Frank Vincent was a frequent collaborator of filmmaker Martin Scorsese, appearing as Salvy in Raging Bull, Billy Batts in Goodfellas, and Frank Marino in Casino.
13 Facts About Frank Vincent
2.
Frank Vincent, who was of Italian descent with roots in Sicily and Naples, was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey.
3.
Frank Vincent had two brothers, Nick and Jimmy, and a half-sister, Fran.
4.
Skilled at the drums, piano and trumpet, Frank Vincent originally aspired to a career in music.
5.
In 1969, Frank Vincent's band needed a piano player to secure bookings and Frank Vincent ended up hiring Joe Pesci to play guitar.
6.
Scorsese was impressed by their performances and hired Frank Vincent to appear in a supporting role in Raging Bull, in which he appeared with Pesci and co-starred with De Niro.
7.
Frank Vincent appeared in small roles in two Spike Lee films: Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever.
8.
In 2003, Frank Vincent portrayed Danny Santini in the film This Thing of Ours, whose associate producer was Sonny Franzese, longtime mobster and underboss of the Colombo crime family, and whose director was Genovese crime family capo Danny Provenzano.
9.
Later that year, Frank Vincent testified in court on the behalf of Provenzano at repeal sentences; Provenzano was serving a 10-year sentence for racketeering and other charges.
10.
In video games, Frank Vincent voiced the character of Mafia boss Salvatore Leone in the video game Grand Theft Auto III.
11.
Frank Vincent later reprised the role in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
12.
Frank Vincent has released a line of hand-rolled cigars which have his picture prominently displayed on the band.
13.
Frank Vincent played Lieutenant Marino in the independent film The Tested, directed by Russell Costanzo.