Frank Vincent’s Family: ‘Sopranos’ Tough Guy Had A Soft Spot For His Wife And Son

Frank Vincent made a career out of playing the tough guys in Sopranos and Goodfellas, but off the screen the 78-year-old actor was known as a dedicated family man with a soft spot for his wife and son.

Vincent passed away this week due to complications from surgery, the New York Post noted. The actor suffered a heart attack last week and was undergoing open heart surgery at a hospital in New Jersey.

Obituaries remembered Vincent for his work on screen as a suave but often violent gangster, but he was also a loving husband to wife Kathleen Vincent and father to son Anthony Vincent, who followed his father’s steps into Hollywood by becoming a stunt man.

The actor relied on his family as well. Frank Vincent suffered through a bit of a career slump between his debut in the low-budget film The Death Collector and his role in Raging Bull that started a long collaboration with director Martin Scorsese. Vincent later told the New York Times that it was a difficult period for him personally.

“I think that all the time I lived alone changed me,” Vincent said. “I wasn’t a hotshot no more. Being down makes you think who you are. It’s only in the last few years that I could just act.”

But during that time, Frank Vincent was able to rely on his wife Kathy and their young son. The New York Times noted that Frank and Kathy would go out on the town together and celebrate his accomplishments.

Frank was also quite proud of the accomplishments of his son, Tony Vincent (who went by Anthony professionally). Tony works as a Hollywood stuntman, and Frank bragged to Men’s Fitness about his work as a stunt double for Jim Caviezel on Person of Interest.

R.I.P. to legendary 'Sopranos' star Frank Vincent ?https://t.co/J5Mza8lJ4u pic.twitter.com/zsWzMLlgEw

— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) September 13, 2017

Though he was a dedicated family man off the screen, Frank Vincent had some firsthand experience in seeing the mobster types that he would emulate on screen.

Give James Gandolfini a big hug for all of us, Frank Vincent. https://t.co/iSGeHVm9pX

— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) September 13, 2017

In an interview with AskMen, Vincent said he had plenty of research on gangsters during his time playing as a musician in nightclubs in the 1960s and ’70s.

“There were a lot of those quote, unquote ‘types of people’ in those clubs and you got to learn how they acted under certain circumstances,” Vincent said. “I’ve seen people argue with each other. I’ve seen people fight with each other. I’ve seen them kiss their girlfriends today and then tomorrow night come in with their wives. And you learn some of their style. It was very beneficial in terms of me interpreting that into the characters I do.”

Since the actor’s death was announced, social media has filled with actors and musicians remembering his work. Many also sent condolences to Frank Vincent’s family, noting how much he loved his wife and son.

[Featured Image by Evan Agostini/Getty Images]