'Sopranos' Actor Joe Gannascoli Says Vincent Pastore's Death Was A Shock
'Sopranos' Joe Gannascoli Vincent Pastore's Death Came Out Of Nowhere
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Vincent Pastore's death blindsided the people who knew him ... with his 'Sopranos' costar Joe Gannascoli telling TMZ there was no indication the actor was sick or battling any health issues.
Joe -- who played Vito Spatafore on the iconic HBO series -- says Vincent's passing "sort of came out of nowhere," especially after seeing video of him celebrating his 80th birthday just weeks before he was pronounced dead in his NYC home.
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While Joe and Vincent never filmed a "Sopranos" episode together, they later worked alongside each other on "FoodFellas" and Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares"... and Joe is remembering Vincent as a man who was well-liked by fans, friends and everyone who knew him.
As we reported ... Vincent -- best known for playing Salvatore "Big P****" Bonpensiero -- was found dead in bed Saturday at his Bronx home after he hadn't been heard from for several days. Sources with direct knowledge told us he died from natural causes.
Joe says Vincent's death also drives home how many actors from the iconic series have died in the 20 years since it went off the air ... calling it an inevitable part of life -- and motivation for him to stick around as long as possible.
He offered his condolences to Vincent's daughter, Renee, and says the flood of tributes shows how deeply fans connected with him ... adding, "He will be missed by cast, by millions of fans."
Joe's parting tribute was simple ... "A tip of the hat to Vincent Pastore."
