Tony Sirico, known for playing the colorful Paulie Walnuts on the Sopranos, has died at the age of 79. The actor is reported to have died in an assisted living facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Although no official cause has been revealed for the death, he was known to be suffering from dementia over the past couple of years.
Tony Sirico's character brought some much-needed levity and eccentricity to a show like Sopranos which followed the gritty life of ruthless New Jersey mobsters.
Known for predominantly playing mobster characters, he was unbothered by being typecast, his only condition being that his character should not become a rat (an informant). He was also known for his appearance in Family Guy, American Dad, Woody Allen movies, and another mob classic Goodfellas.
Multiple celebrities, from the Sopranos creator David Chase to co-stars Lorraine Bracco and Micheal Imperioli have released tributes online, celebrating the actor and sharing their favourite memories about him.
Talking about Tony Sirico on Instagram, Micheal Imperioli called him a "partner in crime," and goes on to say that "he was as tough, as loyal and as big-hearted as anyone I’ve ever known"
The Sopranos episode Pine Barrens, which focused heavily on the character dynamics between Micheal Imperioli and Tony Sirico's characters, is widely regarded as one of the greatest episodes in television history.
