Frank Vincent Gattuso Jr. (April 15, 1937 – September 13, 2017) was an American actor. During a five-decade career, Vincent often portrayed mobsters. He was a frequent collaborator of filmmaker

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

, appearing as Salvy in ''

Raging Bull ''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: M ...

'' (1980), Billy Batts in ''

Goodfellas ''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book '' W ...

'' (1990), and

Frank Marino Francesco Antonio Marino (born November 20, 1954) is a Canadian guitarist and singer, best known as the leader of Canadian hard rock band Mahogany Rush. Often compared to Jimi Hendrix, he is described as one of the most underrated guitarists of ...

in ''

Casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

'' (1995).Staff reports (September 15, 2017) "Sopranos actor made a name playing gangsters" ''The Washington Post'', page B

Retrieved September 17, 2017 On television, he played List of The Sopranos characters#Phil Leotardo, Phil Leotardo on the fifth and sixth seasons of the HBO crime drama ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

'' (2004–2007). Vincent also voiced Salvatore Leone in the ''

Grand Theft Auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily d ...

'' video game series from 2001 to 2005.

Early life

Vincent, who was of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

descent with roots in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

and

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...

, was born in

North Adams, Massachusetts North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 12,961 as of the 2020 census. Best known as the home of the largest contemporary ...

, and raised in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.iron worker and businessman. He had two brothers, Nick and Jimmy, and a half-sister, Fran.

Career

Skilled at the drums, piano and trumpet, Vincent originally aspired to a career in music. By day he was a

studio musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a t ...

who worked with many recording artists such as

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...

and

Del Shannon Charles Weedon Westover (December 30, 1934 – February 8, 1990), better known by his stage name Del Shannon, was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known for his 1961 number-one ''Billboard'' hit "Runaway". In 1999, he was induc ...

. Vincent had his own jazz band, billed "Frank Vincent and the Aristocats," that played in the evenings. In 1969, Vincent's band needed a piano player to secure bookings and Vincent ended up hiring

Joe Pesci Joseph Frank Pesci ( , ; born February 9, 1943) is an American actor and musician. He is known for portraying tough, volatile characters in a variety of genres and for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in the films ''Rag ...

to play guitar. As the popularity of

lounge music Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The rang ...

waned, Vincent and Pesci turned to

stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...

, performing as "Vincent and Pesci" from 1970 to 1976. Their act coupled

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People * Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

-inspired

double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases fo ...

antics with

Don Rickles Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) with Clark Gable, Carl Reiner's ''Enter La ...

-style insult comedy, which proved popular. During this time, both men developed a strong professional and personal friendship. Vincent and Pesci later landed parts in the low-budget gangster film ''

The Death Collector ''The Death Collector'' (also known as ''The Family Enforcer'') is a 1976 low-budget crime film directed by Ralph De Vito and starring Joseph Cortese, Joe Pesci and Frank Vincent. It was Ralph De Vito's only film as a director, and Joe Pesci's f ...

'' (1976), where they were spotted by

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

. De Niro told

about both Vincent and Pesci. Scorsese was impressed by their performances and hired Vincent to appear in a supporting role in ''

'' (1980), in which he once again appeared with Pesci and co-starred with De Niro. Vincent appeared in small roles in two

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

films: ''

Do the Right Thing ''Do the Right Thing'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackso ...

'' (1989) and ''

Jungle Fever ''Jungle Fever'' is a 1991 American romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Spike Lee. The film stars Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Lee, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, Lonette McKee, John Turturro, Frank Vincent ...

'' (1991). In the latter, he played the abusive patriarch of an Italian-American family. One of his notable appearances in foreign films was as a supporting character in

Juan José Jusid Juan José Jusid (born September 28, 1941) is an Argentine film director and screenwriter. Career Jusid was born in Buenos Aires. He started his professional career as an actor, puppeteer and stage photographer in the 1960s then switched to ...

's ''

Made in Argentina Made in Argentina is a 1987 Argentine comedy drama film co-written and directed by Juan José Jusid and starring Luis Brandoni, Marta Bianchi, Leonor Manso, Patricio Contreras and Frank Vincent. Synopsis Osvaldo and Mabel, an Argentine cou ...

'' (1987), in which he played Vito, a wealthy Manhattan businessman who befriends the film's protagonist, a substance-abuse counselor who treated Vito's son, played by Luis Brandoni. Vincent was often cast as a

gangster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

. For example, in Scorsese's film ''

'' (1990), he played Billy Batts, a

made man In the American and Sicilian Mafia, a made man is a fully initiated member of the Mafia. To become "made", an associate first must be Italian or of Italian descent and sponsored by another made man. An inductee will be required to take the oa ...

in the

Gambino crime family The Gambino crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the " Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as th ...

; he also played a role in Scorsese's film ''

'' (1995) as Frank Marino (based on real-life gangster

Frank Cullotta Frank John Cullotta (December 14, 1938 – August 20, 2020) was an American mobster in the Chicago Outfit and a member of the Hole in the Wall Gang burglary ring in Las Vegas with friend and mobster Tony Spilotro. After his arrest in 1982, he ...

), the sidekick of Pesci's character. In 1996, Vincent appeared in the music video for rap artist

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ...

' song " Street Dreams." In the television movie '' Gotti'' (1996), Vincent played Robert "D.B." DiBernardo, an associate of Mafia boss

John Gotti John Joseph Gotti Jr.Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 25–26 (, ; October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002) was an American gangster and Crime boss, boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of ...

