Star of The Godfather and The Sopranos dies

The actor’s manager, Will Levine, confirmed the tragic news, explaining that John died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on August 5.

He is survived by his wife, daughter, and numerous relatives in Italy.

Series creator and showrunner Gregory J. Martin paid tribute to the late actor.

“It was such a great honor to have the privilege of working with an icon like John on The Bay. I have always been a fan of his work and he was a true gentleman and absolute pro who brought some beautiful moments to the role of Jack in these later seasons. We will all miss him dearly,” Gregory said.

Brief biography of John Aprea

John grew up in New Jersey in a family of Italian immigrants, where his parents ran a small shop. After school, he helped them with their work.

For some time, Aprea lived in Italy, where the family used the Neapolitan dialect, which allowed him to speak Italian in the movie The Godfather: Part II.

John Aprea (Kinorium)

His passion was soccer, and he played for the Bergen County team before choosing an acting career. In the 1960s, John moved to New York and later to Los Angeles.

In the late '60s, he married actress Cheri Latimer, and in 1987, he married actress Ninon Zenovich. They had a daughter two years later, but their marriage ended in 1998. John’s third and final wife was Betsy Gracy.

The actor played a hitman in the Steve McQueen film Bullitt and portrayed a mafia boss in the NBC miniseries The Gangster Chronicles. In addition to his role in The Godfather: Part II, he was also known for playing Lucas Castigliano in Another World and Lee in Tales from the Darkside. He appeared in series such as The Sopranos, Matt Houston, and Full House.

John Aprea (Kinorium)

Among his other projects were The Stepford Wives, The Game, and The Manchurian Candidate.

His last role was that of Jack Madison in the crime drama series The Bay.