Frank Albanese, an actor and former boxer who appeared as Uncle Pat Blundetto on The Sopranos, has died. Albanese was 84.
Appearing on four episodes of The Sopranos, including the Emmy-winning “Long Term Parking,” Albanese got his start in acting after his boxing career was cut short by a brain injury suffered in the ring. With the assistance of his pugilistic mentor Rocky Graziano, he transitioned into film, including several roles in or adjacent to the Mafia. (Besides The Sopranos, Albanese played criminal boss Paul Castellano on an episode of America’s Most Wanted, and was credited as a “Mob Lawyer” in Martin Scorsese’s 1990 film Goodfellas.)
On The Sopranos, Albanese’s character represented a connection to the older generation of mobsters, now in various stages of decay. His farm was the setting for a memorable sequence between Tony Soprano and his cousins Christopher and Tony B., and he appeared in the series finale, “Made In America.”
Albanese died on Monday.