult hero
Sirico was born in Brooklyn in 1942. As a teenager he was often in trouble with the law, but in prison he caught the 'comedy bug' after watching a group of ex-cons perform.
In the 1970s, he played several minor roles, mainly as a gangster, in series such as Miami Vice and Kojak and in Mafia films such as Goodfellas” and Mickey Blue Eyes.
In his 50s, he was cast in The Sopranos, the groundbreaking HBO series about a fictional Italian-American mob in New Jersey.
