Frank Albanese was an actor best known for his role as Tony Soprano’s uncle on the acclaimed HBO series The Sopranos. Although he played the aging and forgetful retired mob member Uncle Pat Blundetto in only four episodes, the role made a lasting impression.
Albanese was a boxer as a teenager and sparred with Rocky Marciano and Archie Moore on his way up, but he retired at the age of 19. Though his boxing career was brief, he claimed to have won all of his fights by knockout. Albanese later pursued acting but made his living working odd jobs. The parts he did land were generally “tough guy” roles and included the television movie Honor Thy Father and classic organized-crime film Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese, in which he played a mob lawyer. He also had an uncredited role in The Godfather and played Paul “Big Paul” Castellano, head of the Gambino crime family, in an episode of America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back.
Frank Albanese was an actor best known for his role as Tony Soprano’s uncle on the acclaimed HBO series The Sopranos. Although he played the aging and forgetful retired mob member Uncle Pat Blundetto in only four episodes, the role made a lasting impression.
Albanese was a boxer as a teenager and sparred with Rocky Marciano and Archie Moore on his way up, but he retired at the age of 19. Though his boxing career was brief, he claimed to have won all of his fights by knockout. Albanese later pursued acting but made his living working odd jobs. The parts he did land were generally “tough guy” roles and included the television movie Honor Thy Father and classic organized-crime film Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese, in which he played a mob lawyer. He also had an uncredited role in The Godfather and played Paul “Big Paul” Castellano, head of the Gambino crime family, in an episode of America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back.
Additionally, Albanese appeared in the films Dead Presidents; Meatballs, Tomatoes and Mobsters; Old Secrets No Lies; Shake Road and the shorts "A Dance with Andrea" and "Divided."
He died October 5, 2015, in Staten Island, New York. He was 84.
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