{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}} {{short description|American actor (1930–2013)}} {{Infobox person | name = Tony Lip | image = Tony lip actor.jpg | caption = Vallelonga in 2010 | birth_name = Frank Anthony Vallelonga | birth_date = {{birth date|1930|7|30}} | birth_place = Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2013|1|4|1930|7|30}} | death_place = Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1972–2008 | spouse = Dolores Venere (died 1999) | children = 2, including Nick Vallelonga }}
'''Frank Anthony Vallelonga Sr.''' (July 30, 1930 – January 4, 2013), better known by his stage name '''Tony Lip''', was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of crime boss Carmine Lupertazzi in the HBO series ''The Sopranos''. Lip portrayed real-life Bonanno crime family mobster Philip Giaccone in ''Donnie Brasco'', and real-life Lucchese crime family mobster Francesco Manzo in ''Goodfellas''. It was at the Copacabana nightclub that he first met Francis Ford Coppola and Louis DiGiaimo, leading to a small role in ''The Godfather'', his film debut. He also co-wrote the book ''Shut Up and Eat!'' (2005).
His life in the early 1960s, when he was the driver and bodyguard for the black classical pianist Don Shirley, was dramatized in the 2018 film ''Green Book'', in which he was portrayed by Viggo Mortensen.<ref name=SI /> The film won numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Picture.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/25/green-book-wins-oscar-for-best-picture-2019 | title = Green Book wins Oscar for best picture | last = Reed | first = Betsy | date = 24 February 2019 | website = theguardian.com | publisher = Guardian News & Media Limited | access-date = 2 November 2023 | quote = ''Green Book has won the Oscar for best picture(...)'' }}</ref>
== Early life == Frank Anthony Vallelonga was born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania,<ref name="Record p. 2">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28153062/tony_lip_article_page_2/|title=Who's The Boss Now?|last1=Coutros|first1=Evonne|date=February 9, 2003|work=The Record |location=Hackensack, New Jersey|access-date=February 8, 2019|page=14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> the son of Italian parents, Nazarena and Nicholas Vallelonga. His family moved to the Bronx when he was an infant, and he grew up on 215th Street. He earned the nickname "Lip" in his childhood, as a reference to his reputation for having the ability to talk people into doing things he wanted them to do.<ref name="Record p. 2" />
== Career == From 1951 to 1953, he served in the United States Army and was stationed in West Germany.<ref name="Record p. 2" /> He worked at the Copacabana nightclub, starting in 1961, as ''maître d'hôtel'' and supervisor.
He was working as a bouncer when he was hired to drive and protect pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Jim Crow South from 1962 to 1963.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2019/02/oscars-2019-green-book-writer-from-nj-wins-best-original-screenplay-despite-criticism-of-film.html|title=Oscars 2019: 'Green Book' writer from N.J. wins best original screenplay despite criticism of film|first=Amy |last=Kuperinsky |website=NJ.com|date=February 24, 2019}}</ref> This tour is the basis of the 2018 film ''Green Book'', co-written by Lip's son Nick Vallelonga, in which Lip is portrayed by Viggo Mortensen.<ref name=SI>{{cite magazine|last=Diamond|first=Anna|title=The True Story of the 'Green Book' Movie |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/true-story-green-book-movie-180970728/|magazine=Smithsonian Magazine|access-date=December 2, 2018|date=December 2018}}</ref> Mortensen received an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Lip.
== Personal life and death == Lip resided in Paramus, New Jersey, with his wife, Dolores Vallelonga (née Venere), who died in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|last=Coutros|first=Evonne|date=April 2008|title=That Was Show Biz: Bill Miller's Riviera nightclub was a stage for top talent|work=(201) Magazine|url=http://www.201.net/issues/2008/04/features/Riviera.story|access-date=January 11, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20101120015206/http://www.201.net/issues/2008/04/features/Riviera.story|archive-date=November 20, 2010}}</ref>
Lip died at age 82 on January 4, 2013, in Teaneck, New Jersey. His cause of death was renal failure. He was survived by his sons, Nick Vallelonga, Frank Vallelonga Jr., brother Rudy Vallelonga, and his grandson, Frank Vallelonga.<ref>{{cite web|title=Actor Tony Lip Dies At Age Of 82, Known For Portraying Carmine Lupertazzi In HBO's The Sopranos|url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/01/05/actor-tony-lip-dies-at-age-of-82-known-for-portraying-carmine-lupertazzi-in-hbos-the-sopranos/|date=January 5, 2013|website=CBS News New York|agency=Associated Press|access-date=January 6, 2013}}</ref>
== Filmography == {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * 1972 ''The Godfather'' as Wedding Guest (uncredited) * 1974 ''Crazy Joe'' as Andy (uncredited) * 1974 ''The Super Cops'' as Detroit Hitman (uncredited) * 1975 ''Dog Day Afternoon'' as Cop At JFK (uncredited) * 1980 ''Raging Bull'' as Nightclubber (uncredited) * 1984 ''The Pope of Greenwich Village'' as Frankie * 1985 ''Year of the Dragon'' as Lenny Carranza * 1987 ''Heart'' as Max * 1988 ''Last Rites'' as Cabbie * 1989 ''Lock Up'' as Guard * 1990 ''Goodfellas'' as Frankie "The Wop" * 1991 ''29th Street'' as Nicky "Bad Lungs" * 1992 ''Innocent Blood'' as Frank * 1992-1996 ''Law & Order'' as Doc / Bobby Murrows * 1993 ''Who's the Man?'' as Vito Pasquale * 1994 ''A Brilliant Disguise'' as Pete * 1995 ''In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King'' as Paulie * 1997 ''Donnie Brasco'' as Philly Lucky * 1998 ''A Brooklyn State of Mind'' as The Bartender * 2001-2007 ''The Sopranos'' as Carmine Lupertazzi * 2005 ''The Signs of the Cross'' as Mario * 2006 ''All In'' as Darkman * 2008 ''Stiletto'' as Gus {{div end}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|0513401}} *[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103110747/tony-lip Tony Lip] at Find A Grave
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lip, Tony}} Category:1930 births Category:2013 deaths Category:Male actors from Bergen County, New Jersey Category:American male television actors Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Entertainers from Paramus, New Jersey Category:United States Army soldiers Category:Military personnel from Pennsylvania Category:Military personnel from New York City Category:Male actors from New York City Category:Writers from New York City Category:American expatriates in Germany