Vincent Pastore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vincent Pastore
Pastore in 2017
Born	(1946-07-14) July 14, 1946 (age 78) The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Nancy Berke (divorced)
Children	1

Vincent Pastore (born July 14, 1946) is an American actor. He is well-known for playing characters often linked to the Mafia in movies and TV shows. His most famous role was Salvatore "Big ..." Bonpensiero in the HBO series The Sopranos.

About Vincent Pastore

Early Life and Beginnings

Vincent Pastore was born into an Italian-American family in the Bronx, New York City. He grew up in New Rochelle, New York. After finishing high school, he joined the United States Navy as a sailor. He then studied at Pace University for three years.

He started acting later in life, in his forties. Before becoming an actor, he worked in the club business for almost 30 years. He became friends with actors Matt Dillon and Kevin Dillon, which helped him get into the acting world.

His Acting Career

Vincent Pastore is known for playing Italian-American characters, often in crime-related stories, in films and on television. He started with small roles in the 1990s.

Early Film Roles

He appeared in famous movies like Goodfellas and Carlito's Way. In Goodfellas, he had a brief part as a "Man with Coat Rack." In Carlito's Way, he played a "Copa Wiseguy." These early roles helped him gain experience.

He got a bigger part in the comedy film The Jerky Boys: The Movie (1995). He played Tony Scarboni, one of three characters linked to a crime boss. In the 1996 HBO TV movie Gotti, Pastore played Angelo Ruggiero. He worked alongside actors who would later join him in The Sopranos, like Tony Sirico and Frank Vincent.

Famous TV and Movie Appearances

Besides The Sopranos, Vincent Pastore has been in many other films. These include Mickey Blue Eyes, Riding in Cars with Boys, and Shark Tale, where he lent his voice to the character Luca. He also appeared in The Family and Guy Ritchie's Revolver.

On television, he has appeared in shows like Grounded for Life, Law & Order, and Everybody Hates Chris. He also had a voice role in Aqua Teen Hunger Force. In 2008, he joined the cast of General Hospital as Maximus Giambetti, playing a character involved with crime.

In 2014, Pastore performed in the Broadway musical Bullets Over Broadway. He played the character Nick Valenti.

Reality TV Fun

Pastore at the 2013 Wizard World New York Experience

Vincent Pastore has also been on several reality TV shows.

Celebrity Fit Club

In 2006, he was on the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club. He worked hard and lost 29 pounds during the show.

Dancing with the Stars

In 2007, Pastore joined Dancing with the Stars. However, he left the competition after only one week. He said the training was too physically demanding for him.

Celebrity Apprentice

In 2008, Pastore was a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice. He helped raise money for charity by selling hot dogs. He also led his team to raise $33,300 for charity by selling Broadway show tickets. He later resigned from the show, and the episode ended with a fun nod to The Sopranos finale. He donated his winnings from being a project manager ($50,000) to a charity for pancreatic cancer research.

Other Reality Shows

He appeared on Celebrity Family Feud in 2008, winning $10,000 for a charity researching a cure for pancreatic cancer. In 2011, he appeared on Shark Tank to get an investment for a product called "Broccoli Wad," which holds money. He later appeared on Famous Food, where contestants opened a restaurant.

Radio and Podcast

Pastore used to host The Wiseguy Show on Sirius Satellite Radio. This show celebrated Italian-American culture. He has also been a radio host on the New Rochelle, New York station WVOX. In 2020, he started a podcast called Fuhgeddaboudit with Vinny Pastore with Goumba Johnny.

Vincent Pastore's Italian Sauce

In 2019, Vincent Pastore started his own business selling tomato sauce. His "Vincent Pastore's Italian Sauce" is made with San Marzano tomatoes. It is non-GMO and has no added sugar.

Personal Life

Vincent Pastore is divorced from his former wife, Nancy Berke. They have a daughter named Renee. He became friends with Nancy's later husband and even donated his winnings from The Apprentice to a charity in his memory.

In 2014, Pastore was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He served as the grand marshal for the Columbus Day parade in the Bronx that year. He currently lives on City Island in New York.

Filmography

Film

Television

Additional voice acting

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Vincent Pastore para niños