Frank Pellegrino Sr., actor on "The Sopranos" and co-owner of Rao's, is dead at 72
Actor Frank Pellegrino Sr. has died at 72 after a battle with cancer.
The actor, who played FBI chief Frank Cubitoso on the show, and co-owner of famed New York restaurant Rao's, passed away at Tuesday afternoon with his family by his side at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, his friend Bo Dietl told Page Six.
Though he was widely known for owning Rao's, Pellegrino had a lively acting career. He played Johnny Dio in "Goodfellas" and acted in "Cop Land," "Mickey Blue Eyes" and several TV shows.
Dietl, a former NYPD detective and New York mayoral hopeful, said of Pellegrino and his restaurant, "Rao's may be over 100 years old, but the person who made Rao's what it is was Frankie. It is a place that is so unique because of him and it not going to be the same without him. He was big-hearted and generous and always took care of people. What a shining star and a big personality, I will miss singing along with him every Thursday night."
Pellegrino was diagnosed with cancer last year but still made appearances at his restaurant, which is famously a haunt for many celebrities, including Woody Allen and Leonardo DiCaprio.