When police responded to a 911 call of an unconscious male on a Bronx sidewalk, they discovered a dead body who is later identified as the 60-year-old son of the late 'Sopranos' star Tony Lip.
- Dec 2, 2022
AceShowbiz - Frank Vallelonga Jr.'s life as an actor and restaurateur has tragically ended on the street. The Bronx-born star, who is famous for his work in the Oscar-winning movie "Green Book", has been identified as a man whose dead body was dumped in the Bronx.
The NYPD confirmed that they responded to a 911 call of an unconscious male in of front 1243 Oak Point Avenue, outside a Hunts Point factory, on early Monday morning, November 28. The body was discovered at 3:51 A.M.
"Upon arrival, police observed an unidentified adult male, unconscious and unresponsive, on the ground at the location." police said. "The male had no obvious signs of trauma observed. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the male deceased at the scene. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation is ongoing."
Steven Smith, 35, of the Bronx, has been arrested and charged with concealment of a human corpse in relation to Frank's death. While the official cause of death is yet to be determined, police suspect that the 60-year-old died of drug overdose.
According to a criminal complaint, Steven loaded the corpse into a vehicle leased by the victim's acclaimed brother Nick Vallelonga for the November 29 ride to his final concrete resting place. Nick, however, said that he had not given permission to anyone to use the vehicle. "That dude was dead already," Steven told cops. "He overdosed. I didn't have anything to do with that."
The car was supposed to be used in the New Jersey filming of a John Travolta movie, police sources told the Daily News. Neighbors said the filming on the streets of Franklin Lakes, N.J. was set for last month, with Frank announcing he was directing the shoot that never happened.
Frank is the son of the late "Sopranos" actor Frank Anthony Vallelonga Sr. a.k.a. Tony Lip, whose real-life road trip with Don Shirley became the inspiration behind 2018's "Green Book". Frank's younger brother Nick co-wrote and produced the critically-acclaimed movie, which won two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. Frank appeared in the film as his own uncle Rudy "Rodolfo" Vallelonga.
Frank was also the owner of Tony Lip's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, named after his famous father, until the Franklin Lakes, N.J. eatery closed during the pandemic.
