Actor Frank Vallelonga Jr., 60, of “Green Book” and “The Sopranos,” was discovered dead outside a factory in the Bronx. Let’s learn more about how the Green book actor was found dead and Frank Vallelonga cause of death in this article.
What happened to Frank Vallelonga Jr?
Green book actor found dead
Actor Frank Vallelonga Jr., who starred in “Green Book” and “The Sopranos,” passed away on Monday in the Bronx, New York, according to the NYPD, who confirmed the news to TheWrap. He was 60.
Police were called at 3:50 in the morning to a report of a body left outside a factory close to 1243 Oak Point Avenue. The individual was discovered unresponsive and eventually identified as Vallelonga Jr. He was pronounced dead at the site.
Frank Vallelonga cause of death
According to TMZ, actor Frank Vallelonga Jr., well known for his role in “Green Book,” has passed away. His body was reportedly discovered discarded in the Bronx, according to The New York Post.
Law enforcement says that although the exact cause of death is still unknown, it appears to be an overdose. The actor, 60, was found dead outside a Hunts Point sheet metal production facility early on Monday after being thrown from a moving car, according to the police.
Frank Vallelonga Jr., an actor in the film Green Book, was discovered dead. In addition to his brother Nick, Vallelonga is survived by his wife Angela, their 17-year-old son Frank, and themselves. The Vallelonga family requested privacy in their difficult time in a message made available to the media.
According to an NYPD official, the body showed no overt signs of trauma. A human corpse concealment allegation has been brought against Steven Smith, 35, after his arrest. The investigation is still ongoing, according to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Who was the Suspect?
The police have a suspect. According to the Post:
“A day after the grim discovery, police nabbed Steven Smith, 35, and charged him with concealment of a human corpse.
Smith was allegedly caught on surveillance video dumping Vallelonga Jr.’s body from the car, a police spokesman said.”
Who is Frank Vallelonga?
The actor and bouncer Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga, played by Viggo Mortenson in the Best Picture-winning film “Green Book,” is the father of Vallelonga Jr.
In the movie that his brother Nick Vallelonga co-wrote with Peter Farrelly and Brian Hayes Currie, Vallelonga Jr. portrayed his uncle Rudy Vallelonga.
In the true incident depicted in the movie “Green Book,” Bronx native Tony Lip worked as a bouncer before being hired to transport pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) on a tour of the Jim Crow South.
In 1994’s “A Beautiful Disguise,” written and directed by his brother Nick, Vallelonga Jr. had his first acting role. In 2004, he had an appearance on “The Sopranos,” in which his father Carmine Lupertazzi played a crime leader.
The Signs of the Cross, All In, The Neighborhood, and Gravesend are a few other TV and movie roles. In the 2021 movie “The Birthday Cake,” with Ewan McGregor and Val Kilmer, Vallelonga played Uncle Luca.
Vallelonga’s Green Book Role
Green Book was a little bit of a family endeavor for Vallelonga Jr. One of the main roles in the Academy Award-winning movie was modeled after his father, Sopranos actor Tony “Lip” Vallelonga.
The on-screen Tony, an Italian American driver, and bodyguard who drives a Black pianist (Mahershala Ali) through the segregated Deep South, was played by Viggo Mortensen.
Rudy Vallelonga, played by Rudy Vallelonga Jr., was the actor’s uncle. Nick Vallelonga, the younger brother of Vallelonga Jr., contributed to the writing and production of Green Book.
In addition to this Vallelonga-fest of a movie, Vallelonga Jr. also had one-off appearances in The Neighborhood and The Sopranos, as well as the 2021 crime thriller The Birthday Cake.
Condolences and tributes to actor Vallelonga Jr.
Ryan said,
This is incredibly sad…. and tragic. Frank would bring his young son, Frank Jr., to our shows in the New York area. Frank Jr was just learning to play guitar and we’d try to show him a guitar lick or two backstage, pre-show. He was a good father and I’d like to extend my deepest condolences to Frank Jr. and his extended family. RIP Frank Vallelonga
JUST IN: #BNNUS Reports.
The body of a man found dumped on the sidewalk in the Bronx borough of New York City on Monday was identified on Thursday as actor Frank Vallelonga Jr. #US #Crime pic.twitter.com/gqkJ3blQTB
— Gurbaksh Singh Chahal (@gchahal) December 2, 2022
Pamela Roth said,
My deepest sympathies to the family of Frank Vallelonga Jr. on his untimely passing today. Too young, too soon. I had the privilege of meeting Frank and becoming acquaintances with him and his brother Nick, on the night of September 14, 2022, at a charity dinner hosted by Chazz Palminteri. He was a gentleman!
We had great conversations since that night. I promised him to see The Green Book before I would interview him on my podcast. Such a tragedy. May You Rest In Eternal Peace Frank
Deadline has confirmed that the NYPD has identified a body found dumped outside a Bronx sheet-metal manufacturing factory Monday as Frank Vallelonga Jr. ‘Green Book’ actor Vallelonga Jr. was 60 https://t.co/OIko1o6UZ2
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) December 1, 2022
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.