Vincent Pastore celebrated his eightieth birthday simply weeks earlier than his loss of life, sharing a cake along with his “right-hand man” — who remembered the “The Sopranos” star as a loyal buddy who cared deeply for his neighborhood and causes near his coronary heart.
Pastore, who was discovered lifeless at his Bronx residence on Saturday, marked the milestone with a custom-made birthday cake, laughing as he blew out candles following the “Glad Birthday” track, longtime buddy Stephen Villano advised The Publish.
“That is completely stunning,” mentioned Villano, who final spoke to Pastore on Thursday.
“He was a tremendous particular person and he liked his craft… his craft was to Broadway, films, tv,” Villano mentioned.
Villano knew the actor for almost three many years and described himself as Pastore’s “right-hand man,” first beginning as his driver earlier than creating an in depth friendship.
Pastore lived alone and was not sick previous to his loss of life, Villano mentioned.
Police sources advised The Publish that the actor died of pure causes.
“He was completely wholesome. He was positive. He simply went for his yearly bodily,” Villano mentioned.
Villano mentioned Pastore “had lots deliberate,” together with totally different tv reveals, premieres in addition to being part of his old-rock music band, the “Gangster Squad,” the place he would sing and play the tambourine.
“I did every little thing with Vinny. I drove him to locations. I took him to his physician appointment, I sat with him on reveals. I traveled with him,” the grieving pal advised The Publish.
“He was man. I’ll miss him lots,” Villano mentioned whereas holding again tears.
On Saturday night, associates, neighbors and actor and stuntman Chuck Zito, gathered at Pastore’s residence of 30 years to recollect the actor who was recognized for enjoying mobster characters in a slew of movie and TV roles.
Whereas many could assume the “Huge Pussy” actor was just like the characters he portrayed, Villano mentioned Pastore was something however a gangster in actual life.
“He mentioned, ‘I’m an actor. I play a personality.’ So folks would suppose that that is the person, however that wasn’t the person,” he mentioned.
“The person was beneficiant, he was variety, he was caring,” Villano mentioned.
“He cared about his neighbors, he cared about charities, he cared about fundraisers,” he mentioned, including that Pastore supported veterans within the Bronx, US troops and the police division.
“He supported St. Jude’s [Children’s Research Hospital] and he supported the NYPD,” Villano mentioned. “Widows, orphans, their Christmas events…on a regular basis, again to blue.”
Pastore, a prostate most cancers survivor, “fought, battled and received” in opposition to the merciless illness and favored supporting folks going by way of related battles.
“When he did ‘The Apprentice,’ he donated all the cash that he received on the [show] to a charity,” Villano mentioned.
Whereas Pastore was finest recognized for his iconic function in “The Sopranos,” Villano mentioned that the actor’s decades-long profession was extra than simply enjoying mob informant, Salvatore Bonpensiero, on the hit American crime drama sequence that ran from 1999 to 2007.
“As a result of ‘Huge Pussy’ was only a character, he performed a number of characters,” he mentioned. “He’s performed horror films, comedies, and , he was a comic.”
Nevertheless, Pastore was grateful to “The Sopranos” which was the actor’s “profession launching pad,” Villano mentioned.
“He was grateful to the solid. He liked all people, made associates with them,” the heartbroken buddy mentioned.
“They had been a household,” Villano mentioned of the solid. “He was truly very shut with all of them… Stevie Van Zandt, [Steve Schirripa], Michael Imperioli, Vince Curatola” a lot of whom shared touching tributes to their “beloved buddy” and “lovely soul” on Saturday.
