Photo: Dia Dipasupil/WireImage
Vincent Pastore, who played Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on The Sopranos, was found dead in his Bronx home August 1. Since news of his death broke, friends and collaborators have been expressing their shock and grief.
Born in the Bronx in 1946, Pastore got his break into acting by driving Matt and Kevin Dillon’s limo. They went to see him in a community play, and Kevin got him his first break. Pastore quickly found a niche in gangster media, with roles in Goodfellas, Mickey Blue Eyes, and Jane Austen’s Mafia! In 1999, he joined The Sopranos as Big Pussy, enforcer-turned-informant.
Pastore’s Sopranos co-stars mourned their friend on social media. Jamie-Lynnn Sigler took to Instagram Stories, calling him “A wonderful actor, a kind and loving man.” Lorraine Braco also posted a Story, writing “Such a funny & charming man…just a beautiful soul. Absolutely heartbreaking.” Below are more tributes to Big Pussy from his on-screen family.
“This is a hard one for us,” Imperioli wrote on Instagram. “It seems like I’ve known Vinny forever. We did lots of work together and traveled all over the USA as well as Italy and Australia.” Pastore and Imperioli not only co-starred in The Sopranos, but also Goodfellas and Shark Tale.
The actor who played Carmela Soprano gave a statement to Page Six about her co-star’s death. “It’s an awful loss. So unexpected,” she said. “Vinnie was always so full of life.”
Chianese played Corrado “Junior” Soprano on the HBO drama. On Instagram, he wrote “We lost a friend today. Paying respect and sending Love in tribute. You were a gem Vinnie.”
Another irreplaceable brother gone. It never gets any easier. Travel well Vincenzo. pic.twitter.com/sybh6LOWvm
— 🇺🇸🇮🇱🇺🇦🕉Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) August 2, 2026
Little Steven, who broke into acting on The Sopranos as Silvio Dante, mourned his friend on Twitter. “Another irreplaceable brother gone,” he wrote. “It never gets any easier.”
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