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Watch: Sopranos Star Vincent Pastore Dead at 80
The Sopranos family is honoring the memory of one of their own.
After Vincent Pastore—known for his role as Salvatore “Big P—y” Bonpensiero in the HBO series—died at the age of 80, his former Sopranos costars shared touching tributes in honor of their late costar.
“A wonderful actor, a kind and loving man,” Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who starred as Tony Soprano’s daughter Meadow, wrote on her Instagram Stories Aug. 1. “It was an honor to know you and work with you.”
Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos, also paid his respects, sharing a throwback photo of himself and Pastore on Instagram to celebrate the life of his “beloved friend and collaborator.”
“This is a hard one for us, it seems like I’ve known Vinny forever,” Imperioli, known as Christopher Moltisanti in the show, continued. “We did lots of work together and traveled all over the USA as well as Italy and Australia. Lots of good times. Lots of laughs. Vinny was a kind hearted brother who cared deeply about his family and friends. I will miss him always.”
Meanwhile, Lorraine Braco, who portrayed Tony’s psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi, also paid tribute, writing on her Instagram Stories, “Such a funny & charming man…just a beautiful soul. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
Pastore was also honored by Eddie Falco, known for her role as Carmelo Soprano on the crime drama. “It’s an awful loss. So unexpected,” she told Page Six in a statement. “Vinnie was always so full of life.”
Similarly, Dominic Chianese, who starred as Corrado “Junior” Soprano, remembered Pastore as a “gem.”
“We lost a friend today,” he shared on Instagram. “Paying respect and sending Love in tribute.”
Courtesy HBO/ZUMA Wire
Pastore’s managers Robert Attermann and Bob McGowan confirmed his death to E! News on Aug. 1.
According to McGowan, Pastore—dad to daughter Renee Pastore with ex-wife Nancy Berke—was discovered by his friends at home in the Bronx, New York, on Aug. 1.
“I had the privilege of representing Vinny for more than 30 years, long before The Sopranos made him a household name,” Attermann told E! News in a statement. “To the world, he will always be remembered as the unforgettable ‘Big P—y,’ but to those of us who knew him, he was so much more.”
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