Tony Lip
Tony Lip ( born July 30, 1930 in Paramus, New Jersey as Frank Anthony Vallelonga; † January 4, 2013 in Teaneck, New Jersey) was an American actor who, to a wider audience through his role as mob boss Carmine Lupertazzi Sr. in the television series the Sopranos (Season 3-5) was known. He also played the gangster Philip Giaccone the Bonanno family in the film Donnie Brasco.
Life
Lip grew up in the Bronx and received as a teenager nicknamed " Lip" ( lip ), because he could talk himself out of any problems. Later he took this name as a stage name. Between 1951 and 1953 he served in the U.S. Army, including in Germany. He worked at the legendary Copacabana nightclub. His wife Dolores died 1999. 2005 he wrote the book Shut Up And Eat!.
Lip died in early 2013 and was survived by his sons Nick and Frank Vallelonga Vallelonga Jr., his brother Rudy Vallelonga and a grandson.