Vincent Pastore was born in New York in 1946. He served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War and then studied drama at university. With the help of actor brothers Matt and Kevin Dillon, he landed his first film roles.
His big break came with the role of Tony Soprano's best friend, Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, in the acclaimed series "The Sopranos." He then starred in a long line of films and series with similar themes.
He also had his own radio show and appeared in a number of reality series, as well as launching his own pasta sauce.
He had previously had prostate cancer but the cause of death has not been determined. Vincent Pastore was 80 years old.
