Vincent Pastore, ‘The Sopranos’ star, dies at 80Vincent Pastore 1946-2026 (Photo: Rob DiCaterino / CC BY 2.0)(ABC) — Vincent Pastore, the actor best known for playing Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” has died. Pastore rose to fame as Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero, Tony Soprano‘s close friend on the acclaimed HBO drama. Born in the Bronx in 1946, Pastore served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War before pursuing an acting career. In 2000, Pastore and his fellow “The Sopranos” cast members won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Attermann, who represented Pastore for more than three decades, remembered him as a talented actor and a generous friend.