SOPRANOS ACTOR VINCENT PASTORE DIES AT 80

Vincent Pastore, best known for playing mobster Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero in HBO's The Sopranos, has died at the age of 80. Pastore was discovered dead at his Bronx home on Saturday, 1 August, by a neighbour who had not heard from him for three days, according to reports. The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation. The cause of death has not yet been made public.

Pastore appeared in nearly 200 films and television productions throughout his career, including GoodFellas, Carlito's Way, The Jerky Boys: The Movie and Gotti. His most recent screen appearance came in a 2025 episode of Yellowjackets. Born into an Italian-American family in the Bronx on 14 July 1946, Pastore served three years in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War before returning to New York to study drama at Pace University. He initially struggled to secure acting work and established a venue called Crazy Horse in New Rochelle before his career took off in the 1990s.

Pastore's breakthrough came in his 40s when he landed roles in The Jerky Boys: The Movie in 1995 and the HBO television film Gotti in 1996, where he worked with future Sopranos colleagues Tony Sirico, Frank Vincent and Dominic Chianese. His defining role arrived in 1999 when he was cast in David Chase's The Sopranos, portraying Tony Soprano's closest friend and a member of the Soprano crew, a performance that became central to the acclaimed series.