Steven Van Zandt Pays Tribute to Late ‘Sopranos’ Co-Star Tony Sirico

Steven Van Zandt paid tribute to his former Sopranos co-star, the late actor Tony Sirico, who died on July 8 at the age of 79.

Van Zandt took to social media to remember Sirico, who portrayed the mobster Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri throughout the six-season run of the HBO drama The Sopranos, which ended in 2007. Van Zandt, who played Silvio Dante on the series, also starred with Sirico in the 2013 Netflix mobster film Lillyhammer.

“RIP Tony Sirico,” wrote Van Zandt. “Legendary. Silvio’s best buddy Paulie Walnuts in ‘The Sopranos,’ Frankie ‘The Fixer’s’ older brother Antonino, ‘Father Tony’ Tagliano in ‘Lilyhammer.’ A larger-than-life character on and off-screen. Gonna miss you a lot my friend. Deepest condolences to the family.”

Before The Sopranos, Sirico played a mobster in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 classic Goodfellas, and also acted in several Woody Allen films, including Bullets Over Broadway, Mighty Aphrodite, and Everyone Says I Love You. The actor also appeared in the 1999 romantic comedy Mickey Blue Eyes and police drama Cop Land alongside Sylvester Stallone and Ray Liotta. Sirico was known for his work on television, including Miami Vice, The Grindr, Chuck, Medium, and Taxi Brooklyn as well as voicing characters on Family Guy and American Dad.

When he first auditioned for The Sopranos, Sirico was 55 and living with his mother in a small apartment in Brooklyn, New York. After trying out for two roles, and getting turned down, the show creator David Chase presented Sirico with the character of Paulie Walnuts, who got his nickname after hijacking a truck of televisions that had nuts inside. For Sirico, life imitated art when it came to his Sopranos role. He even wore a pinkie ring in real life, just like Paulie. 

“I was born, grew up, spent a few years in the Army, a few more in the can and here I am, a half a wise guy,” said Paulie during the first season of The Sopranos. Sirico also spent time in the army before returning back home to Brooklyn.

The actor died on July 8 at an assisted-living facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to his manager Bob McGowan. Though a cause of death was not revealed, the actor had reportedly been suffering from dementia in recent years.  

(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Little Kids Rock)