Frank Vincent, ‘Sopranos’ and ‘Goodfellas’ Actor, Dies at 78
Frank Vincent, known for portraying Phil Leotardo on “The Sopranos,” has died, his “Sopranos” co-star Vincent Pastore announced on Facebook. He was 78.
TMZ reports that he died due to complications of heart surgery after a heart attack. John Gallagher, who directed Vincent in “Street Hunter” and “The Deli,” also posted the news on Facebook.
Vincent began acting in 1976 when he co-starred in the low-budget crime film “The Death Collector” alongside Joe Pesci. Vincent then acted in Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull,” which sparked the first of many collaborations between Vincent, Pesci, and Robert De Niro, including “Goodfellas” and “Casino.”‘
His “Sopranos” character was killed on orders from his on-screen nemesis Tony Soprano is the final episode of the HBO series.
Born in North Adams, Mass., and raised in Jersey City, N.J., Vincent often portrayed gangsters. He delivered the iconic line, “Go home and get your shine box!” in as mobster Billy Batts in “Goodfellas,” and he appeared in the music video for Nas’ song “Street Dreams” as his character Frankie Marino from “Casino.”
Vincent also acted in two of Spike Lee’s films, “Do the Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever,” along with the movies “The Pope of Greenwich Village,” “Wise Guys,” “Night Falls on Manhattan,” and “Shark Tale.”
In addition to his film and television career, he voiced the character of Mafia boss Salvatore Leone in “Grand Theft Auto III,” and reprised the role in two additional “Grand Theft Auto” titles. In 2006, he co-wrote the book “A Guy’s Guide to Being a Man’s Man.” More recently, he starred in the movie “Chicago Overcoat,” and made a cameo in an episode of “Stargate Atlantis.”
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