Sopranos actor Tony Sirico, who performed Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri on the hit HBO present, has died aged 79, his household has introduced.

The actor, who appeared in all six seasons of The Sopranos alongside James Gandolfini, died on Friday morning.

His supervisor of 25 years, Bob McGowan, informed the Hollywood Reporter that Sirico had died in an assisted dwelling facility in Fort Lauderdale, and had been dwelling with dementia for the final couple of years.

A press release posted on Fb by his brother Robert Sirico learn: “It’s with nice unhappiness, however with unbelievable satisfaction, love and a complete lot of fond recollections, that the household of Gennaro Anthony ‘Tony’ Sirico needs to tell you of his dying on the morning of July 8, 2022.

“The household is deeply grateful for the various expressions of affection, prayer and condolences and requests that the general public respect its privateness on this time of bereavement.”

His Sopranos co-star Michael Imperioli, paid tribute to Sirico on Instagram calling him “my expensive buddy, colleague and associate in crime”.

“Tony was like nobody else: he was as robust, as loyal and as massive hearted as anybody I’ve ever recognized,” he wrote. “I used to be at his facet by means of a lot: by means of good occasions and unhealthy. However largely good. And we had lots of laughs. We discovered a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I’m proud to say I did lots of my finest and most enjoyable work with my expensive pal Tony. I’ll miss him endlessly.”

Sirico, born in 1942 in New York Metropolis, ceaselessly performed gangsters in movies all through his profession, together with in Goodfellas, Cop Land and Mickey Blue Eyes. He ceaselessly appeared in Woody Allen movies, together with Deconstructing Harry, Celeb, Bullets Over Broadway, Mighty Aphrodite, Everybody Says I Love You and Marvel Wheel.

He initially auditioned for the position of Uncle Junior in The Sopranos, however Dominic Chianese landed the position. The present’s creator David Chase as an alternative provided him the position of Paulie Gualtieri, which Sirico accepted with the situation that his character “wouldn’t develop into a rat”.

Sirico is survived by a daughter and brother.