Vincent Pastore, who is best known for playing Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” has died, according to TMZ. He was 80.
Pastore was a key player on the first two seasons of “The Sopranos,” and helped deliver one of the mob drama’s most iconic moments. In the show, Big Pussy was part of Tony Soprano’s (James Galdofini) most trusted inner circle, until he started wearing a wire for the FBI. In the Season 2 finale, Tony, along with Silvio (Steven Van Zandt) and Paulie (Tony Sirico), makes the difficult decision to kill him off while out on a boat.
Pastore was cast as a mobster many times throughout his career. He had small parts in early ‘90s crime dramas like “Carlito’s Way” and “Goodfellas.” He saw his stock rise with a pair of roles in the 1995 film “The Jerky Boys: The Movie” and HBO’s 1996 TV movie “Gotti.”
His other film credits include “Shark Tale,” “Mickey Blue Eyes,” “Witness to the Mob,” “The Deli,” “Spinning Gold,” “Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn,” “Revolver,” “This Thing of Ours,” “Bachelor Party Vegas,” “A Brooklyn State of Mind” and many others.
On the TV side, Pastore appeared on “New York Undercover,” “Law & Order,” “Bull,” “Son of the Beach,” “Queens Supreme,” “General Hospital” and “Pair of Kings.” He was also a contestant on several reality shows, including “Dancing With the Stars,” “Shark Tank“ and “Celebrity Family Feud.”
Pastore also hosted “The Wise Guy” show on SiriusXM, which was a weekly three-hour broadcast during which Pastore would interview celebrities and other prominent figures from the Italian-American community.
Pastore is survived by his daughter, Renee.