Vincent Pastore, best known for playing Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero in The Sopranos, has died aged 80. He was found dead in his Bronx apartment by a neighbour and longtime friend, Stephen Villano, who raised the alarm after Pastore had not been heard from for three days.
The cause of death remains unknown. Pastore was born in the Bronx on 14 July 1946 and served as a sailor in the US Navy during the Vietnam War before earning a drama degree from Pace University.
His screen career included early roles in Goodfellas and Carlito's Way before he landed his defining part in The Sopranos in 1999.