Vincent Pastore, iconic supporting actor from 'The Sopranos', found dead at home
The actor participated in episodic roles in many series following his success
BarcelonaA concerned neighbor, having not seen any activity at Vincent Pastore's apartment in the Bronx for days, finally managed to access the property and found the actor's lifeless body. He was 80 years old and had a daughter. Although no signs of violence were found, and everything points to a natural death, the police have launched an investigation to determine the causes of death. The performer had a long television career, but he became particularly popular for the character of Salvatore, aka Big Pussy, in HBO's series Los Soprano.
“Vinny was one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met – explained his manager, Robert Altman, in statements to the portal People–. He treated everyone with warmth and respect, and never turned away any fan who wanted a photo or an autograph. He had sincere gratitude for all the people who had supported him and always made him feel valued. He loved being an actor and was passionate about his profession, and always encouraged, with respect and generosity, new generations of actors”.
His career began in the early nineties, with small roles in films like Goodfellas and Men of respect (Men of respect), before landing more significant roles in films like The jerky boys or, most notably, Gotti, also from HBO, which subsequently catapulted him to fame. After his role as a mobster who became an informant – the ultimate betrayal for a member of the famiglia– he amassed dozens of television credits, with many guest roles in well-known series like Law & Order, The Practice and Hawaii 5.0 and also several appearances in reality shows. His latest appearances were in Showtime's satirical series The curse (2024) and in Yellowjackets (2025). He also graced the stage, with roles that leveraged his imposing physique to portray gangster characters. This is how he debuted on Broadway with Chicago (2007), before landing in Woody Allen's musical Bullets over Broadway (2014).
His professional resume is rounded out by a business venture that capitalized on the proverbial love of gastronomy among Italian-Americans: in 2019, he launched a tomato sauce bearing his name, which he was proud to state was made with San Marzano tomatoes, without genetic modification and with no added sugars.