Tony Sirico was an American actor who was renowned for his role as Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri in “The Sopranos”. His performance in the show earned won the ‘Screen Actors Guild Award’ for ‘Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series’ in 2000 and 2008. He started his acting career in the 1970s and has worked in nearly 45 films and 18 TV shows. Prior to his acting profession, he was a real-life mobster who had been arrested 28 times and had served two prison terms. In 1974, he made his acting debut in “Crazy Joe” which was a film about the life of mobster Joey Gallo. He made his first TV appearance in “Kojak” in 1977. Also, he lent his voice to the character ‘Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri’ in the 2006 video game “The Sopranos: Road to Respect”.
How did Tony Sirico die?
Tony Sirico died at an assisted living facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on July 8, 2022, three weeks before his 80th birthday. His death has not been disclosed yet but only the fact is known that he had been diagnosed with dementia some years before his death. He dies at 79.
Back in 2002, an American tabloid alleged that the celebrity was struggling for his life after dangerous cancer spread from his lips to his neck & that he was having rigorous radiation therapy. Later, Tony stated that they were unfounded and false. The year before, he had a cyst removed from his spine in November. Earlier in 2002, he underwent surgery for a hernia to remove a dead saliva gland from his tongue.
What was Tony Sirico Famous For?
- Being an American actor.
- For his role as Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri in The Sopranos.
Where was Tony Sirico From?
Tony Sirico was born on July 29, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He spent his early life in the Bensonhurst area. He held American nationality and his ethnicity was Mixed of American-Italian. Tony lived with his mother, Marie Sirico, for most of his life. His dad has an Italian descent. His brother, Robert Sirico, is a Catholic priest and co-founder of the free-market Acton Institute. Also, he has another brother namely, Carmine Sirico. He lastly celebrated his 79th birthday in 2022. His birth name is Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. He was convicted of several crimes and had been arrested 28 times, including for disorderly conduct, assault, and robbery, before taking up acting. was convicted of several crimes and had been arrested 28 times, including for disorderly conduct, assault, and robbery, before taking up acting. Next, he was indicted for extortion, coercion, and felony weapons possession, convicted and sentenced to four years in prison, of which he served 20 months at Sing Sing in 1971. In the 1989 documentary The Big Bang by James Toback, Tony discussed his early life.
Source: @hollywoodreporter
Tony Sirico Career Timeline
- Tony Sirico made his acting debut in “Crazy Joe” in 1974.
- After that, he appeared in “Godfather, Part II”.
- Next, he was seen in a number of films including Goodfellas, Mob Queen, Mighty Aphrodite, Love and Money, Fingers, The One Man Jury, Defiance, The Last Fight, Innocent Blood, Bullets over Broadway, The Pick-up Artist, Gotti, The Search for One-eye Jimmy, Cop Land, Turn of Faith, Hello Again, Mickey Blue Eyes, and Wonder Wheel.
- He played policemen in the films Dead Presidents and Deconstructing Harry.
- He made his first TV appearance in ‘Kojak’ in the year 1977.
- Later, he started appearing in series such as Police Squad! (1982) and Miami Vice (1989).
- His most acclaimed acting job was that of Paulie Gualtieri in David Chase’s Emmy award-winning drama, “The Sopranos”.
- His other TV projects include Cosby (1996), The Fairly Odd Parents (2005), and Chuck (2010).
- Also, he was a part of the Gangster’s Actors Guild’.
- In late 2013, he voiced the character of Vinny, who for three episodes was the family’s pet dog on “Family Guy”.
- His next role was seen “Cafe Society” (2016), “Wonder Wheel” (2017).
- In the year 2018, he reunited with former Sopranos actors Federico Castelluccio and Vincent Pastore in “Sarah Q”.
Awards and Achievements
- Won Screen Actors Guild Award for his work in “The Sopranos” in the year 2000 and the year 2008
Who was Tony Sirico married to?
Tony was a married man who had not stated anything about his wife and married life details to the media. He has a daughter named Joeanna Sirico and a son named Richard Sirico. His funds for ‘St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and other non-profit organizations. His sexual orientation was straight and he was not gay.
How much was Tony Sirico Net Worth?
Tony Sirico was a talented actor whose net worth was estimated to have $10 Million as of 2022. He made this fortune appearing in several movies and TV shows. His main source of wealth was from the entertainment industry. His salary has not been revealed yet. He was living a lavish lifestyle at the time of his demise.
How tall was Tony Sirico?
Tony Sirico was a handsome actor who stood at the height of 5 feet 10 inches or 1.77 m. His body weight was 85 Kg or 187 lbs. His eye color was brown and his hair color was grey.
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