Andrew Burton / REUTERS
Actor Tony Sirico, finest identified for his memorable flip as mobster “Paulie Walnuts” Gualtieri on “The Sopranos,” has died at the age of 79, his supervisor advised CBS News on Friday.
“A great, loyal client,” supervisor Bob McGowan wrote. “He would do anything to help people in need.”
McGowan didn’t present a explanation for loss of life.
McGowan additionally despatched CBS News a Facebook submit from Sirico’s brother, Robert Sirico, who wrote that he was asserting Sirico’s loss of life “with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and a whole lot of fond memories.”
Sirico was born in Brooklyn in 1942. According to his IMDB profile, he first appeared on display screen in 1977 and rose to prominence years later for his roles in movies like “Goodfellas.” But his main break got here in “The Sopranos,” the place he performed “Paulie Walnuts” Gualtieri, a fiery, loyal and ill-tempered soldier to New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, performed by the late James Gandolfini. The wise-cracking Walnuts was violent and infrequently ruthless.
In a 2019 interview with the forged, Sirico mentioned that “The Sopranos” creator David Chase was so impressed along with his audition for a special position, that of an 80-year-old man, that Chase created the character of Paulie Walnuts particularly for him.
“When I went in initially to audition for David, he looked at me, he said, ‘sit there.’ He put a hat on me. The lines were, ‘these kids today.’ I’m playing an 80-year-old man,” Sirico mentioned.
Michael Imperioli, who performed Christopher Moltisanti on “The Sopranos,” honored Sirico on Instagram. “Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone i’ve ever known,” he wrote.
“I will miss him forever,” Imperioli wrote. “He is truly irreplaceable.”
Actress Lorraine Bracco, who starred with Sirico in each “Goodfellas” and “The Sopranos,” paid tribute as effectively Friday, calling him “a stand up guy who always had my back and who loved my children and my parents.”
“I hope he’s in heaven cracking everybody up now,” she added. “Love you, my Pal…rest in peace.”
Sirico is survived by his two youngsters, Joanne Sirico Bello and Richard Sirico, in addition to grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews and plenty of different relations, Sirico’s brother mentioned.
While the household requested privateness, Sirico’s brother mentioned donations might be despatched to (*79*) Warriors, St. Jude’s Hospital and the Acton Institute.