Tony Sirico Biography

Tony Sirico, Jr. was born Genaro Anthony Sirico in 1942 in New York City. Long before Sirico rose to fame as the character of Paulie on the HBO series the Soproanos, he actually grew up in a tumultuous childhood and young adulthood, finding himself convicted of a number of crimes before finding his purpose in acting. It was during one of his prison sentences that the jail was visited by an acting group comprised of former inmates that Tony Sirico began to consider the profession for his future after his release.

Sirico’s first role was in 1978 in Hughes and Harlow: Angels in Hell. From there, he went on to enjoy small roles in a number of films, including: Fingers (1978), The One Man Jury (1978), Defiance (1980), Love & Money (1982), The Last Fight (1983), The Pick-up Artist (1987), and Cookie (1989.)  He also appeared on episodes for the television shows Kojak (1977), Miami Vice (1989), and Cosby (1996.) More notable roles, nearly always as the “gangster” in the film, followed, in such movies as: Goodfellas (1990), Romeo is Bleeding (1993), Dead Presidents (1995), Gotti (1996), and Mob Queen (1998.) He also appeared in the documentary film The Big Bang, where he discussed with open honesty his earlier life of crime.

The turning point for Tony Sirico’s career came in 1999, when he began his lengthy run in a key role on the HBO series The Sopranos. Sirico’s performance as Paulie Gualtieri on the show made him a highly recognizable actor and earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards (2000 and 2008) for Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series. Since the conclusion of the series, Tony Sirico has continued to appear in a number of films and on a number of television series in guest roles. He most recently starred in the title role of Tony Zarra for the film Zarra’s Law, released in 2013.