Tony Sirico Dies: Actor Tony Sirico, known for his role as Peter Paul Gualtieri in the series The Sopranos, has died at the age of 79, the interpreter's brother and representative reported in two publications on social networks.
"With great sadness, but with great pride, love and fond memories, the family of Genaro Anthony "Tony" Sirico wishes to inform you of his death on the morning of July 8, 2022," Robert Sirico, brother of the actor, communicated through his Facebook account.
In addition, Sirico's representative for 25 years, Bob McGowan, confirmed the death and defined him as "a very loyal customer" who "always helped those who needed it".
The cause of death is not yet known Tony Sirico (New York, 1942) who, according to his brother's publication, will be buried in the Basilica of Regina Pacis (Brooklyn, New York, USA) next Wednesday, July 13.
"The family deeply appreciates the many expressions of love, prayers and condolences and asks that the public respect their privacy at this time of mourning," added Robert Sirico.
Among other roles, Tony Sirico will be remembered for playing mobster Peter Paul Gualtieri, nicknamed "Paulie Walnuts", in the legendary series The Sopranos. Another of the protagonists of this production, Michael Imperioli, wanted to fire his partner and friend this Friday on his Instagram account, referring to him as a "tough, loyal and big-hearted" guy.
"I am proud to say that I did a lot of my best and funniest work with my dear friend Tony. I will miss him forever. He is truly irreplaceable," concluded Imperioli.
Sirico, of Italian descent, was born and raised in the New York neighbourhood of Bensonhurst, which in the 1950s was deeply linked to and controlled by the Colombo Family's criminality.
A childhood that would mark his life and his future as an actor on the small and big screen with productions about the mafia. In addition to Sopranos, Sirico starred in the drama Love and Money (1982), Martin Scorsese's landmark film Goodfellas (1990), the comedy Mob Queen (1998), the series Lilyhammer (2012) and also voiced the dog, Vinny, in the famous Family Guy series.
Sirico was in his 50s when he made his best-known role on The Sopranos, the groundbreaking series that explored the private lives of the New Jersey crime group. "Paulie" had some of the most memorable lines in the script, showing his humour and loyalty to the boss, Tony Soprano.