Frank Vincent, veteran actor of the 'The Sopranos' and 'Goodfellas' fame, died during open heart surgery Wednesday in New Jersey.Vincent, who has been acting for four decades, suffered a heart attack last week and underwent surgery at a Jersey hospital Wednesday. He died during the surgery, he was 78-years-old.Vincent's filmography is extensive. He most notably appeared as Tony Soprano's arch nemesis, Phil Leotardo in the 'The Sopranos' starting in season five and until the series conclusion in 2007.James Gandolfini, who played the lead in the HBO series 'The Sopranos,' died of a heart attack in 2013.Vincent also plated Billy Batts in Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas' (1990). Vincent plays out the iconic scene where he's newly released from prison and starts in on Tommy DeSimone played by Joe Pesci. He insults Tommy telling him to go home and get his shine-box, as the character used to shine shoes.Vincent, originally from Massachusetts but raised in the Garden State, acknowledged being an Italian-American working in Hollywood often saw him being type-caste as the tough mobster type.In an interview with NJ.com in 2009, Vincent explained he accepted the Italian-American roles he played as par for the course. 'They need a gangster, they call Frank or Joe (Pesci).''An Italian-American? Frank or Joe. It is who you are. I've played other roles, but because of my New Jersey background, it lends itself beautifully to do that. There's not a lot you can do about it but try to do other diverse roles,' the veteran actor opined.He frequently worked alongside Pesci or was up against him for roles. He also played Frank Marino in Scorsese's 'Casino' (1995) with Pesci.In a 2009 interview about Vincent's life in the New York Times, Pesci said of brutally murdering him in Goodfellas 'I hate Frank so much that it was easy for me to stab him and kill him,' before adding 'No, I'm just joking.'Vincent has noted his career floundered for a time, and he didn't catch a break until 1978 when he would run into Pesci at a Manhattan bar.It was there that Pesci suggested he audition for the first time for Martin Scorsese, for the role of Savli, a gangster, in 'Raging Bull' (1980).Vincent was married to his first wife in the 1960's, that marriage bore him two children, He would eventually divorce and re-marry.He leaves behind his wife Katherine, their son Anthony Vincent, and his two children from his previous marriage.During the '09 interview with NJ.com, Vincent looked back fondly at his struggles and successes.'When I was 18-years-old and playing the drums, I never thought that I would have a website and that people will be buying my autographed picture and paying money for it.I just bought a condo in Florida. Life is good. I can't complain.
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