Who Would've Guessed? The Actor Who Played Paulie on 'The Sopranos' Was an Army Vet

Army veteran Tony Sirico managed to accumulate more than 80 acting credits, but he'll always be remembered for his defining role as thin-skinned mob enforcer Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri on "The Sopranos."

Sirico died on July 8, 2022, at age 79 at an assisted living facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was reportedly suffering from dementia in his final years.

Born in New York City in 1942, Sirico grew up in Brooklyn and was arrested for a string of petty crimes before an arrest for extortion, coercion and felony weapons possession, which landed him in Sing Sing Prison, where he served for 20 months.

Blondie guitarist Chris Stein grew up near Sirico and posted on Twitter: "Tony Jr Sirico grew up in my Brooklyn neighborhood. He was a local legend even back then. He hung around Artie's Pool Hall on Ave J. He ripped off my squad and me for 50 bucks for weed. True story. RIP."

Somehow, Sirico managed to qualify for Army service in the early 1960s before returning to his life on the streets. After he got his break with "The Sopranos," Sirico was a regular on USO Tours. According to his manager Bob McGowen, Sirico was "loyal and generous" and donated to causes that supported veterans.

You can see Sirico in minor roles in mob movies like "Goodfellas," "Mickey Blue Eyes," "Romeo Is Bleeding" and "Cop Land." He made guest appearances on the Netflix series "Lilyhammer" (starring fellow "Sopranos" actor Steve Van Zandt) and "Family Guy." He even had small roles in several Woody Allen movies, including "Bullets Over Broadway," "Mighty Aphrodite," "Everyone Says I Love You," "Deconstructing Harry," "Celebrity," "Cafe Society" and "Wonder Wheel."

In the end, though, Sirico will always be Paulie Walnuts, the vain, insecure, petty, foul-mouthed mob lieutenant who was obsessed with his carefully sculpted hairstyle. He may have been just as much a burden as an asset to Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), but the mob boss was determined to stay loyal to a man who had been loyal to his late father.

There are dozens of unforgettable Paulie Walnuts moments from "The Sopranos," but let's consider this video summary of his conflict with Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) as a particularly profane and fitting tribute.

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