Tony Sirico

Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. (; July 29, 1942 – July 8, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri in The Sopranos. He also made numerous appearances in the films of Woody Allen. Early life Sirico was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on July 29, 1942, to a family of Italian descent. He grew up in the East Flatbush and Bensonhurst neighborhoods of Brooklyn, and attended Midwood High School, but did not graduate. Sirico's brother, Robert Sirico, is a Catholic priest and co-founder of the free-market Acton Institute. As a teenager, Sirico was shot in a dispute over a girl. He subsequently served in the United States Army. Sirico was convicted of several crimes and was arrested 28 times, including for disorderly conduct, assault, and robbery, before taking up acting. In 1967, he served time in prison for the first time as an adult. On February 27, 1970, he was arrested at a restaurant, and found with a .32 caliber revolver on his person. In 1971, he was indicted for extortion, coercion, and felony weapons possession, convicted, and sentenced to four years in prison, of which he served 20 months at Sing Sing. According to a court transcript at the time of his sentencing, Sirico also had pending charges for criminal possession of a dangerous drug. Sirico stated that he was visited by an acting troupe composed of ex-convicts during his imprisonment, which inspired him to give acting a try. He appeared in the 1989 documentary The Big Bang by James Toback, in which he discussed his earlier life.