RIP Sopranos Actor Vincent Pastore

Farewell To A Unique Small Screen Star

This weekend, the sad news reached us that actor Vincent Pastore, who is best known for playing Big Pussy Bompansero in the Sopranos, has just died at the age of 80…

Pastore was found dead at his home in the Bronx. His manager, Robert Attermann, commented to CBS news: “To the world, he will always be remembered as the unforgettable ‘Big Pussy,’ but to those of us who knew him, he was so much more.”

“He loved being an actor. He was passionate about his craft and was always encouraging, respectful, and generous with young actors, taking the time to offer guidance and support whenever he could,” Attermann said.

He continued: “For me, losing Vinny is deeply personal. Over more than three decades, I had the honor of watching not only his remarkable career but also the incredible person he was. I will miss his friendship, his loyalty, his humour, and his heart.”

Pastore was born in the Bronx back in 1946. He enlisted in the US Navy during the Vietnam War before embarking on a long career in acting.

His early screen credits included roles in movies such as Goodfellas and Carlito’s Way.

Later TV appearances included Law & Order, General Hospital and Hawaii Five-O.

But it was his part in The Sopranos as FBI informant Pussy Bompanosero which brought Pastore widespread international acclaim. He appeared in all six seasons of the critically acclaimed show, despite his character actually being killed off in the second series.

Back in 2000, Pastore and his fellow The Sopranos cast members won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Tripwire has always been a huge fan of the show and his performance in it was magnificent. We sent our condolences to his family and friends.

Here’s our review of the show which we picked as our Number one in our list of Police and Crime Shows on here a few years back.

Tripwire’s Top 30 Crime And Police TV Shows: No.1 The Sopranos