What Was Frank Vincent's Net Worth?
Frank Vincent was an American actor, musician, author, and entrepreneur who had a net worth of $3 million at the time of his death in 2017. Frank Vincent gained widespread recognition for his roles in Martin Scorsese films, including "Goodfellas," "Casino," and "Raging Bull." Vincent's portrayal of mobsters and gangsters became his signature, with his most iconic role being Phil Leotardo in the critically acclaimed HBO series "The Sopranos."
Throughout his career, Frank appeared in numerous films and television shows, often playing intimidating characters. He collaborated frequently with fellow actors Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro.
Beyond acting, Vincent co-wrote a book titled "A Guy's Guide to Being a Man's Man" and lent his voice to video games, including "Grand Theft Auto" titles. Unfortunately, Frank had a heart attack in September 2017. On September 13th, he underwent open heart surgery at a New Jersey hospital. Tragically, Frank did not survive the surgery. He was 78 years old and was survived by his wife and three children.
Early Life
Frank Vincent was born on April 15, 1937, in North Adams, Massachusetts. He was of Italian descent and had roots in Sicily and Naples. His father, Frank Vincent Gattuso Sr., was an ironworker and businessman. Frank grew up with his two brothers, Nick and Jimmy, and his half-sister, Fran, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He played music from a young age and originally aspired to be a professional musician.
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Career
Vincent began his career as a studio musician, working with recording artists like Paul Anka and Del Shannon. He played the drums, piano, and trumpet. He also had his own jazz band, Frank Vincent and the Aristocats, and would often spend his evenings playing jazz clubs.
In 1969, his band was in need of a piano player, and he ended up also hiring Joe Pesci to play the guitar. They became good friends. When interest in lounge and jazz music began to decline in the early 1970s, both Vincent and Pesci began performing as a stand-up comedy duo from 1970 to 1976. Their act was made up of insult comedy and various other double-act antics. This experience strengthened both their professional and personal friendship.
In 1976, they also began auditioning for roles in films. They landed parts in the low-budget gangster film "The Death Collector." While on set, they were spotted by Robert De Niro. De Niro told Martin Scorsese about Vincent and Pesci, and he was impressed by their performances. He hired Vincent to appear in a supporting role in "Raging Bull" in 1980 along with Pesci and De Niro.
In 1987, Frank landed a supporting character role in the foreign film "Made in Argentina" by Juan José Jusid. In the film, he played the character of Vito, a wealthy Manhattan businessman. In 1989, Vincent landed a role in "Do the Right Thing" followed by a role in "Jungle Fever" in 1991. Both films were by Spike Lee.
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He also continued working with Scorsese, often playing gangster and mobster characters. In 1990, he appeared in "Goodfellas," playing Billy Batts, a made man in the Gambino crime family. In 1995, he appeared in another Scorsese film, "Casino," as Frank Marino. The character was based on the real-life gangster Frank Cullotta. Pesci also appeared in the film.
In 1996, Vincent appeared in the music video for the song "Street Dreams" by rap artist Nas. The same year he appeared in the television movie "Gotti," in which he played Robert DiBernardo, an associate of real-life Mafia boss John Gotti. In 1997, Frank appeared in several films, including "The Good Life," "Made Men," "Grind," and "Cop Land," among others. He appeared in a number of television films throughout the end of the 1990s, in addition to appearing in episodes of shows like "Cosby," "NYPD Blue," and "New York Underground."
In the early 2000s, he appeared in films like "The Crew," "Smokin' Stogies," "This Thing of Ours," and "Remedy." In 2004, he booked what would become one of his most prominent roles in "The Sopranos." He played the character of Phil Leotardo and appeared in 31 episodes of the show from 2004 to 2007.
In addition to his acting work during this time period, Frank also voiced Mafia boss Salvatore Leone in the video game "Grand Theft Auto III" in 2001. He later reprised the role in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" in 2004 and "Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories" in 2005. In 2006, he published a book entitled "A Guy's Guide to Being a Man's Man." It received positive reviews.
In 2008, Vincent appeared in the independent film "The Tested." The next year, he made a cameo appearance in an episode of "Stargate Atlantis." In 2009, he also appeared as the main character in the film "Chicago Overcoat." In 2010, Frank appeared in the films "Stiffs" and "The Tested" followed by a role in "Spy" in 2011. In 2013, he starred in the IDW Publishing comic series "Killogy." He played the character Sally Sno Cones alongside Marky Ramone of The Ramones. The series was nominated at the Ghastly Awards in the Best Mini-Series category and also won multiple Horror Comic Awards from the Horror News Network. It was later adapted into 3D animation for the "Killogy" animated series. Vincent lent his voice to the animated series.
In 2014, he appeared in an episode of "Mr. Pickles" and then appeared in the show again in 2016. The same year, he had a role in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" followed by a role in "Neo Yokio" in 2017.
Personal Life and Death
Vincent married Kathleen Vincent in 1970. The couple had three children together during the course of their marriage. In September 2017, Vincent suffered a heart attack. He then underwent open heart surgery in New Jersey, though he died shortly after. He was 80 years old. Frank was cremated at a funeral home in New Jersey, and a funeral service followed. His life was honored by his family and many of his friends, some of whom he had worked with professionally in the entertainment world over the course of his career.
