Tony Lip, born Frank Anthony Vallelonga, was raised in the vibrant borough of the Bronx, New York. For twelve remarkable years, he worked at the renowned Copacabana Nightclub in New York City, where he had the privilege of hosting the most illustrious personalities of the era, including the iconic Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Bobby Darin.
After his stint at the Copa, Tony embarked on a successful career in acting. His big break came when he was cast in the critically acclaimed film, The Godfather. He went on to appear in numerous major motion pictures, including Crazy Joe, The Pope of Greenwich Village, The Year of the Dragon, Honor Thy Fathers, Goodfellas, and Donnie Brasco.
Tony's most recent notable role was as the New York mob boss Carmine Lupertazzi on the hit HBO series, The Sopranos. In addition to his acting career, Tony also ventured into writing and penned the book "Shut Up and Eat!", where he shares personal stories and his family's treasured Italian recipes.
In this delightful cookbook, Tony gathered his favorite Italian-American friends and actors, including Danny Aiello, James Gandolfini, Chazz Palmintieri, and Joe Mantegna, to share their families' secret recipes and personal stories of growing up as Italian-Americans. The book is filled with photographs, personal anecdotes, and favorite recipes, showcasing the richness of preparing and sharing an Italian meal.
In 2018, a film based on Tony's road trip and friendship with Don Shirley, Green Book, was released, featuring Viggo Mortensen as Tony in an Academy Award-nominated performance.
