'The Sopranos' Actor Frank Vincent Dead at 78

09/13/2017 05:00 pm EDT

The Sopranos actor Frank Vincent has passed away. He died in a New Jersey hospital on Wednesday at the age of 78.

Vincent, who starred in a number of Martin Scorsese films, suffered a heart attack last week, according to TMZ. On Wednesday, he underwent open-heart surgery and died during the procedure.

Being in the entertainment industry for 41 years, Vincent was one of the most recognizable character actors. He was primarily known for his tough guy roles in mafia movies such as Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995).

On HBO's The Sopranos, Vincent's character, mob boss Phil Leotardo, often clashed with James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano. Vincent portrayed the ruthless Leotardo for 31 episodes starting in Season 5 and wrapped up with the show's 2007 finale.

Vincent's other film credits include Raging Bull (1980), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), and Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing (1989).

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