Vincent Pastore

Vincent Pastore (born July 14, 1946) is an American actor. Often cast as a mafioso, he is best known for his portrayal of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on the television series, The Sopranos. --- Pastore, an Italian American, was born in the New York City borough of the Bronx and grew up in New Rochelle, New York. Following his graduation from high school, he enlisted as a sailor in the United States Navy and then attended Pace University for three years before eventually going into the acting industry after befriending Matt Dillon and Kevin Dillon. Pastore has made a career of portraying Italian American mafiosi in film and television. He began with small parts in the 1990s, in films such as Goodfellas and Carlito's Way. In Goodfellas, he is briefly seen rolling a coat rack through the kitchen of The Bamboo Lounge and is credited as "Vinny Pastore" playing "Man with Coat Rack". In Carlito's Way, he portrays one of the friends of the Italian man that dances with Gail, whom Kleinfeld insults. He is listed in the credits as "Vinny Pastore" playing "Copa Wiseguy." Pastore got a bigger role in the comedy/crime film The Jerky Boys (1995) as Tony Scarboni, one of the three gangsters and Lazarro (Alan Arkin)'s clients. In the 1996 HBO television movie Gotti, Pastore played the character of Angelo Ruggiero, alongside future Sopranos cast members Tony Sirico and Dominic Chianese. In 1999, Pastore got his biggest role to date in The Sopranos, where he played the character Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero. His character was murdered in the finale of season 2, but Pastore would make a few more appearances over the next few years in dream and flashback sequences. --- Pastore is divorced, having previously been married to Nancy Berke. He became friends with Berke's subsequent husband, Mitchell, and donated the winnings from his stint on the Apprentice to a charity in his name. He is a self-avowed New York Yankees fan, and has been a Yankees season ticket holder since the late 1980s. He currently lives on City Island in the Bronx.