John Aprea starred as the young Salvatore Tessio in the Godfather sequel in 1974 (Image: CBS via Getty Images)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeThe Godfather Part II star John Aprea has died aged 83, with tributes pouring in to the American actor. John was best known for starring as Salvatore Tessio in the Godfather sequel, which is often hailed as one of the greatest films of all time. The 1974 epic crime drama tells the story of how Robert De Niro’s Vito Corleone founded the family’s business in the early 1900s and how his son Michael (Al Pacino) is protecting his legacy in the 1950s. John died on August 5 of natural causes, with his manager announcing his death, The Hollywood Reporter reports. He was living in Los Angeles at the time of his death. John is survived by his third wife Betsy, who he was married to for 25 years, as well as his daughter Nicole and stepchildren Valentino and Marika.
John Aprea – best known for his role in The Godfather Part II – has died aged 83
(Image: WireImage)
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He originally auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather after serving director Francis Ford Coppola in a bar. While he lost out to Al Pacino, he landed the role of mobster Tessio in the sequel. Playing the younger version of Abe Vigoda’s character in the sequel, John reached out to the actor for advice and was reportedly told: “I don’t know what I did. Just have a good time, kid.” John began acting in the late 1960s, making his film debut in 1960’s Bullitt alongside Steve McQueen. He went onto appear in The Grasshopper, The Dark Side of Tomorrow and Caged Heat, before being cast in The Godfather Part II. He played two different characters on NBC soap Another World in the 1990s and a mob boss in the 1981 miniseries The Gangster Chronicles. In 1988, he took on the recurring role of Nick Katsopolis – Jesse’s (John Stamos) father – in ABC sitcom Full House. He reprised the role in Netflix’s 2017 reboot Fuller House for one episode.
John Aprea with Robert De Niro and Bruno Kirby in The Godfather Part II
(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
John’s final role was as Jack Madison in American crime-drama The Bay, starring alongside Kristos Andrews and Karrueche Tran. He stayed in the series for three years until it ended in 2020. Fans have taken to social media to pay tribute to the film star, with one writing on X: “I’m so sorry to hear of John Aprea’s passing. This news was announced late Saturday night. I am just heartbroken to hear it, I just loved him so much.” Another wrote: “Very sad news! RIP John,” while The Bay’s showrunner Gregori J. Martin tweeted via the show’s X account: “It was such a great honor [sic] 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.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnKarrueche TranNetflixDramaSitcomIn the News
