American actor Vincent Pastore, known for his iconic role as Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on the legendary HBO series "The Sopranos," has died at the age of 80. His body was found in his home in the Bronx. The cause of death remains unknown at this time. The news of the death was confirmed by his manager, Robert Atterman, who said that friends of the actor discovered his body on Saturday at his home.
Vincent Pastore had built a long career in television and film, playing mainly roles of tough Italian-Americans, mafiosi, hitmen and leaders of criminal organizations.
The role that made him famous
Great fame came in 1999, when he was chosen for the role of Salvatore Bonpensiero, known as "Big Pussy", in the iconic series "The Sopranos".
The nickname "Big Girl" had no sexual connotation, but came from the fact that the character began his criminal career as a house burglar, known as a "cat burglar." "Big" was added to distinguish him from another character in the series, Genaro Malanga, who was known as "Little Girl."
The FBI informant who scored the series
"Big Pussy" was introduced as one of the most loyal and sympathetic associates of Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini. He was also an informant for the FBI for years, which created one of the most important narrative lines of the first two seasons of the series.
The internal conflict between his loyalty to the mafia boss and his cooperation with American authorities was a key element of the plot.
The end of his character came in the second season finale, when he was executed on a boat by Tony Soprano, Polly Gualtieri (Tony Sirico), and Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt).
His execution scene is still considered one of the most shocking and iconic moments in the six-season history of "The Sopranos."
His life and career
Vincent Pastore was born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in the suburb of New Rochelle. During the Vietnam War, he was drafted into the U.S. Navy and later attended Pace University.
He began appearing in films in the 1980s, gradually building a distinguished career in film and television productions. Among his most well-known film roles were in the films "Goodfellas" and "Awakenings", which were released in 1990, a few years before he achieved the greatest success of his career with the role of "Big Pussy" in "The Sopranos".
Vincent's other works include the films "Shark Tale," "Spinning Gold," "Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn," "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Yellowjackets."
In recent years, Vincent has become a regular on reality TV shows... taking part in "Celebrity Fit Club" and "Dancing with the Stars" - although he left the latter after just one week due to the physical demands of the program.
Pastore leaves behind his daughter, Renee Pastore. ©LAPSI.al
