One brother a New York wise guy, the other a priest economist

■ Sopranos star Tony Sirico’s funeral mass held in Brooklyn. ■ Rev. Robert Sirico, Acton Institute.

Friends and family members of the late Sopranos actor Tony Sirico gathered in Brooklyn to pay their respects to the wise guy–turned–actor…

Sirico, who was best known for playing Tony Soprano’s loose cannon captain Paulie ‘Walnuts’ Gualtieri, was saluted by several of his famous friends and costars, including Sopranos mainstays Lorraine Bracco and Steven Van Zandt.

Sirico’s brother, Father Robert Sirico, delivered words of remembrance at the ceremony and joked, ‘My friends, if Paulie Walnuts can steal heaven, so can you and I,’ according to the New York Post…

During his speech at the mass, Tony’s brother Robert revealed that years earlier, Tony had refused to take communion and shared that he hadn’t gone to confession in quite some time.

But the priest said Tony ‘sensed that the end was coming’ during a visit in Florida weeks before his death, and he consented to confess his sins at the time.

He didn’t take communion because he didn’t believe he was in a state of grace. A stand-up guy.

5 Responses to One brother a New York wise guy, the other a priest economist

rosie says:

14 July, 2022 at 10:26 pm

I like to read this kind of story.
C.L. says:

14 July, 2022 at 11:23 pm

Touching images of a simple requiem.
Sirico was majorly off the rails as a young man. It’s a miracle he got out of that life and found success.
Shy Ted says:

15 July, 2022 at 10:47 am

Ayyyyyyyyyyyy. That’s a great drawing/cartoon. My favourite scene of his was when he went back to his apartment, alone, furniture still in protective wrapping.
Jannie says:

15 July, 2022 at 1:40 pm

The notion of confession and communion as a kind of insurance policy you can buy when you know you are dying has always seemed kind of hypocritical to me. You can con the priest that you have faith, but you cannot con God. You can be truly contrite for your sins, but if you do not believe in God, then you are not in a state of grace. But if you believe that, it implies that you believe in God. Its kind of confusing. I believe Faith is a gift, and I missed out. (But from Who?)

Anyway, vale ‘Paulie’ Sirico, I hope you lived like a Good man, cos God will sort it out.
rosie says:

15 July, 2022 at 3:38 pm

That would all depend on your sincerity.
The priest stands in persona Christi and the Catholic knows precisely to whom he is confessing.
I’m sure his brother and the Lord would have preferred he came home earlier, all the same.
Whichever way, God is merciful.