Paul Vario (July 10, 1914 – May 3, 1988) was an American mobster and made man in the Lucchese crime family. … He died on May 3, 1988, of lung failure in prison. He was portrayed as Paul Cicero by Paul Sorvino in the Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas.

Besides, Who in The Sopranos was a real gangster?


Tony Sirico
Born Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. July 29, 1942 New York City, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1974–present
Children 2

Keeping this in mind, Was Paul Vario a boss? Paul Vario’s gang had a reputation as one of the most violent in the city and the boss himself was renowned for his vicious temper. Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 240 pounds, the capo was slow to anger, but when he did, things got ugly fast.

Is Goodfellas based on a true story?

Goodfellas is based on true stories and real-life gangsters, but the names of many of them were changed, leaving the audience confused as to which characters are based on real people and which are not.

Was Paulie from sopranos a real gangster?

It’s well known that Paulie from The Sopranos was actually a real-life gangster back in the day. Before landing the role of Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri, Sirico used to run with the Colombo crime family under Carmine Persico.

Is Tony Soprano based on a real person?

The character is loosely based on real-life New Jersey mobster Vincent “Vinny Ocean” Palermo, a former caporegime (capo) and “de facto” boss of the DeCavalcante crime family.

Who is Paulie Walnuts based on?

His surname is taken from real life DeCavalcante crime family mobster Frank Gualtieri, who served under Vincent Palermo.

Who was the boss of Henry Hill?

Hill had thrived in the lawless environs of mafia-run New York, rising to become a trusted “wiseguy” in the Lucchese crime family. For more than 25 years, Mr. Hill served under the stewardship of mob boss Paul Vario and worked closely with James “Jimmy the Gent” Burke. In the name of the Lucchese family, Mr.

Who’s the boss of the Lucchese family?

Although in prison for life, Victor Amuso remains the official boss of the Lucchese crime family. On March 27, 2018, Lucchese crime family soldier, Dominick Capelli, and 9 associates were arrested as part of operation “The Vig Is Up”.

Who took over after Paul Vario?

In the 1970s, when Vario and Burke were imprisoned, the majority of Vario’s bookmaking operations were taken over by his Russian Jewish associate, Martin Krugman.

How much of Goodfellas was true?

Some of the real criminals portrayed in Goodfellas were actually toned down for the film. According to Hill, despite combining characters and slightly altering plot points and timelines, Goodfellas was about 95 percent accurate.

What was Goodfellas based on?

Goodfellas is based on New York crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi’s book Wiseguy. Martin Scorsese did not intend to make another mob film, but he saw a review of Pileggi’s book, which he then read while working on the set of The Color of Money in 1986.

Was Tommy DeVito a real person?

Tommy DeVito is based on real-life gangster Tommy DeSimone, who was part of the Lucchese crime family and, more specifically, the Vario Crew, controlled by capo Paul Vario (Paul Cicero in Goodfellas, played by Paul Sorvino).

Was Paulie Gualtieri a made man?

Peter Paul Gualtieri was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1942 to a family of Italian descent, the illegitimate son of a World War II soldier; he was raised by Gennaro Gualtieri. … Gualtieri became a made man in the DiMeo crime family, and he adhered to old Mafia customs.

What crime family is The Sopranos based on?

The DeCavalcante crime family is partly the inspiration for the fictional DiMeo crime family of the HBO television series The Sopranos.

Is Tony Soprano based on Jimmy Galante?

With connections to the Genovese crime family who conducted organised crime in New York and New Jersey, Jimmy was the inspiration behind Tony Soprano in the HBO series From this, you knew that the Danbury Trashers weren’t going to be the usual league team.

Is The Sopranos based on the Galante family?

The film claims that James Galante was the inspiration for the character Tony Soprano, although it is disputed and many have said it is loosely based on New Jersey mobster Vincent Palermo.

Is the many saints of Newark a true story?

The True Story of the Newark Riots in The Many Saints of Newark. The uprising depicted in the Sopranos prequel is based off actual events that took place in Newark in 1967. Video Player is loading.

Was Paulie Gualtieri a real mobster?

The Actor Who Played Paulie Walnuts in The Sopranos Was a Real-Life Gangster. Of the many iconic characters to come out of the HBO crime drama series The Sopranos, few are quite as enigmatic as Paulie Gualtieri, or as he’s affectionately known by his associates, Paulie Walnuts.

Who are Sopranos characters based on?

Vincent “Vinny Ocean” Palermo (born June 4, 1944) is an Italian American former mobster who was de facto boss of the New Jersey DeCavalcante crime family before becoming a government witness in 1999. Fictional mob boss Tony Soprano, the protagonist of the HBO series The Sopranos, is said to be based upon Palermo.

Was Paulie Walnuts a made man?

Peter Paul Gualtieri was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1942 to a family of Italian descent, the illegitimate son of a World War II soldier; he was raised by Gennaro Gualtieri. … Gualtieri became a made man in the DiMeo crime family, and he adhered to old Mafia customs.

Who did Henry Hill rat on?

Hill testified against his former Mafia associates, resulting in fifty convictions, including those of caporegime (captain) Paul Vario and fellow associate James Burke on multiple charges. He subsequently entered the Witness Protection Program, but was removed from the program in the early 1990s.

Was Michael Franzese in Goodfellas?

In 1989, Franzese was released from prison on parole after serving 43 months. … In 1990, Franzese was portrayed by Joseph Bono in the Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas (1990). While imprisoned in 1991, Franzese became a born-again Christian after he was given a Bible by a prison guard.

Who is Dominic cattano based on?

Tramunti may have been the inspiration for the Mafia character Dominic Cattano, played by the Sicilian-American actor Armand Assante, in the 2007 motion picture American Gangster.