American actor best known for his role as Salvatore ‘Big Pussy’ Bonpensiero in the US TV crime drama series The Sopranos
The character actor Vincent Pastore, who has died aged 80, made Italian mobster roles his speciality, most notably playing Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero, one of the capos in The Sopranos. Although the character’s nickname came from his early career as a cat burglar, in a recent interview Pastore said the Soprano’s creator, David Chase, had written the part “for an actor who could play a tough guy but also could be sensitive. I saw Big Pussy as a man with a big heart.”
In the show, Pastore’s Pussy balanced the violent intensity of Tony Sirico’s Paulie Walnuts. “It was like sharing the camera with an elephant,” Pastore joked about the much smaller but intense actor.
One of The Sopranos’ most touching, if surreal, moments was centred on Pussy – and his demise. This came in the finale of series two, when Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini), in a fever dream while suffering food poisoning, realises who has been ratting the family out. Pussy, speaking to him as an eight-pound fish selling for four dollars a pound, confesses to Tony, and points out that the fish next to him are “sleeping”. As Pastore’s voice speaks, Tony says, “Don’t even say that,” as he realises agonisingly he will have to make Pussy sleep with the fishes too. The episode ends with Tony and two others (including a vengeful Paulie) shooting Pussy on Tony’s boat and tossing his body overboard.