's, whose life the film chronicled. In the HBO TV series ''

'', he had his most prominent role, as

Phil Leotardo This is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', its video game '' The Sopranos: Road to Respect'' and its prequel film ''The Many Saints of Newark.'' Main characters Cast table Main character biographies Tony Sopran ...

, a ruthless New York City gangster who, as

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

of the show's fictional Lupertazzi crime family, becomes the show's chief antagonist in the final season. In 1999, he won the Italian American Entertainer of the Year Award. Another noted performance is his appearance in the film '' Remedy'' (2003). In 2003, Vincent portrayed Danny Santini in the film '' This Thing of Ours'', whose associate producer was Sonny Franzese, longtime mobster and

underboss Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The under ...

of the

Colombo crime family The Colombo crime family (, ) is an Italian American Mafia crime family and is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City within the criminal organization known as the American Mafia. It was duri ...

, and whose director was

Genovese crime family The Genovese crime family, () also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the " Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey as part of the Ame ...

capo Danny Provenzano (grandnephew of

Anthony Provenzano Anthony Provenzano (May 7, 1917 – December 12, 1988), also known as Tony Pro, was an American mobster who was a powerful caporegime in the Genovese crime family New Jersey faction. Provenzano was known for his associations with Jimmy Hoffa due ...

). Later that year, Vincent testified in court on the behalf of Provenzano at repeal sentences; Provenzano was serving a 10-year sentence for

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. Originally and ...

and other charges. One of Vincent's lighter-hearted roles was in a British television commercial for

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and then ...

cars. In early 2005, he appeared on Irish television in a series of commercials for Irish bank

Permanent TSB Permanent TSB Group Holdings plc, formerly Irish Life and Permanent plc is a provider of personal financial services in Ireland. Irish Life Assurance plc and the Irish Permanent Building Society merged to form the Irish Life and Permanent Group ...

. In video games, Vincent voiced the character of Mafia boss Salvatore Leone in the

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedba ...

Grand Theft Auto III ''Grand Theft Auto III'' is a 2001 action-adventure game developed by DMA Design and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 1999's ''Grand Theft Auto 2'', and the fifth instalment o ...

'' (2001). He later reprised the role in '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' (2004) and '' Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories'' (2005). In 2006 he released a book, ''A Guy's Guide to Being a Man's Man'' to positive reviews. His idol was

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

. He has also released a line of hand-rolled cigars which have his picture prominently displayed on the band. He played Lieutenant Marino in the independent film ''

The Tested ''The Tested'' is a 2009 independent feature film written and directed by Russell Costanzo and produced by Melissa B. Miller of Shoebox Pictures. It is based on the award-winning short of the same name. Chosen to participant in the 2009 Narrative ...

'' (2008), directed by Russell Costanzo. The following year, he made a cameo appearance alongside fellow ''Sopranos'' actor

Steve Schirripa Steven Ralph Schirripa ( ; born September 3, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Bobby Baccalieri on ''The Sopranos'', Leo Boykewich on ''The Secret Life of the American Teenager'', and Detective Anthony Abetemarco on ' ...

in the ''

Stargate Atlantis ''Stargate Atlantis'' (usually stylized in all caps and often abbreviated ''SGA'') is an adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Coop ...

'' episode " Vegas" (2009). The year following that, he starred in ''

Chicago Overcoat ''Chicago Overcoat'' is a 2009 American gangster film. The script was written by Brian Caunter, John W. Bosher, Josh Staman, and Andrew Alex Dowd; Caunter also directed. The production filmed in Chicago and wrapped principal photography November 2 ...

'' (2009) as the main protagonist. In 2013, he starred in the hit IDW Publishing comic series ''Killogy'' created by

Life of Agony Life of Agony is an American alternative metal band from Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 1989 by singer Mina Caputo (then known as Keith Caputo), bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. The band has released six studio albums to date, mos ...

Alan Robert Alan Robert (born 1971) is an American musician and comic book creator, known as the bassist for the alternative metal band Life of Agony, his work on his graphic novels ''Wire Hangers'', '' Crawl to Me'' and ''Killogy'', as well as his horror-t ...

as the character Sally Sno Cones alongside

Marky Ramone Marc Steven Bell (born July 15, 1952) is an American drummer. He began playing in hard rock bands in the New York City area, notably Dust and Estus. He was asked to drum for punk rock band Richard Hell and the Voidoids. He replaced drummer Tom ...

of The

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United St ...

. The series was nominated at the Ghastly Awards for Best Mini-Series and won multiple Horror Comic Awards from the Horror News Network. In 2014, the comics were adapted into a 3D animation for the ''Killogy'' animated series, in which the cast of the original comic series contributed their voices. A resident of

Nutley, New Jersey Nutley is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 30,143. What is now Nutley was originally incorporated as Franklin Township by an act of the New Jersey Legisla ...

, Vincent used his drumming skills in an impromptu performance at a township holiday concert.

Death and legacy

In early September 2017, Vincent suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. He underwent

open heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to c ...

in New Jersey on September 13; however, he died shortly thereafter. Vincent was 80 years old. Director John Gallagher, who worked with Vincent on ''Street Hunter'' and ''The Deli'', noted that the actor lied about his age to avoid discrimination, and therefore many sources listed his birth year as 1939. Vincent's remains were cremated at a funeral home in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. ...

, and a funeral service was held on September 16.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Bibliography

References

External links

* *
American Mafia.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vincent, Frank 1937 births 2017 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors American male musicians American people of Italian descent Male actors from Massachusetts Male actors from Jersey City, New Jersey People from North Adams, Massachusetts People from Nutley, New Jersey American non-fiction writers Writers from Massachusetts Writers from New Jersey 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors