Categories: Stories

‘The Sopranos’ & ‘Goodfellas’ Actor, Frank Vincent, Dies At 78

Frank Vincent, who was best known for his role on “The Sopranos” as eventual Lupertazzi family boss Phil Leotardo, died Wednesday during open heart surgery, TMZ reports. He was 78.
The Massachusetts-born, New Jersey-bred actor made a name for himself playing notoriously tough characters, like Billy Batts in “Goodfellas” and Frank Marino in “Casino.”
Rolling Stone

But his most famous role came as Leotardo, the nemesis of Tony Soprano on HBO’s hit crime drama. Vincent portrayed the ruthless Leotardo for 31 episodes, starting in Season 5 and wrapping up with the show’s 2007 finale.

Vincent said in 2009 that he understood that with his Italian-American heritage came the tendency for stereotypes, which were reinforced with his role on “The Sopranos”.

And So It Begins…

Frank Vincent, who was best known for his role on “The Sopranos” as eventual Lupertazzi family boss Phil Leotardo, died Wednesday during open heart surgery, TMZ reports. He was 78.

The Massachusetts-born, New Jersey-bred actor made a name for himself playing notoriously tough characters, like Billy Batts in “Goodfellas” and Frank Marino in “Casino.”

Taste of Cinema

But his most famous role came as Leotardo, the nemesis of Tony Soprano on HBO’s hit crime drama. Vincent portrayed the ruthless Leotardo for 31 episodes, starting in Season 5 and wrapping up with the show’s 2007 finale.

Vincent said in 2009 that he understood that with his Italian-American heritage came the tendency for stereotypes, which were reinforced with his role on “The Sopranos.”

Frank Vincent, Joseph Gannascoli and James Gandolfini in an episode of “The Sopranos.” Vincent died during open heart surgery. (HANDOUT) via NY Daily News

Frank Vincent, Joseph Gannascoli and James Gandolfini in an episode of “The Sopranos.” Vincent died during open heart surgery.

CLICK NEXT TO CONTINUE READING

1 of 2 Next

Show comments
Share
Published by

Recent Posts

test

test

4 years ago

‘The Little Rascals’: The ‘Our Gang Curse’ That May Have Haunted the Cast Throughout the Years

Hollywood “curses” are a strange thing as people tend to look at the collective deaths…

4 years ago

Florida Man Pays Utility Bills For Over 100 Families For Second Christmas In A Row

74-year-old Michael Esmond is putting on the Santa Claus gear this year once again as…

4 years ago

Orlando PD Donates Christmas Gifts To More Than 200 Kids In Need

Police officers from Orlando, FL donated and delivered Christmas gifts to more than 200 kids…

4 years ago

The 1965 Kecksburg Incident: What Fell Over Pennsylvania?

On December 9, 1965, a blue-tinged fireball streaked across the sky over Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. However,…

4 years ago

Why The Pandemic Helped Bring Back Sunday Family Dinners

Over years, less emphasis ended up placed on traditional Sunday family dinners. In those times,…

4 years ago