R.I.P. to the Italian American actor who gave TV one of its greatest roles

Frank Pellegrino, a popular restaurateur turned actor, has died.

Pellegrino owned Rao’s, a New York eatery that has been a hot spot for celebrities and ordinary people alike. He was also an actor who worked consistently in film and television for many years.

Pellegrino is best known to most TV fans as FBI Bureau Chief Frank Cubitoso on “The Sopranos.” He also appeared in “Goodfellas,” “Mickey Blue Eyes,” and “Law and Order,” among many other titles.

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In an interview with PBS, the Harlem-born Italian American explained what made his beloved city so special.

“New Yorkers are provocative. New Yorkers make other New Yorkers think, and analyze, and become aware, and hopefully become objective and open so that you can learn. I found with the incredible clientele that I have — that they have given me an education,” Pellegrino explained. “They have forced me to look at life and at any particular topic, any subject in many different ways. They’ve all given me another perspective. They show me things that I’ve never thought of before.”

Pellegrino was 72 years old.