Joseph Siravo, the actor who played Tony Soprano’s father in ‘The Sopranos’, died on Sunday. He was 64.
Siravo’s death follows several treatments for cancer. He was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in 2017 and was later diagnosed with colon cancer and part of his colon was removed.
Siravo’s “Sopranos” co-stars shared the news of his death and paid tribute to the actor. He played Giovanni Frances “Johnny Boy” Soprano in the flashbacks of Tony Soprano to his younger years, but was also known for other roles, such as his turn as gang member John Gotti in the 2015 film “The Wannabe”.
“Joe was an excellent actor and a wonderful guy and he will be greatly missed,” actor Michael Imperioli said on Instagram. “His performance of Johnny Boy Soprano was spot on and he also made a perfect John Gotti in Nick Sandow’s ‘The Wannabe,'” said Imperioli, who played Christopher Moltisanti, ‘ordinary’ Sopranos. ‘I think he was the best of all the actors who played the Teflon Don. Goodbye Joe. Until the next life my friend. ”
Siravo’s daughter Allegra Okarmus posted on Instagram about the death of her father Sunday and shares photos and videos of the actor with his family and grandson.
“I was by his side when my dear father died this morning in his beloved Treehouse,” she said. “We are both so happy that we are so intensely loved. I’m very thankful I had him here on earth, and I know he has not come very far yet. He had many credits, but his favorite one was by far that of Nonno Joe. ”
Before “The Sopranos”, Siravo’s role was recorded by Vinnie Taglialucci in “Carlito’s Way” (1993), opposite Al Pacino.
Joseph Siravo as Johnny Boy Soprano and Rocco Sisto as Junior Soprano in Tony Soprano’s flashback from childhood in ‘The Sopranos’.HBO
Siravo played Johnny Boy Soprano in five of Tony’s children’s flash, which was one of the most memorable scenes from the HBO series, in which a young Tony grew up in Newark in the 1960s. Actor Jon Bernthal (‘The Punisher’) plays Johnny Boy in the upcoming ‘Sopranos’ prequel film ‘The Many Saints of Newark’, in which ‘Sopranos’ star James Gandolfini’s son Michael Gandolfini as the young Tony and Jersey’s own Vera will appear. Farmiga as Tony’s mother, Livia Soprano.
Although Siravo hails from Washington, DC, a connection to New Jersey can be found throughout his work. He played Angelo “Gyp” DeCarlo, a member of the Genoese crime family, during the national tour of the hit musical “Jersey Boys”, which tells the story of Jersey sensations the Four Seasons.
Video contains explicit language and violence
The actor also appears in the short-lived CBS series ‘Made in Jersey’. In 2016, he praised his portrayal of Fred Goldman in the FX anthology series “The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story.”
Siravo also had roles in the films “The Report” and “Motherless Brooklyn” in 2020 and the ABC series “For Life”. His other credits on Broadway include “The Light in the Piazza” and “Oslo.”
Miles Aubrey, who starred with Siravo in ‘Jersey Boys’ and played Charles Calello in the 2014 film, was among those who remembered Siravo on social media.
“If ever there was an actor born to play Gyp DeCarlo in Jersey Boys, it was Joe Siravo,” Aubrey tweeted. “He was the patriarch of our tour crew, a loving father and an actor.”
” A talented and sweet man ”, tweeted Maureen Van Zandt, who played Gabriella Dante, ‘ordinary’ Sopranos, with her husband, Steven Van Zandt, who played Silvio Dante. A perfect Johnny Boy soprano. ‘
“You may know him as ‘Johnny boy’ Soprano or Vinny Taglialucci from Carlito’s Way, but for us he was family,” tweeted Joe Cicala, chef at Cicala, a Philadelphia restaurant. “He was my dad’s closest friend and my sister’s godfather.”
Actress Donna Murphy, Siravo’s co-star “Made In Jersey”, remembered him on Twitter as a beautiful man, actor, teacher, father, friend. ‘
“RIP my dear friend, who fought an incredible battle,” Garry Pastore said. He plays a character named Jerry Basile in an episode of ‘The Sopranos’.
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Amy Kuperinsky can be reached at [email protected] and result at @AmyKup on Twitter.