He played an eccentric captain in the DiMeo crime family
With the world’s eyes fixed on the 2025 conclave, which officially got underway yesterday (May 7), one Roman Catholic priest’s family tree is stealing some of the thunder.
Originally from New York, Robert Sirico spoke to Sky News as his fellow cardinals busied themselves with the next papal election following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday last month.
What readers almost certainly won’t know about him, though, is that his brother was the late great Tony Sirico.
Best recognised for portraying mobster Paulie Walnuts in all six seasons of HBO’s classic crime drama The Sopranos, Sirico brought a unique authenticity to the part after serving multiple jail sentences for robbery, assault and extortion before his acting career took off.
Interestingly, he auditioned for the role of Uncle Junior, but the show’s creator David Chase cast Dominic Chianese instead. He accepted an offer to play Paulie with one exception: that his character wouldn’t turn into a rat.
Sirico, who sadly passed away at an assisted living facility in Florida in 2022, aged 77, can also be seen in The Godfather Part II, Goodfellas, Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway, Cop Land, and Mickey Blue Eyes.
At the time of his death, The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli (that’s Christopher Moltisanti) wrote on Instagram: “Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone I’ve ever known. I was at his side through so much: through good times and bad. But mostly good. And we had a lot of laughs.
“We found a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I am proud to say I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear pal Tony. I will miss him forever. He is truly irreplaceable. I send love to his family, friends and his many many fans. He was beloved and will never be forgotten.”
His priest brother, Robert, was ordained in 1989 after working as a minister for 20 years.
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