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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." 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, 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." 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. CLICK NEXT TO CONTINUE READING "I think 'The Sopranos' probably solidifies the misconception that people have about New Jersey, to begin with," he told NJ.com. "Because you're from Jersey, and everybody has an accent, you are perceived a certain way... (Hollywood) needs a gangster, they call me or Joe (Pesci). An Italian-American? Frank or Joe... It is who you are." Pesci and Vincent famously shared the screen in "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas," where Vincent's character Batts was whacked in a notoriously brutal beat down. Vincent Pastore, who appeared on "The Sopranos" as Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, reportedly took to Facebook to mourn the loss of his friend, praising Vincent as an "inspiration" and his mentor. Vincent also had notable roles in films like "Do The Right Thing" and "Raging Bull," and enjoyed a career as a drummer before tackling acting. During the '60s, he played in a band called Frank Vincent and the Aristocats at New York clubs like the Peppermint Lounge. He put his hard-earned wisdom to good use in 2006 with a nonfiction how-to book, "A Guy's Guide to Being a Man's Man." According to TMZ, Vincent died in a New Jersey hospital during surgery after suffering a heart attack last week. (Source: NY Daily News)

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