Frank Vincent

Frank Vincent Gattuso Jr. (April 15, 1937 – September 13, 2017), known professionally as Frank Vincent, was an American actor. He played prominent roles in the HBO series The Sopranos and in several films for director Martin Scorsese: Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), and Casino (1995).

Early life
Vincent, who was of Italian descent (ancestors from Sicily and Naples), was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father, Frank Vincent Gattuso Sr., was an iron worker and businessman. He had two brothers, Nick and Jimmy, and a half-sister, Fran.

Career
Skilled at the drums, piano, and trumpet, Vincent originally aspired to a career in music but turned to acting in the 1970s, when he co-starred in the low-budget gangster movie The Death Collector (1976) along with Joe Pesci, where they were spotted by Robert De Niro. De Niro told Martin Scorsese about both Vincent and Pesci; Scorsese was impressed by their performances and hired Vincent to appear in a supporting role in Raging Bull (1980), in which he once again appeared with Pesci and co-starred with De Niro. Vincent soon thereafter appeared in small roles in two Spike Lee films: Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991).

One of his notable appearances in foreign film was in Juan José Jusid's Made in Argentina, in which he played Vito, a wealthy Manhattan businessman who befriends the substance abuse counselor who treated his son.

Vincent was often cast as a gangster. For example, in Scorsese's film Goodfellas (1990), he played Billy Batts, a made man in the Gambino crime family; he also played a role in Scorsese's film Casino (1995) as Frank Marino (based on real-life gangster Frank Cullotta), the sidekick of Pesci's character.

In 1996, Vincent appeared in the music video for rap artist Nas' song "Street Dreams". He portrayed Frank Cullotta as character Frankie Marino from Casino, alongside Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro. In the television movie Gotti (1996), Vincent played Robert "D.B." DiBernardo, an associate of Mafia boss John Gotti's, whose life the film chronicled. In the HBO TV series The Sopranos, he had his most prominent role, as Phil Leotardo, a ruthless New York City gangster who, as boss of the show's fictional Lupertazzi crime family, becomes the show's chief antagonist in the final season.

Vincent also had a leading role in the heist movie This Thing of Ours (2003), wherein he had a brief association with alleged Genovese crime family capo Danny Provenzano (grandnephew of Anthony Provenzano) and Colombo crime family underboss Sonny Franzese, who is arguably the oldest American Mafia member and is alleged to have murdered around 50 people; Vincent is pictured with them alongside former Sopranos actors including Vincent Pastore. In 2003, Vincent testified in court twice on behalf of Provenzano at repeal sentences; Provenzano was serving a 10-year sentence for racketeering and other charges.

One of Vincent's lighter-hearted roles was in a British television commercial for Peugeot cars. In early 2005, he appeared on Irish television in a series of television commercials for Irish bank Permanent TSB.

In 1999, he won the Italian American Entertainer of the Year Award. Another noted performance is his appearance in the film Remedy (2003).

In video games, Vincent voiced the character of Mafia boss Salvatore Leone in the computer and video game Grand Theft Auto III (2001). He later reprised that role in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005).

In 2006, he released a book, A Guy's Guide to Being a Man's Man to positive reviews. His idol was Dean Martin. He has also released a line of hand-rolled cigars which have his picture prominently displayed on the band.

He played Lieutenant Marino in the independent film The Tested (2008), directed by Russell Costanzo. The following year, he made a cameo appearance alongside fellow Sopranos actor Steve Schirripa in the Stargate Atlantis episode "Vegas" (2009). The year following that, he starred in Chicago Overcoat (2009) as the main protagonist.

In 2013, he starred in the hit IDW Publishing comic series Killogy created by Life of Agony's Alan Robert as the character Sally Sno Cones alongside Marky Ramone of The Ramones. The series was nominated at the Ghastly Awards for Best Mini-Series and won multiple Horror Comic Awards from the Horror News Network. In 2014, the comics were adapted into a 3D animation for the Killogy animated series, in which the cast of the original comic series contributed their voices.

A resident of Nutley, New Jersey, Vincent used his drumming skills in an impromptu performance at a township holiday concert.

Death and legacy
In early September 2017, Vincent suffered a heart attack. He underwent open heart surgery in New Jersey on September 13; however, he died shortly thereafter. Vincent was 80 years old. Director John Gallagher, who worked with Vincent on Street Hunter and The Deli, noted that the actor lied about his age to avoid discrimination, and therefore many sources listed his birth year as 1939.

"Mr. Vincent was less a household name than a household face, instantly recognizable for his many gangster roles. He once told the Washington Post that he was on location for a film shoot in Rhode Island when a 12-year old boy asked for his autograph.

'You know who I am?', Mr. Vincent asked.

He wasn't prepared when the boy answered, 'You're a made man.'"

Vincent's remains were cremated at a funeral home in Montclair, New Jersey. A funeral service was held on September 16.

