When it comes to crime movies and TV shows, authenticity is key. Look no further than Tony Sirico inThe Sopranos, a real-life convicted criminal who gave Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri some of the best quotes and character shading in the hit mob drama. Before being cast as one of Tony Soprano’s closest Italian mob associates, Sirico had several run-ins with the law that could have turned out much differently for the actor.
Fortunately, Sirico parlayed his authentic neighborhood qualities into several mob characters, including an early role in Martin Scorsese’s landmark mob film Goodfellas. Of course, Goodfellas and The Sopranos share 27 actors, with Sirico’s Paulie Walnuts cemented in the pantheon of all-time favorite TV mafiosos. Learning about how Sirico’s criminal past informed his character on The Sopranos will give casual and hardcore fans a better appreciation for his performance.
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Tony Sirico’s Criminal Past Before ‘The Sopranos’
The Sopranos
Release Date January 10, 1999
Finale Year November 30, 2006
Rating TV-MA
Genres Drama, Crime
Network HBO Max
Showrunner David Chase
Cast Robert Iler, Steven Van Zandt, Dominic Chianese, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Michael Imperioli, Lorraine Bracco, Tony Sirico, James Gandolfini, Edie Falco
Born Genaro Anthony Sirico Jr. in New York on July 24, 1942, Tony Sirico had a troubled early life. He was first arrested at age seven. Before making his screen debut in 1977, Sirico was arrested 28 times for various crimes throughout his life, including disorderly conduct, assault, extortion, and robbery. As an adult, Sirico was jailed for the first time in 1967.
In February 1970, Sirico was arrested at a Manhattan restaurant and charged with extortion and menacing multiple nightclub owners. However, he plea-bargained the charge down to felony firearm possession when a .32 caliber gun was found in his possession during the arrest. In 1971, Sirico was arrested and charged with coercion, extortion, and felony weapons possession. He was given a four-year prison sentence but was released after serving 20 months.
Headed down the wrong path, Sirico’s life changed for the better while in prison. An acting troupe comprised of ex-convicts showed up and performed in front of him and his fellow inmates, and Sirico was immediately inspired to become an actor. Sirico discussed his criminal path and newfound career in show business in James Toback’s 1989 documentary The Big Bang. One year later, Sirico worked with Martin Scorsese on Goodfellas, the main inspiration behind The Sopranos.
Tony Sirico’s Movie Business Path, Explained
Tony Sirico began his movie career after appearing as an extra in the Italian mob movie Crazy Joe in 1974. Subsequent credits include Hughes and Harlow: Angels in Hell (debut), Kojack, the underrated James Toback crime film Fingers, The One Man Jury, Defiance, Hoodlums, The Last Fight, The Pick-Up Artist, The Galucci Brothers, Cookie, and more. While often playing criminals and Italian mobsters in New York, Sirico’s roles expanded in the 1990s once he began working with revered filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen.
In 1990, Sirico played Tony Stacks in Goodfellas, still hailed as the best gangster movie since The Godfather. The Sopranos creator, David Chase, was inspired by the classic Scorsese mob movie, and he cast 28 actors in the game-changing HBO series, with Sirico leading the way as Paulie Gualtieri, Tony Soprano’s wise-cracking capo with impeccable style and comedic timing.
With over 25 actors appearing in both, it is as if Goodfellas and The Sopranos are two parts of the same crime saga, connected by great performances.
Before drilling down on what made Paulie such a lovable fan-favorite character, Sirico’s underrated filmography proves he was more than a one-trick pony. Woody Allen continuously cast Sirico in bit roles, beginning with Bullets Over Broadway and continuing with Mighty Aphrodite, Everyone Says I Love You, Deconstructing Harry, Celebrity, Café Society, and Wonder Wheel.
James Mangold cast Sirico in Copland, the Hughes brothers cast him in Dead Presidents, and John Landis cast him in the horror movie Innocent Blood. Before landing his signature role as Paulie in The Sopranos, Sirico appeared in such mob movies as Mob Queen, Witness to the Mob, Mickey Blue Eyes, Gotti, and more.
Tony Sirico’s Paulie Gualtieri Lives on Forever
Although Tony Sirico passed in 2022 at age 79, his work as Paulie Gualtieri in The Sopranos lives on forever. Part of the reason is the unwavering authenticity Sirico lent the character, based on his criminal upbringing in New York. David Chase knew this upfront and saw it as a benefit rather than a detractor, with Sirico telling Vanity Fair how his real life was woven into The Sopranos:
“I lived with Ma for 16 years before she passed. David knew that going in. That became one of my storylines. Sticking to the script—that was Rule No. 1. They got the words from us anyway. We’d have the writers sit and talk with us. They heard the cadence of my voice and what I said, and how I expressed myself—you know what I mean? So I had guys put down my own words and shove them right back into my throat.”
Beyond Paulie’s countless comedic quotes on the show, one of Sirico’s finest acting moments in The Sopranos includes Season 3, Episode 11, “Pine Barrens.” The two-hander features Paulie and Tony’s nephew Chrissy (Michael Imperioli) taking Sylvie’s job while he’s under the weather, prompting the pair to get lost in the snowy woods. Ranging from slapstick humor to dire desperation in one episode proves how talented Sirico was as a performer, far from just an actor meant to provide comic relief.
If it weren’t for Sirico’s troubled youth and early adulthood, chances are high that he would not have been cast in The Sopranos, nor would he have made such an unforgettable impression on the series throughout its six seasons. Whether whacking a goon on Tony’s behalf, cracking wise about Santa Claus, mispronouncing historical figures, remembering Pearl Harbor, or telling it like it is with ruthless candor, Tony Sirico remained true to himself on The Sopranos and every fan is better for it. The Sopranos is streaming on Max.
