The Sopranos' Vincent Pastore dead at 80

Vincent Pastore, known for playing mobsters in film and TV, has died. He was 80.

The veteran actor, best known for his role as Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero on The Sopranos, was found dead in his Bronx residence on 1 August by a neighbour.

He had not been heard from for the past three days, Deadline reports. The cause of death is being investigated.

"Vinnie was a great guy, he would help anyone and was very charitable," Pastore's longtime manager Bob McGowan told the outlet.

After minor parts in early 1990s movies, Pastore rose to prominence in the movie Gotti, in which he appeared alongside future Sopranos co-stars Tony Sirico, Frank Vincent and Dominic Chianese.

But it was The Sopranos in 1998 that gave Pastore his signature role as Tony Soprano's longtime best friend and mob enforcer turned FBI Informant, whose murder became one of the Emmy-winning series' most memorable scenes.

Pastore was also a frequent guest star on Law & Order and had major roles on The Practice, Son of the Beach, Queens Supreme, Hawaii Five-0, and Wu-Tang: An American Saga.

He most recently was a series regular on Gravesend and guest starred on Yellowjackets.

During the 2000s, Pastore was a fixture on reality television with appearances on Celebrity Apprentice, Celebrity Family Feud, Dancing With the Stars, Shark Tank and Celebrity Fit Club.

Pastore is survived by his daughter, Renee.