Frank Vallelonga: Who was the American actor found dead in New York street

Frank Vallelonga, the American actor whose body was found dumped on a street in New York last week, became known for his performance in “Green Book: The Guide” (2018), which won the Oscar in 2019. The plot is based on the story from his father, with whom he shares the same name.

As shown in the film, Frank Anthony Vallelonga (better known as Tony Lip) was the driver of a black musician during the year 1962. The two traveled together through the southern United States, a historically racist region.

Dead in 2013, Lip would also become known years later for giving life to mobsters in productions such as “The Godfather” and “Donnie Brasco”. In the series “Soprano Family” (1999-2007), he played Carmine Lupertazzi. Frank Vallelonga, the son, also participated in the production, in 2004.

Before that, Frank Jr. he had done only scattered jobs, working almost always under the direction of his brother, Nick Vallelonga, in films such as “A Brilliant Disguise” (1994) and “An Eye for an Eye” (1995). They would still work together again in “Cartada de Risco” (2006), in which he made an uncredited participation as a bodyguard.

After the success of “Green Book”, in which he played his own uncle, Frank Jr. he tried to continue his career in audiovisual. In 2021, the actor played Uncle Luca in the film “Revenge of the Family”, alongside Ashley Benson and Val Kilmer. He has also made guest appearances on series such as “The Neighborhood” and “Gravesend”.