Celebrity News August 01, 2026
Vincent Pastore, Big Pussy on ‘The Sopranos,’ Dies at 80
HBO
Vincent Pastore, a go-to for playing mobsters on TV and in films who had made a late-career splash as Big Pussy on “The Sopranos,” was found dead Saturday in his Bronx, New York, home.
He was 80.
Pastore’s manager became worried when he hadn’t heard from the actor.
Born July 14, 1946, Pastore was a Vietnam veteran who later drove a limo. That job led to a fortuitous encounter with Matt and Kevin Dillon, who supported him in a show he was in and helped him land work.
Pastore appeared in “GoodFellas” (1990), “Carlito’s Way” (1993), “The Jerky Boys: The Movie” (1995), and the HBO TV film “Gotti” (1996).
In 1999, he became a pop-cultural icon for his work as ill-fated Big Pussy on HBO’s phenomenon “The Sopranos.” When Big Pussy used up his ninth life in 2007, it was one of the show’s most memorable exits.
Some of his other movie work includes “Mickey Blue Eyes” (1999), “Shark Tale” (2004) and “Revolver” (2005), and he guested on TV shows including “Law & Order” (1992-1996), “Gravesend” (2021-2023), and “Yellowjackets” (2025).
He is survived by his daughter.
