Anthony J. Ribustello was an American actor and politician. He was best known for his role as Dante Greco,

Tony Soprano Anthony John Soprano, portrayed by James Gandolfini, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO crime drama television series ''The Sopranos''. He is a member of the American Mafia, Italian-American Mafia and, later in the series, ...

's driver on the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

series ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

''. A member of the Republican Party, Ribustello was the party's nominee for

Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

Borough President in 2009, losing to Democratic Assemblyman Rubén Díaz Jr., who subsequently appointed him to Bronx Community Board 10.

Career

In April 2009, Ribustello ran for

borough president as the Republican candidate in a special election to replace incumbent Democrat

Adolfo Carrión Jr. Adolfo Carrión Jr. (born March 6, 1961) is an American businessman and former elected official from City Island. He served one term as a member of the New York City Council, representing the 14th district. He served for seven years as the boro ...

, who resigned to take a position in the

Obama administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nomine ...

. Ribustello received about 13 percent of the vote in the overwhelmingly Democratic borough, losing to Democratic Assemblyman Rubén Díaz Jr. After the election, Diaz appointed Ribustello to Bronx Community Board 10. In addition to acting, Ribustello was also employed at the

New York City Board of Elections The Board of Elections in the City of New York (NYCBOE) conducts New York elections within New York City, United States. It is an administrative body of ten Commissioners, two from each borough upon recommendation by both political parties and th ...

Personal life

Ribustello died on December 28, 2019 at the age of 53, after years of waiting for a kidney transplant.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
New York Times, April 17, 2009, "Tony Soprano's Driver Eyes a Different Gig"Norwood News (Bronx), April 2, 2009, "Actor Takes on Role of Underdog in B.P. Race"
2019 deaths Male actors from New York (state) American male film actors Place of birth missing Place of death missing American male television actors New York (state) Republicans People from Morris Park, Bronx 1966 births {{US-screen-actor-stub