Filmography

 * 1976: The Death Collector as Bernie Feldshuh
 * 1980: Raging Bull as Salvy
 * 1982: Dear Mr. Wonderful as Louie
 * 1983: Baby It's You as Vinnie
 * 1983: Easy Money as Mobster Dressed in a Trenchcoat (uncredited)
 * 1984: The Pope of Greenwich Village as 1st Crew Chief
 * 1985: Stiffs as Mafia Thug
 * 1986: Wise Guys as Louie Fontucci
 * 1987: Made in Argentina
 * 1988: Lou, Pat, and Joe D as Pop Corelli
 * 1989: Do the Right Thing as Charlie
 * 1989: Last Exit to Brooklyn as Priest
 * 1989: The Paradise Club (TV Series) as Walter MacHeath
 * 1989: The Afterlife of Grandpa (Short) as Vinny Valenti
 * 1990: Goodfellas as Billy Batts (based on William Bentvena)
 * 1990: Street Hunter as Don Mario Romano
 * 1991: Mortal Thoughts as Dominic, Joyce's Father
 * 1991: Jungle Fever as Mike Tucci
 * 1991: Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace (TV Movie) as Joseph F. Zanni Jr.
 * 1991–1999: Law & Order (TV Series) as John Franchetta / J.Z.
 * 1992: Civil Wars (TV Series) as Matty DiNofrio
 * 1993: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (TV Series) as Johnny Torrio
 * 1994: Men Lie as Uncle Frank
 * 1994: Federal Hill as Sal
 * 1994: Walker, Texas Ranger (TV Series) as Paul Mancini
 * 1994: Hand Gun as Earl
 * 1995: Ten Benny as Ray Diglovanni Sr.
 * 1995: Casino as Frank Marino
 * 1995: Animal Room as an Arcade Owner
 * 1996: On Seventh Avenue as (TV Movie) Angelo Occipente
 * 1996: Swift Justice (TV Series) as Tony Accardo
 * 1996: She's the One as Ron
 * 1996: Gotti (TV Movie) as Robert "D.B." DiBernardo
 * 1996: Night Falls on Manhattan as Police Captain
 * 1996: West New York as Tom Colletti
 * 1996–1997: New York Undercover (TV Series) as Bates / Ray Tarrafino
 * 1997: Cosby (TV Series)
 * 1997: Grind as Nick
 * 1997: Cop Land as PDA President Lassaro
 * 1997: The North End as Dom Di Bella
 * 1997: The Deli as Tommy Tomatoes
 * 1997: The Good Life (Never released)
 * 1997: Made Men as Tommy "the Bull" Vitaglia
 * 1998: Witness to the Mob (TV Movie) as Frankie DeCicco
 * 1998: Undercurrent as Eddie Torelli
 * 1998: Belly as Roger
 * 1998: Vig (TV Movie) as Pete
 * 1999: NetForce (TV Movie) as Johnny Stompato
 * 1999: Entropy as Sal
 * 1999: Penance (Short) as Suicide Man
 * 2000: Isn't She Great as Aristotle Onassis
 * 2000: Gun Shy as Carmine Minetti
 * 2000: If You Only Knew as Gino
 * 2000: Ropewalk
 * 2000: NYPD Blue (TV Series) as Dino "the Rat" Ferrera
 * 2000: The Crew as Marty
 * 2000: Under Hellgate Bridge as Big Sal
 * 2001: Smokin' Stogies as Johnny Big
 * 2001: Snipes as Johnnie Marandino
 * 2001: Grand Theft Auto III (Video Game) as Salvatore Leone (voice)
 * 2002: Hamlet in the Hamptons as Michael
 * 2003: Rubout (TV Movie) as Frank Santello
 * 2003: A Tale of Two Pizzas as Frank Bianco
 * 2003: This Thing of Ours as Danny Santini
 * 2003: Remembering Mario as Joey Big Ears
 * 2004: Shark Tale as Great White #3 (voice)
 * 2004: Coalition as Alvaro
 * 2004: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Video Game) as Salvatore Leone (voice)
 * 2004–2007: The Sopranos (TV Series) as Phil Leotardo
 * 2005: Remedy as Uncle Charles
 * 2005: Van Vorst Park as Carlo
 * 2005: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Video Game) as Salvatore Leone (voice)
 * 2006: Last Request as Father Brice
 * 2007: Lucky Man (Video short)
 * 2007: City Teacher
 * 2008: Stargate Atlantis (TV Series) as Poker Player #1
 * 2009: Chicago Overcoat: The Glory Days Are Back as Lou Marazano
 * 2010: Stiffs as Jimmy the Limo King
 * 2010: The Tested as Lieutenant Marino
 * 2011: Spy as Gaetano
 * 2014: Killogy Animated Series as Sally Sno Cones (voice)
 * 2014–2016: Mr. Pickles (TV Series) as Jon Gabagooli (voice)
 * 2015: The Making of the Mob: New York as Himself
 * 2016: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) as Bishop Cattalano
 * 2017: Neo Yokio as Uncle Albert (voice)
 * 2018: The Killer's Kiss as Michael Gazzo


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