Vallelonga Jr. Found Dead in the Bronx
The actor, who played a relative of Viggo Mortensen’s lead character in the best picture Oscar winner, was 60.
The actor, who was 60, portrayed a relative of Viggo Mortenson’s bouncer Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga. In real life, he was the son of the bouncer portrayed in the film.
Following a 911 call on Monday, police responded to 1243 Oak Point Ave. around 3:50 a.m., where the body of Vallelonga Jr. was found, unconscious and unresponsive but with no observable trauma, on the ground outside of the address of a sheet-metal factory.
The investigation is ongoing and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death, but an arrest has been made in concealment of a human corpse.
His manager, Melissa Prophet, also confirmed his death.
Vallelonga Jr.’s other recent credits include a 2018 episode of CBS’ The Neighborhood and the crime film The Birthday Cake (2021) that starred Val Kilmer and Ewan McGregor. He appeared in a 2004 episode of The Sopranos.
Green Book tells the fact-based story of a 1962 tour throughout the South for pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and Tony Lip. Vallelonga Jr. played his own real-life uncle, Rudy Vallelonga. The film was nominated for five Oscars at the 2019 ceremony and won three, for best picture, best supporting actor for Ali and best original screenplay.
The film, which divided critics over its depictions of race and biographical elements of Shirley’s story, credits Vallelonga Jr.’s younger brother Nick Vallelonga as producer and co-writer.
