Joseph R. Gannascoli played the iconic role of a mafia member named “Vito Spatafore” in one of the greatest shows in Television history, HBO’s The Sopranos. He has starred in more than 20 movies and TV shows. 

Before appearing on The Sopranos, Joseph appeared in many films, including Law and Order and Kelly Makin’s Mickey Blue Eyes, in which he played the role of Jimmy alongside Hugh Grant and James Caan. 

Joseph first appeared in Ramon Menendez’s 1993 film Money for Nothing starring John Cusack, where he received his big break in acting from renowned actor and producer, Benicio del Toro. When del Toro made his directional debut with his film Submission, he cast Joseph, who played the role of Eddie. Joseph also played a minor role in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood. 

But the signature role that made him outstanding was Vito Spatafore in The Sopranos from season 2 to season 6. No character from The Sopranos grabbed people’s attention more than his role as Vito Spatafore, a gay member of the mob. Joseph nailed that role. In a recent interview, he said, “It was a tremendous thrill,” referring to how he went from having a role of a bakery shop patron to later having a whole season dedicated to his character, Vito Spatafore, on the TV show.

MEAL’N’READ

Prior to his acting, Joseph was a chef—a rather professional one—and had opened a restaurant called Soup As Art Restaurant in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, as well as other eateries from Manhattan to New Orleans. 

Alongside his many talents, Joseph is also a writer. In fact, Joseph has co-written two books, one being a cookbook named Dinner with the FoodFellas, which he wrote along with Tony Darrow and Vincent Pastore. 

His second book is a fictional novel, A Meal to Die For: A Culinary Novel of Crime, which he wrote with assistance from Allen C. Kupfer. The novel received a lot of positive reviews from readers. A Meal to Die For is a skillfully written, tasty slice of mob life that explores the story of a fictional character named Benny Lacoco who turns his cooking talents for the mob and must prepare and serve remarkable meals for unknown guests, who turn out to be criminal associates. It is a must-read for anyone who is a fan of mystery, crime fiction, thriller, and mob life.

EAT, PRAY, COVID

During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Sopranos star wasn’t doing any writing or acting. Instead, he was out there bringing food to the front-line workers of COVID-19. Joseph made more than 100 food deliveries to his neighborhood’s New York hospitals, post offices, police stations, and many healthcare facilities. 

Joseph first began doing this when his niece, who was a front-line healthcare worker, got tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, she did recover, but ever since then, Joseph felt the need to support front-line workers, as his sister-in-law also works as a nurse in Long Island, New York. Joseph has raised more than $30,000 on his GoFundMe page to deliver food to front-line workers amidst the coronavirus pandemic. 

In an article by NY Post, he says, “I’m helping the restaurants, hopefully, to survive or at least to pop some money into them, and I’m helping all these people.

It makes me feel good. I’m just trying to make a difference, something I can teach my daughter.” 

When Joseph picked up his 104-year-old aunt after she beat coronavirus, he made sure the staff of the hospital that cared for her and other coronavirus patients were well fed. Joseph talks about his aunt in one of his Instagram posts and shares that she has sadly passed away two weeks after recovering. Nonetheless, he is glad that she met everyone back at home.

Joseph R. Gannascoli proved to his fans that he is not only a great actor, writer, and chef but also a great human being who is risking his life to help front-line workers amidst the pandemic.

FUN FOR FANS

The last series of The Sopranos was released 13 years ago. Nowadays, fans can not only see Vito on the screens but also have a live chat with him.

Joseph R. Gannascoli appeared on the Payphone X platform to be closer to his fans and make some money to survive during the quarantine. 

Being a great actor, he sends exclusive video greetings to his fans in the role of a real gangster Vito. It is a real volcano of emotions when Joseph R. Gannascoli wishes love and patience on his fans’ wedding day with a huge cigar in his hand and an aggressive tone of voice. Everyone can order a personal video from Joseph and make the best gift to the loved ones. Or celebrate the weekdays with best wishes from Vito.

Personalized video is not the only thing that Joseph R. Gannascoli offers for fan’s pleasure. He also offers his photo with an autograph exclusively for Payphone X users. What is more, fans can even get a Soprano’s T-shirt with three signed pictures from Vito, plus an opportunity to chat with him and also have a phone call via the Payphone X app.

A talented actor and a person with a huge heart give happiness and motivation for so many people. And there are so many reasons to express admiration and say “thank you” to Joseph R. Gannascoli.

Contact him via Payphone X and have fun.

The post Joseph R. Gannascoli: From Chef to Starring in One of The Greatest TV-Shows appeared first on Fanzine by Payphone.