Biographie

In the 1970s he was investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney's office for alleged extortionate activity against the owners of several nightclubs. On Febuary 1970, he was arrested and subsequently indicted for extortion and menacing but plea-bargained to a charge of felony gun possession. Early in 1971 he was sentenced to a maximum of four years, of which he served 20 months. Since then, he has had no further trouble with the law.

In Les affranchis (1990), he played a mobster named Tony who reports to a boss named Paulie. In The Sopranos (1999), he plays a mobster named Paulie who reports to a boss named Tony.

Practices karate and kung fu.

He spent a few years in the US Army.

An Italian-American. His surname Sirico originated in Campania in South Italy.

When I first read David Chase's script [for The Sopranos (1999)], I knew this was special. This is what I'd been looking for all my life . . . When I heard James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli and Nancy Marchand were in it, I knew it was going to be a total class act. I knew right away this was a role to kill for.

I've done like 45 movies, played 40 gangsters and five crooked cops.

It makes some great movies. I mean, some of my favorite films growing up, have been, forgive me, gangster films. I learned how to walk and talk watching [James Cagney]. It's that, it's the power, it's the glamour. The mob just has all that mysticism around it that's magical.

[on being cast in The Sopranos (1999)] I read for Uncle Junior. It was me, Dominic Chianese and Frank Vincent who went up for the role that day. About an hour after I got home, I got a call from David Chase. He said, "You want the good news or the bad news?'" .I said, "Give me the bad NEWS". He said, "You didn't get Uncle Junior. But I have something in mind. Would you be willing to do a recurring role on the show? I have a character called Paulie Walnuts".

I lived with Ma for 16 years before she passed. [David Chase] knew that going in. This became one of my story lines. Sticking to the script--that was Rule No, 1. They got the words from us anyway, We'd have the writers sit and talk with us. They heard the cadence of my voice and what I said, and how I expressed myself--you know what I mean? So I had guys write down my own words and shove them right back into my throat.