‘Sopranos’ Cast Members Pay Tribute to Tony Sirico After His Death

The cast of The Sopranos took to social media to pay tribute to Tony Sirico, who died Friday at the age of 79. Sirico played beloved mobster Paulie Walnuts on the HBO series.

Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher Moltisanti and starred alongside Sirico in one of the signature Sopranos episodes, Season 3’s “Pine Barrens,” shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.

“It pains me to say that my dear friend, colleague and partner in crime, the great TONY SIRICO has passed away today,” Imperioli wrote. “Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone i’ve ever known. I was at his side through so much: through good times and bad. But mostly good. And we had a lot of laughs. We found a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I am proud to say I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear pal Tony. I will miss him forever. He is truly irreplaceable. I send love to his family, friends and his many many fans. He was beloved and will never be forgotten. Heartbroken today.”

Lorraine Bracco, who portrayed Jennifer Melfi, called Sirico “a stand up guy who always had my back and who loved my children and my parents.”

“I have a lifetime of memories with Tony— starting with ‘Goodfellas’ to ‘The Sopranos’ and way beyond— but my God, did we have fun doing the Bensonhurst Spelling Bee—I’m still laughing. I hope he’s in heaven cracking everybody up now,” she added.

Scroll down to see the cast of Sopranos remember their legendary colleague Tony Sirico.