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Tony Sirico has died aged 79. AJM

Tributes paid as Sopranos star Tony Sirico dies aged 79

Sirico, who was best known for his role as Paulie Walnuts in the Sopranos, passed away on Friday.

TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to the US actor Tony Sirico, best known for portraying Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri in The Sopranos, who passed away yesterday.

Sirico played minor mobster roles in television and film for decades before being cast in his fifties as the eccentric and sometimes brutal Paulie on HBO’s hit show — becoming one of the series’ most memorable characters.

“It is with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and a whole lot of fond memories, that the family of Gennaro Anthony ‘Tony’ Sirico wishes to inform you of his death on the morning of July 8, 2022,” his family said in a statement on Facebook.

His Sopranos co-star Michael Imperioli paid tribute to Sirico: “It pains me to say that my dear friend, colleague and partner in crime, the great Tony Sirico has passed away today.”

“Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone I’ve ever known,” Imperioli — who played Christopher Moltisanti — wrote on Instagram.

“We found a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I am proud to say I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear pal Tony.

“I will miss him forever. He is truly irreplaceable… Heartbroken today”

Lorraine Bracco, who played Dr Jennifer Melfi on the Sopranos, said she had “a lifetime of memories” with Sirico.

“I adore Tony Sirico,” she wrote on Instagram.

“I have a lifetime of memories with Tony— starting with Goodfellas to The Sopranos and way beyond— but my God, did we have fun doing the Bensonhurst Spelling Bee—I’m still laughing.

“I hope he’s in heaven cracking everybody up now. Love you, my Pal…rest in peace.”

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who played Meadow Soprano, said Sirico was “tough and strong, yet sweet and a real artist” and that she was “lucky to have known” him.

“Oh Tony. I’m so heartbroken. I loved you so much,” she wrote.

“I have never been able to walk into a room that you were in without you giving me an enormous hug, drenching me in your cologne, and making sure I knew any man that came near me would have to answer to you first.

“You were tough, and strong, yet sweet and a real artist. There will never ever be anyone like you.

“I feel so lucky to have known you and been loved by you.”

Steven Van Zandt, who played Sirico’s partner in crime Silvio Dante, described him as a “larger than life character”.

“RIP Tony Sirico. Legendary,” he wrote on Twitter.

“A larger than life character on and off screen. Gonna miss you a lot my friend.”

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1942, Sirico was frequently arrested as a youth, but caught the acting bug in prison after seeing a troupe of ex-convicts perform.

He took multiple small parts as thugs and wise guys from the late 1970s onward, appearing in TV shows such as “Kojak” and “Miami Vice,” and mob-themed films including “Goodfellas” and “Mickey Blue Eyes.”

Sirico was in his fifties when he was cast for his best-known part in “Sopranos,” the ground-breaking HBO series which explored the private lives of a New Jersey crime group.

His character Paulie delivered many of the show’s most memorable lines, displaying both a playful humour and a vicious loyalty to boss Tony Soprano.

© AFP 2022

Additional reporting by Press Association

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    Mute Mattress Dick
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:05 PM

    I’ve a 1970s bottle of power’s topped up with cidona

    284
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    Mute William O'Rourke
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    Aug 4th 2020, 7:29 PM

    @Mattress Dick: is there any house in Ireland with teenagers that doesn’t have that ! No rarity value Mattress Dick

    14
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    Mute Pat Kelly
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:07 PM

    Iv a bottle of that McGregor muck.. so called proper 12… lucky if it’s worth €12

    180
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    Mute Kenneth Hayden
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:08 PM

    @Pat Kelly:
    How much will you give me to take it off your hands.

    116
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    Mute Dermot McL
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    Aug 4th 2020, 2:30 PM

    @Pat Kelly: I hear it packs a punch.

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    Mute Andrew English
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    Aug 4th 2020, 3:30 PM

    @Pat Kelly: would you drink Bushmills? Same product if so.

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    Mute Kevin O' Brien
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    Aug 4th 2020, 5:02 PM

    @Andrew English: it absolutely is not.

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    Mute Michael Carr
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    Aug 4th 2020, 5:51 PM

    @Kevin O’ Brien: absolutely is.

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    Mute james mccarthy
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:13 PM

    How come @irishwhiskeyauctions don’t get any coverage ? They regularly sell bottles for more then that on a monthly basis

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:40 PM

    I used top up my dads powers bottle with water when I was young. He used to mark the bottle.
    Jameson! Now that’s a nice whisky.

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    Mute Joe Toner
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:11 PM

    €12000…. and it probably tastes like hamsters pIss!!

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    Mute Garreth mc mahon
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:59 PM

    @Joe Toner: not gonna ask how you know

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    Mute Mick Scanlan
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    Aug 4th 2020, 2:06 PM

    @Joe Toner: hamsters piss worth a go ?

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    Mute Premier Fitters
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:55 PM

    But whiskey does not age in a glass bottle. It’s aged in casks! So your buying an overpriced probably 10 to 13 year old whiskey in essence. Maybe enjoy your €12k purchase and refill with TK red lemonade lol

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    Mute Martin
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:59 PM

    @Premier Fitters: 16 years aged if you read it

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    Mute Premier Fitters
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    Aug 4th 2020, 2:00 PM

    @Martin: opps lol

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Aug 4th 2020, 4:56 PM

    @Premier Fitters: yes but you can’t get the taste of this whiskey from that time anywhere else as it hasn’t been made for so long

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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:32 PM

    I might be shopping here in future. Cheaper than a supermarket by far!
    https://www.whisky-online.com/auctions/auction/view/0320/126172

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    Mute Bunny Johnson
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    Aug 4th 2020, 1:38 PM

    @Peter Cavey: Do you know how Auctions work? Commission/Delivery /Vat on delivery and commission etc.

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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    Aug 4th 2020, 4:06 PM

    @Bunny Johnson: thanks for the very passive aggressive response. It’s appreciated.

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    Mute Glenn Halpin
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    Aug 5th 2020, 7:48 AM

    @Peter Cavey: when hiding behind an alias the anonymity must be soothingly enjoyable for these trolls. Perhaps in some way makes the tears less salty in the attic of mom and dads house.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 4th 2020, 4:44 PM

    Where did our home grown booze industries go?.. oh right Diageo bought them and closed them down.

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    Mute Michael McCambridge
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    Aug 4th 2020, 5:39 PM

    @thesaltyurchin: Wrong. We lost our export market for booze when we left the commonwealth. Access to the British Empire’s market disappeared .
    Scottish whisky filled the gap. Irish Whiskey distillers lost out.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 4th 2020, 8:40 PM

    @Michael McCambridge: … and then Diageo bought all the distilleries and breweries.

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    Mute Glenn Halpin
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    Aug 5th 2020, 7:51 AM

    @Michael McCambridge: a whole lot more complicated than that… Involving world war, prohibition, technological developments etc.

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    Mute classic
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    Aug 4th 2020, 6:01 PM

    Jameson is the best

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    Mute Ewan O'Doherty
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    Aug 4th 2020, 4:29 PM

    If I win the Lotto in the meantime I’ll consider bidding

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