Vincent Pastore, mob enforcer on ‘Sopranos,’ dies at 80

BREAKING NEWSAug. 1, 2026, 9:32 PM UTCCulture & TrendsCulture & TrendsVincent Pastore, mob enforcer on ‘Sopranos,’ dies at 80Pastore, a native of New York City’s Bronx neighborhood, starred as Salvatore Bonpensiero on HBO’s “Sopranos.”Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Vincent Pastore attends the "Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple" Premiere during the 2024 Tribeca Festival in June 2024 in New York City. Theo Wargo / byGetty Images for Tribeca FestivalShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Joe Kottke and Dennis RomeroVincent Pastore, who played Tony Soprano’s best friend turned informant on HBO’s mob drama ‘Sopranos,’ has died, a representative confirmed Saturday.He was 80.“Yes, he has passed away at home,” manager Robert Attermann said of Pastore, a longtime resident of New York City’s Bronx neighborhood.“To the world, he will always be remembered as the unforgettable ‘Big Pussy,’” he said, using the nickname of Pastore’s ‘Sopranos’ character, Salvatore Bonpensiero, “but to those of us who knew him, he was so much more.”A longtime actor who plied his trade within the sordid and violent narratives of the Italian American mob, Pastore became a household face in 1999 when he was cast cast as Bonpensiero, mob boss Tony Soprano’s best friend, a family enforcer, and ultimately an FBI informant who threatened to upend the New Jersey mob’s enterprise on the acclaimed drama.He was born in the Bronx, grew up in New Rochelle, New York, served in the U.S. Navy, and attended Pace University, according to an IMDb biography.He has said he worked in the nightclub industry. But he also tried acting, and after befriending Matt Dillon and Kevin Dillon he decided to dive in, he said during a 2015 appearance on “Good Day New York.”Pastore became a staple in mob films and television dramas about organized crime, including a role in “Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn.” But it was the ‘Sopranos’ six-season run that made him a true star.“His portrayal of the complex and lovabl...