'Sopranos' Star Tony Sirico Dies At 79

BROOKLYN, NY — Tony Sirico, one of the stars of "The Sopranos," has died.

Sirico played Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri on the hit HBO show.

"Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone I’ve ever known," Michael Imperioli, who starred alongside Sirico as Christopher Moltisanti, said in an Instagram post. "I will miss him forever. He is truly irreplaceable."

Born Gennaro Anthony "Tony" Sirico on July 29, 1942, in Brooklyn, Sirico had been living in Fort Lauderdale in recent years and suffered from dementia, according to the Los Angeles Times. He died Friday morning and his death was announced later in the day by family.

"RIP Tony Sirico," Steven Van Zandt, who played Silvio Dante on "The Sopranos," said in a tweet. "A larger than life character on and off screen. Gonna miss you a lot my friend."

In addition to his turn as Paulie "Walnuts" from 1999-2007, Sirico played mobsters in "Goodfellas," "Gotti" and many other films.

In a 2001 interview with Cigar Aficionado, he opened up about serving time behind bars as a young man in connection with criminal activity including nightclub robberies, and his decision to become an actor when a theater group visited the prison where he was incarcerated.

"They were a bunch of ex-cons who came back into the place to entertain the guys," Sirico told the magazine. "I saw them, and right there and then I knew what I wanted to do. It just hit me. I said, 'I can do that.'"

Sirico appeared in six Woody Allen films, including "Mighty Aphrodite" and "Bullets Over Broadway," according to his profile on the Internet Movie Database, which also listed among his numerous credits voice acting work on shows such as "Family Guy" and "American Dad."

His death follows that of James Caan, who died Thursday and is most famous for playing the mobster Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather."

Sirico is survived by two children, Joanne Sirico Bello and Richard Sirico, as well as grandchildren, siblings and many other relatives.

"The family is deeply grateful for the many expressions of love, prayer and condolences and requests that the public respect its privacy in this time of bereavement," Sirico's brother, the Rev. Robert Sirico, said in a Facebook post.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Wednesday in Brooklyn. Memorial donations may be made in Sirico's honor to Wounded Warriors, St. Jude’s Hospital and the Acton Institute.