Vinny Vella

Vincent Frank Vella (January 11, 1947 – February 20, 2019) was an American actor, talk show host and comedian. He acted in more than forty films often in the role of a gangster. He was best known for the role of Artie Piscano in Martin Scorsese's Casino and Jimmy Petrille in the HBO series The Sopranos.

Early life Vella was born on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, New York City. His father was from Bari, Italy and his mother was from Naples, Italy. Vella's father had a fish store in Little Italy. He played Jimmy Petrille on the HBO series The Sopranos. In New York City, he hosted a public-access television cable TV show on MNN, the Vinny Vella show. He appeared in more than 35 advertisements. In 2007, he opened his own pizzeria in Williamsburg, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.

In June 2008, Vella was involved in controversy around a lottery ticket, according to some sources, and threatened to sue over it.

Death Vella died at home on Elizabeth Street, New York City on February 20, 2019, due to liver cancer, at age 72.

Filmography Film Vella's films include: Year Title Role Notes 1994 Season of Change Michael 1995 Casino Artie Piscano 1998RoundersCard Player at KGB's 1999 Ghost Dog Sammy "The Snake" 2009 Sicilian Tale Don Sebastiano Militello 2019 The Irishman Meat Company Yard Manager TBA Blood Money

Television Year Title Role Notes 1999-2004 The Sopranos Jimmy Petrille 4 episodes 2004 Law & Order Jilts Episode: "Everybody Loves Raimondo's" 2013 The Vinny Vella show Vinny 1 episode