Paul Sorvino

Paul Anthony Sorvino (/sɔːrˈviːnoʊ/, Italian: [sorˈviːno]; born April 13, 1939) is an American actor, opera singer, businessman, writer, and sculptor.[1] He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law and is known for his roles as Paulie Cicero (based on Paul Vario) in the 1990 gangster film Goodfellas, and NYPD Sergeant Phil Cerreta on the TV series Law & Order. He held supporting roles in A Touch of Class, Reds, The Rocketeer, Nixon, and Romeo + Juliet. He is the father of actors Mira Sorvino and Michael Sorvino.

Sorvino was born and raised in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, New York City.[2] His mother, Angela Maria Mattea (née Renzi; 1906-1991), was a homemaker and piano teacher, who was born in Connecticut, of Italian (Molisan) descent. His father, Ford Sorvino, was an Italian (Neapolitan) immigrant who worked in a robe factory as a foreman.[3][4] He attended Lafayette High School (where he was classmates with painter Peter Max) and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.