Early life

Vincent, an Italian American (ancestors from Sicily and Naples), was born in North Adams, Massachusetts and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father, Frank Vincent Gattuso, Sr., was an iron worker and businessman. He has two brothers, Nick and Jimmy, and a half sister, Fran.

Career

As player of the drums, trumpet and piano, Vincent originally aspired to a career in music, but turned to acting in 1976, when he co-starred in the low-budget gangster movie The Death Collector along with Joe Pesci, where they were spotted by Robert De Niro. De Niro told Martin Scorsese about both Vincent and Pesci; Scorsese was impressed by their performances and hired Vincent to appear in a major supporting role in Raging Bull (1980), in which he once again appeared with Pesci and co-starred with De Niro. Vincent, Pesci and De Niro would go on to appear together in several other movies.

Vincent had small roles in two Spike Lee films in 1989 and 1991 respectively: Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever. One of his most notable appearances in foreign film was in Juan José Jusid's Made in Argentina (1987), in which he played Vito (a wealthy Manhattan businessman who befriends the Argentine American substance abuse counselor who treated his son).

Vincent is usually cast as a gangster. He appeared in Scorsese's 1990 film Goodfellas, where he played Billy Batts, a made man in the Gambino crime family. He also played a role in Scorsese's 1995 film Casino as Frank Marino (based on real-life gangster Frank Cullotta), the sidekick of Pesci's character.

In 1996, Vincent appeared in the music video for rap artist Nas' song "Street Dreams" as his character Frankie Marino from Casino. In the television movie Gotti, Vincent played Robert "D.B." DiBernardo, an associate of Mafia boss John Gotti, whose life the film chronicled. In the HBO TV series The Sopranos, he had his most prominent role yet, as Phil Leotardo, a ruthless New York City gangster who, as boss of the show's fictional Lupertazzi crime family, becomes the show's chief antagonist in the final season.

Vincent also had a leading role in the heist movie This Thing of Ours in 2003. One of his more light-hearted roles was in a British television commercial for Peugeot cars. In early 2005, Frank Vincent appeared on Irish television in a series of television commercials for Irish bank Permanent TSB. In 1999, he won the Italian American Entertainer of the Year Award. Another noted performance is his appearance in the 2003 film Remedy. In 2001, Vincent voiced the character of Mafia boss Salvatore Leone in the controversial computer and video game Grand Theft Auto III. He later reprised that role in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005).

In 2006, he released his first book, A Guy's Guide to Being a Man's Man to positive reviews. His idol is Dean Martin. He has also released a line of hand-rolled cigars which have his picture prominently displayed on the band.

In the summer of 2008, he played Lieutenant Marino in the independent film The Tested, directed by Russell Costanzo. In 2009, he made a cameo appearance alongside fellow Sopranos actor Steve Schirripa in the Stargate Atlantis episode "Vegas".

He starred in Chicago Overcoat in 2009 as the main protagonist.

Filmography

• 1976: The Death Collector as Bernie Feldshuh
• 1980: Raging Bull as Salvy
• 1982: Dear Mr. Wonderful as Louie
• 1983: Baby It's You as Vinnie
• 1983: Easy Money as a Mobster Dressed in a Trenchcoat (uncredited)
• 1984: The Pope of Greenwich Village as the 1st Crew Chief
• 1985: Stiffs as a Mafia Thug
• 1986: Wise Guys as Louie Fontucci
• 1987: Made in Argentina
• 1988: Lou, Pat, and Joe D as Pop Corelli
• 1989: Do the Right Thing as Charlie
• 1989: Last Exit to Brooklyn as a Priest
• 1989: The Paradise Club as Walter MacHeath
• 1989: The Afterlife of Grandpa
• 1990: Goodfellas as William "Billy Batts" Bentvena
• 1990: Street Hunter as Don Mario Romano
• 1991: Mortal Thoughts as Dominic, Joyce's Father
• 1991: Jungle Fever as Mike Tucci
• 1991: Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace as Joseph F. Zanni Jr.
• 1991-1999: Law & Order as John Franchetta/J.Z.
• 1992: Civil Wars as Matty DiNofrio
• 1993: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles as Johnny Torrio
• 1994: Federal Hill as Sal
• 1994: Walker, Texas Ranger as Paul Mancini
• 1994: Men Lie as Uncle Frank
• 1994: Hand Gun as Earl
• 1995: Ten Benny as Ray Diglovanni, Sr.
• 1995: Casino as Frank Marino
• 1995: Animal Room as an Arcade Owner
• 1996: On Seventh Avenue as Angelo Occipente
• 1996: Swift Justice as Tony Accardo
• 1996: Gotti as Robert DiBernardo
• 1996: She's the One as Ron
• 1996: Night Falls on Manhattan as a Police Captain
• 1996: West New York as Tom Colletti
• 1996-1997: New York Undercover as Bates/Ray Tarrafino
• 1997: Cosby
• 1997: Grind as Nick
• 1997: Cop Land as PDA President Lassaro
• 1997: The North End as Dom Di Bella
• 1997: The Deli as Tommy Tomatoes
• 1997: Made Men as Tommy "the Bull" Vitaglia
• 1998: Witness to the Mob as Frankie DeCicco
• 1998: Undercurrent as Eddie Torelli
• 1998: Belly as Roger
• 1998: Vig as Pete
• 1999: NetForce as Johnny Stompato
• 1999: Entropy as Sal
• 1999: Penance as Suicide Man
• 2000: Isn't She Great as Aristotle Onassis
• 2000: Gun Shy as Carmine Minetti
• 2000: If You Only Knew as Gino
• 2000: Ropewalk
• 2000: NYPD Blue as Dino "the Rat" Ferrera
• 2000: The Crew as Marty
• 2000: Under Hellgate Bridge as Big Sal
• 2001: Smokin' Stogies as Johnny Big
• 2001: Snipes as Johnnie Marandino
• 2001: "Grand Theft Auto III" as Salvatore Leone (voice)
• 2002: Hamlet in the Hamptons as Michael
• 2003: Rubout as Frank Santello
• 2003: A Tale of Two Pizzas as Frank Bianco
• 2003: This Thing of Ours as Danny Santini
• 2003: Remembering Mario as Joey Big Ears
• 2004: Shark Tale as Great White #3 (voice)
• 2004: Coalition as Alvaro
• 2004: "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" as Salvatore Leone (voice)
• 2004-2007: The Sopranos as Phil Leotardo
• 2005: Remedy as Uncle Charles
• 2005: Van Vorst Park as Carlo
• 2005: "Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories" as Salvatore Leone (voice)
• 2006: The Last Request as Father Brice
• 2007: Lucky Man
• 2007: City Teacher
• 2008: Stargate Atlantis as Poker Player #1
• 2009: Chicago Overcoat: The Glory Days Are Back as Lou Marazano
• 2010: Stiffs as Jimmy the Limo King
• 2010: The Tested as Lieutenant Marino
• 2011: Spy as Gaetano
• 2014: Mr. Pickles as Jon Gabagooli (voice)
• 2016 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Bishop Cattalano

[ Source: Wikipedia ]