Vincent Pastore Vincent Pastore Vincent Pastore (born July 14, 1946) is an American actor. Often cast as a mafioso, he is best known for his portrayal of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on the HBO series "The Sopranos". Pastore, an Italian American, was born in The Bronx, New York and grew up in New Rochelle, New York. Following his graduation from high school, he enlisted as a sailor in the United States Navy and then attended Pace University for three years, before eventually going into the acting industry after befriending Matt Dillon and Kevin Dillon. On June 3, 2015 on Good Day New
The Sopranos as a destination for talent looking for cutting-edge original series work." The show has frequently been criticized for perpetuating negative stereotypes about Italian Americans. Several major organizations have voiced their concern that "The Sopranos" presents a very distorted and harmful stereotype of Italian Americans and their cultural values, including the National Italian American Foundation, Order Sons of Italy in America, Unico National, and the Italic Institute of America. In 2000, officials in Essex County, New Jersey denied producers permission to film on county-owned property, arguing that the show depicts Italian Americans in a "less than favorable light." In 2002, organizers