Frank Vincent Of 'Sopranos,' 'Goodfellas' Fame Dies At 80

NUTLEY, NJ — Frank Vincent Gattuso Jr., a Nutley resident and actor known for his roles on mob-themed pop culture staples as The Sopranos and Goodfellas, has passed away, reports say. He was 80 years old. Gattuso, known professionally as Frank Vincent, died Wednesday, his family stated. No cause of death was provided.

“He was very private; he kept to himself," Nutley Mayor Joseph Scarpelli told NorthJersey.com. "People would see him around town, obviously, and know who he was, but he’s private. We were proud to have him live in Nutley, and he was a great actor — a local guy who made it big."

Vincent’s obituary identifies him as a classic “tough guy actor” who was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, in 1939. He started his acting career in 1976 in the low-budget crime film "The Death Collector" with Joe Pesci, appearing again with Pesci and Robert De Niro in three Martin Scorsese films: "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas" and "Casino." Vincent later played Phil Leotardo, the rival of Tony Soprano on hit television show "The Sopranos."

He’s also the author of a non-fiction book, "A Guy's Guide to Being a Man's Man."

Watch: 'Sopranos' Actor Frank Vincent Is Dead At 80

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According to his online biography, Vincent was born to first-generation Italian-Americans and raised in the Greenville section of Jersey City.

In 2002, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Back East Picture Show at the Hoboken Film Festival. That same year he received the Italian-American Entertainer of the Year Award presented by the Italian Tribune. In 2005, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Garden State Film Festival. In 2006, Vincent received the Honorary Branford Fellow from Branford College, Yale University, and also received a Best Supporting Actor Award for the film "Remedy" at the International Film and Screenplay Festival. In 2008, he received the coveted SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for "The Sopranos."

Fans and colleagues reacted with sadness on social media, recalling good times with Vincent as well as his professionalism.

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