(NEXSTAR) — John Aprea, who starred in “The Godfather Part II” and “Full House,” has died at age 83, according to multiple reports.
Aprea died of natural causes on August 5 at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by loved ones, his manager Will Levine confirmed Sunday to CBS News, TMZ, and PEOPLE.
The veteran actor was born in Englewood, New Jersey, to Italian immigrant parents on March 4, 1941, PEOPLE reported.
According to IMBD, Aprea launched his Hollywood acting career with a small role in the 1968 crime-thriller Bullitt. He would later appear in “The Grasshopper” (1970) and “Caged Heat” (1974) before landing one of his most notable roles as the young Salvatore Tessio in “The Godfather Part II,” which also debuted in 1974.
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LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 20: The movie “The Godfather: Part II”, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel ‘The Godfather’ by Mario Puzo. Seen here, John Aprea as a young Salvatore ‘Sal’ Tessio. Initial theatrical wide release December 20, 1974. Screen capture. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Actor John Aprea attends Women’s Guild Cedars-Sinai Medial Center Event at Ralph Lauren on September 16, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Donato Sardella/WireImage)
Aprea met “The Godfather” director Francis Ford Coppola while working as a bartender in Los Angeles, per The Hollywood Reporter. He initially auditioned for the role of mobster Michael Corleone in the film trilogy’s first installment, but that part went to none other than Al Pacino.
All wasn’t lost, however, with Aprea starring in the sequel.
He also portrayed a mob leader in the 1981 NBC miniseries “The Gangster Chronicles” and a mafia boss in the 2000 film “Brother.”
On a lighter note, Aprea played the father of John Stamos’ character in seven episodes of “Full House” and also starred in the sci-fi comedy “Space Junk” (2019).