American actor Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. His most well-known performance was in The Sopranos as Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri. He also had a lot of appearances in Woody Allen movies. The 79-year-old actor Tony Sirico passed away on July 8. Bob McGowan, his boss, broke the news and praised Sirico as a devoted customer and friend.
Although his exact cause of death remains unknown, Sirico, whose estimated net worth is around $8 million, suffered from dementia for the last few years. His funeral’s full details have not yet been made public.
Tony Sirico’s Early Life of Crime
Tony Sirico was born Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. on July 29, 1942, in New York City. Robert, his brother, is a priest in the Catholic Church. Sirico was raised in Brooklyn’s East Flatbush and Bensonhurst districts.
He committed a lot of crimes in his early life, leading to 28 arrests for things like robbery, assault, and disorderly conduct. In 1971, Sirico had a particularly bad encounter with the authorities when he was charged with coercion, extortion, and felony firearm possession and given a four-year jail sentence.
In the end, he spent 20 months at Sing Sing serving his sentence. A visiting ex-convict performing company gave Sirico the motivation to pursue acting while he was incarcerated.
Tony Sirico’s Career as A Go-To Gangstar Actor in Film
Sirico made his acting debut in the 1974 crime movie “Crazy Joe” as an extra. He thereafter became known as a top choice for mobster roles.
In movies including “Fingers,” “The One Man Jury,” “Defiance,” “Love and Money,” “The Pick-up Artist,” “Hello Again,” “Goodfellas,” “Innocent Blood,” “The Hunt for One-eye Jimmy,” “Cop Land,” “Mob Queen,” “Mickey Blue Eyes,” and “Turn of Faith,” Sirico has portrayed criminals over the years.
In addition, Sirico has had notable appearances in a number of Woody Allen-directed movies, including “Bullets Over Broadway,” “Mighty Aphrodite,” “Everyone Says I Love You,” “Deconstructing Harry,” “Celebrity,” “Café Society,” and “Wonder Wheel.”
The erotic comedy “So Fine,” the drama “Exposed,” the romantic action thriller “Catchfire,” the dramedy “29th Street,” and the crime thriller “Romeo is Bleeding” are just a few of Sirico’s other notable film roles. Moreover, he played a notable police officer in the 1995 film “Dead Presidents.”
Sirico afterward had an appearance in the comedies “Friends and Romans” and the police drama “Zarra’s Law” in 2014. His subsequent roles include “Sarah Q,” in which he co-stars with Vincent Pastore and Federico Castelluccio from the cast of “The Sopranos,” as well as “Respect the Jux” and “Super Athlete.”
Tony Sirico’s Net Worth Explored
Net Worth | $8 Million |
Profession | Actor |
Age | 79 |
Country | United States of America |
Born | July 29, 1942 |
Salary | $75,000 Thousand Per Episode |
Last Updated | 2023 |
Sirico’s net worth was assessed by CelebrityNetWorth to be about $8 million. Although specifics regarding his assets are not known, it is important to note that Sirico made a sizable sum of money during his career in the entertainment sector.
Throughout the first several seasons of The Sopranos, Sirico received $75,000 per episode. In the previous season, both he and Steven Van Zandt, his co-star, saw their earnings more than double. More than $1 million was made for the remaining episodes.
His acting career allowed him to amass his wealth. He had been in a lot of films, but The Sopranos is where he initially became famous. His commitment and charm-maintaining skills have been demonstrated in his later career years.
He is regarded as one of the highest-paid actors in the business. After spending some time in jail for armed robbery, Sirico made the decision to stop committing crimes and try his hand at acting. He sadly passed away on July 8, 2022.
Sopranos Co-Star Pays Tribute
In a touching Instagram post, Sirico’s Sopranos co-star Michael Imperiolo paid respect to the actor.
“It pains me to say that my dear friend, colleague, and partner in crime, the great TONY SIRICO has passed away today,” he wrote.
“Tony was like no one else,” the 56-year-old continued. “He was as tough, as loyal, and as big-hearted as anyone I’ve ever known. I was at his side through so much: through good times and bad. But mostly good. And we had a lot of laughs.”
“We found a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I am proud to say I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear pal Tony,” he added before saying “I will miss him forever” and “he is truly irreplaceable”.
“I send love to his family, friends, and his many many fans. He was beloved and will never be forgotten. Heartbroken today,” the star concluded.
Conclusion
The role of Peter Paul Gualtieri, a.k.a. “Paulie Walnuts,” that Tony Sirico played on the HBO television series “The Sopranos” made him a household name in the United States. Tony Sirico was valued $8 million when he passed away in July 2022.
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