Joseph Siravo, best known for his roles in the “The Sopranos” and “Jersey Boys,” passed away Sunday after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 64.
“I was by his side when my dear father passed away this morning, peacefully, in his beloved Treehouse,” wrote Siravo’s daughter Allegra Okarmus on Instagram. “We are both so lucky to be so intensely loved. I am so immensely grateful to have had him here on earth and I know that he hasn’t gone very far.”
The Washington D.C. native had been battling both stage 4 prostate cancer and colon cancer, the latter of which required him to have part of his colon removed, NJ.com reported.
Known for playing wisecracking East Coast tough guys, Siravo is perhaps most famous for his turn in HBO mob drama the “The Sopranos,” in which he portrayed Tony Soprano’s father during flashbacks to the gangster boss’s childhood in the sixties. The dramatist’s other TV roles include everything from “For Life” to “Law and Order” to “The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story.”
The actor and producer also made a splash on the big screen, with supporting parts in “Carlito’s Way,” Adam Driver’s “The Report” “Equity, “Motherless Brooklyn,” “The Wannabe,” “Shark Tale” and “Night Falls on Manhattan.”
A veteran of the stage as well, Siravo notched more than 2,000 performances as gangster Gyp DeCarlo in the flagship U.S. tour of hit musical “Jersey Boys,” which began in 2006.
Siravo’s fellow “Sopranos” stars flocked to social media to mourn his passing.
“Oh no! He was so great!” tweeted Stevie Van Zandt, who played Silvio Dante on the iconic series. “Deepest love and condolences to his family. Big loss.”
Actor Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher in the series, seconded his co-star’s sentiment in a heartfelt Instagram post. “Joe was an excellent actor and a wonderful guy and he will be missed dearly,” he wrote. “His performance [as] Johnny Boy Soprano was spot on and he also made a perfect John Gotti in Nick Sandow’s ‘The Wannabe.’ In my opinion, he was the best of all the actors who’ve played the Teflon Don.
“RIP my dear friend, who fought an incredible fight,” wrote actor and stuntman Garry Pastore. “I will miss you. See you on the other side.”