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'Sopranos' Star Tony Sirico Dies Aged 79

Tony Sirico, pictured with his "The Sopranos" co-star Michael Imperioli, died aged 79 Theo Wargo GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Tony Sirico, pictured with his "The Sopranos" co-star Michael Imperioli, died aged 79 Theo Wargo GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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'Sopranos' Star Tony Sirico Dies Aged 79

Tony Sirico, pictured with his "The Sopranos" co-star Michael Imperioli, died aged 79 Theo Wargo GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Tony Sirico, pictured with his "The Sopranos" co-star Michael Imperioli, died aged 79 Theo Wargo GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

US actor Tony Sirico, best known for portraying Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri in "The Sopranos," has died aged 79, his family and a former castmate said Friday.

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, AFP said.

"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 added: "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... Heartbroken today," Imperioli -- who played Christopher Moltisanti -- wrote on Instagram.

Sirico's representatives did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

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 humor and a vicious loyalty to boss Tony Soprano.

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Fans Greet K-Pop Stars Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS Discharged from Military Service 

BTS members Jung Kook (L) and Jimin salute their fans at a public stadium in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do Province, South Korea, 11 June 2025, after completing their 18 months of mandatory military service. (EPA)
BTS members Jung Kook (L) and Jimin salute their fans at a public stadium in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do Province, South Korea, 11 June 2025, after completing their 18 months of mandatory military service. (EPA)
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Fans Greet K-Pop Stars Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS Discharged from Military Service 

BTS members Jung Kook (L) and Jimin salute their fans at a public stadium in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do Province, South Korea, 11 June 2025, after completing their 18 months of mandatory military service. (EPA)
BTS members Jung Kook (L) and Jimin salute their fans at a public stadium in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do Province, South Korea, 11 June 2025, after completing their 18 months of mandatory military service. (EPA)

Hundreds of fans gathered in the early morning hours to catch a glimpse of K-pop superstars Jimin and Jung Kook, the latest and final members of BTS to be discharged from South Korea's mandatory military service.

The pair wore their military uniforms Wednesday, saluted and addressed fans who had assembled to see the pair after their discharge.

Jung Kook thanked the journalists and fans who traveled to see him and Jimin after their discharge and acknowledged how different it was to be back in the spotlight. "Actually, it's been so long since I've been in front of cameras, and I didn't even put on makeup, so I'm a bit embarrassed," he said. "I don't know what to say."

The pair enlisted in December 2023, one day after RM and V did the same. The latter were discharged on Tuesday.

Supporters traveled from around the world to the public sports ground where the meet-and-greet took place. It was moved from the military base's gate for safety reasons. Color-wrapped buses bearing BTS members' faces lined the streets while red and yellow balloons floated above and a decorated food truck provided free coffee and water, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Many supporters wore masks, conscious of potential backlash after the band's label discouraged attendance, citing safety concerns. Despite the challenges, fans like Anaesi from Portugal said the 20-hour journey to Yeoncheon, a town near the tense border with North Korea, was worth it.

"Portugal is a small country, but inside of Portugal, BTS is a king," she said. Anaesi, who discovered BTS on YouTube, said the group "saved" her from depression. "So for me BTS is my angel," she said.

She displayed a colorful upper arm tattoo featuring a golden shield emblazoned with "ARMY" and an eagle above it, complemented by Korean text listing BTS members' names and those of her friends.

V thanked fans Tuesday for their patience in waiting for him and RM's return and teased the band's reunion. "If you can just wait a little bit longer, we will return with a really amazing performance."

The seven singers of the popular K-pop band plan to reunite as a group sometime in 2025 after they finish their service.

Six of the group's seven members served in the army, while Suga is fulfilling his duty as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service. He will be discharged later this month.

Jin, the oldest BTS member, was discharged in June 2024. J-Hope was discharged in October.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 are required by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea.

The law gives special exemptions to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers if they have obtained top prizes in certain competitions and are assessed to have enhanced national prestige. K-pop stars and other entertainers aren't subject to such privileges.

However, in 2020, BTS postponed their service until age 30 after South Korea's National Assembly revised its Military Service Act, allowing K-pop stars to delay their enlistment until age 30.

There was heated public debate in 2022 over whether to offer special exemptions of mandatory military service for BTS members, until the group's management agency announced in October 2022 that all seven members would fulfill their duties.