Frank Vallelonga, is the owner of Tony Lips, in Franklin Lakes. Vallelonga named the restaurant after his father, Tony Vallelonga. The movie, 'Green Book' was written by Frank Vallelonga's brother, Nick about their father and jazz musician, Don Shirley. Frank Vallelonga is shown as he poses behind a table with, cavatelli abruzzese, calamari fritte, meatballs, clam oreganata, eggplant parmigiano, and broccoli rabe. Thursday, February 21, 2019. Tony Lips
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BRONX, N.Y. (77WABC) — A Bronx man is charged with concealment of a corpse after the body of 60-year-old actor Frank Vallelonga Jr. was found dead in front of 1243 Oak Point Avenue at 3:50 am Monday, November 28.
Police from the 41st Precinct responding to a 911 call of an unconscious male, found Vallelonga Jr. unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the Green Book actor dead at the scene. There was no sign of trauma to Vallelonga, according to police.
On Wednesday, police announced the arrest of 35-year-old Steven Smith of 800 Barretto Street on a charge of concealment of a corpse in connection with Vallelonga Jr.’s death.
Vallelonga Jr. was the son of the late actor Frank Vallelonga know as “Tony Lip” who died in 2013. He poprtrayed Carmine Lupertazzi in HBO’s “The Sopranos.” Lip also played the role of mobster Philip Giaccone in “Donnie Brasco” and the real-life Lucchese crime family mobster Francesco Manzo in “Goodfellas.” Lip also had a small role in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.”
Vallelonga Jr. also appeared in the independent feature “The Birthday Cake” and on an episode of TV series “The Neighborhood.”
The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of Vallelonga Jr.’s death. The investigation is ongoing.
