Tony Sirico Biography

Genaro Anthony "Tony" Sirico, Jr. (born July 29, 1942) is an American character actor who is most noted for his role as the mobster Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri in the television series The Sopranos.

Personal life

Sirico was born in Midwood, Brooklyn. Before turning to acting, Sirico was convicted of several crimes, and had been arrested 28 times. There is a Sopranos reference to this fact when Paulie says, "I lived through the seventies by the skin of my nuts when the Colombos were goin' at it." In 1967, he was sent to prison for robbing a Brooklyn after-hours club, but was released after serving thirteen months. In 1971, he pled guilty to felony weapons possession and was sentenced to an "indeterminate" prison term of up to four years, of which Sirico ended up serving 20 months. In an interview in Cigar Aficionado magazine, Sirico said that during his imprisonment, he was visited by an acting troupe composed of ex-cons, which inspired him to give acting a try. According to a court transcript, at the time of his sentencing, he also had pending charges for drug possession. Sirico appeared in a 1989 documentary about life, The Big Bang by James Toback, in which he discussed his earlier life.

Sirico currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. His mother, who lived with Sirico, died in 2003. His brother, Robert Sirico, is a Catholic priest and co-founder of the free-market Acton Institute.

Career

Sirico has played gangsters in a number of films, including Goodfellas, Mob Queen, Gangsters, Mighty Aphrodite, Love and Money, Fingers, The One Man Jury, Defiance, The Last Fight, Innocent Blood, Bullets Over Broadway, The Pick-up Artist, Gotti, The Search for One-eye Jimmy, Cop Land, Turn of Faith, and Mickey Blue Eyes.

Sirico's most well known role has been playing the gangster Paulie Gualtieri on The Sopranos (1999-2007).

He also played policemen in the films Dead Presidents and Deconstructing Harry. Recently, he told the host of a Las Vegas radio show he would be playing the role of an ill-tempered high school football coach in an upcoming comedy for kids called Sports Heaven. He is currently set to star in the upcoming drama Zarra's Law, written and produced by Joseph Scarpinito for Scarpe Diem Productions. Currently he voices the character of Vinny Griffin, the new family pet in Family Guy.

Politics

Sirico has stated that politically he is a "far-to-the-right Republican". He donated $1,200 to Rudolph Giuliani's presidential campaign.

Roles

Film

Year	Title	Role
1974	The Godfather: Part II	Extra
1978	Hughes and Harlow: Angels in Hell	Frankie Rio
1978	Fingers	Riccamonza
1978	The One Man Jury	Charlie Nuts
1979	Hoodlum	Driver
1980	Defiance	Davey
1981	So Fine	Associate
1982	Love & Money	Raoul
1983	Exposed	Thief
1983	The Last Fight	Frankie
1987	The Galucci Brothers	Galucci Brother
1987	The Pick-up Artist	Patsy Cabaluso
1987	Hello Again	Tough Guy
1989	White Hot	Lukey
1989	Cookie	Tough Guy
1990	Catchfire	Greek Guy
1990	Goodfellas	Tony Stacks
1991	29th Street	Fortunado
1992	Innocent Blood	Jacko
1993	New York Undercover Cop	Mr C
1993	Romeo Is Bleeding	Malacci
1994	Bullets Over Broadway	Rocco
1995	Dead Presidents	Officer Spinelli
1996	Gotti	Joe DiMig
1996	Everyone Says I Love You	Escaped Convict
1996	The Search for One-eye Jimmy	Snake
1997	Deconstructing Harry	Police Officer
1999	Mickey Blue Eyes	Risolli Guard
1999-2007	The Sopranos	Paulie Gualtieri
2002	Turn of Faith	Jimmy
2008	The Sno Cone Stand Inc	Bob Beasley
2009	Karma Calling	G
2012	Havana 57	Captain Ramiro Ibanez
2013	Tomatoes	Greg Otto
2013	Family Guy	Vinny

In American Desperado

• In American Desperado: My Life--From Mafia Soldier to Cocaine Cowboy to Secret Government Asset, Jon Roberts shares with co-author Evan Wright Roberts' recollections of Anthony "Junior" Sirico, with whom Roberts became friendly when Sirico was a soldier for the mobster Fat Anthony and Roberts worked for the Gambino crime family. Roberts shares some of the criminal activities in which he and Sirico were involved, and Roberts' view of the events leading to Sirico's 1971 incarceration.