The actor, who appeared in all six seasons of The Sopranos alongside James Gandolfini, died Friday morning. His manager of 25 years, Bob McGowan, told The Hollywood Reporter that Sirico had died in an assisted living facility in Fort Lauderdale and had been living with dementia for the past two years. A statement posted on Facebook by his brother Robert Sirico read: “It is with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and many fond memories, that the family of Gennaro Anthony ‘Tony’ Sirico wishes to inform you of his passing. on the morning of July 8, 2022. “The family is deeply grateful for the many expressions of love, prayers and condolences and asks the public to respect their privacy during this time of mourning.” His Sopranos co-star Michael Imperioli paid tribute to Sirico on Instagram, calling him “my dear friend, colleague and partner in crime”. “Tony was like no other: he was as tough, loyal and as big as anyone I’ve ever met,” she wrote. “I’ve been there for him through so much: good times and bad. But mostly good. And we laughed a lot. We found a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I’m proud to say that I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear friend Tony. I will miss him forever.” Born in 1942 in New York City, Sirico frequently played gangsters in films throughout his career, including Goodfellas, Cop Land and Mickey Blue Eyes. He appeared frequently in Woody Allen films including Deconstructing Harry, Celebrity, Bullets Over Broadway, Mighty Aphrodite, Everyone Says I Love You and Wonder Wheel. He originally auditioned for the role of Uncle Junior on The Sopranos, but Dominic Chianese took the role. Series creator David Chase offered him the role of Paulie Gualtieri instead, which Sirico accepted on the condition that his character “would not become a rat”. Sirico has a daughter and a brother.
