There are references in various places that claim Tony Sirico had a part in Godfather II...though I can't recall seeing him in any shape or form, nor is he credited, even on imdb.com. Is this a bogus claim, possibly confusing him with Dominick Chianese or has he got a really small part in the movie?

It's a mistake. He did not appear in GF.


Don Cardi

I thought I saw him in an interview and he said he was in it.

DS

an extra perhaps?

Although Tony was out of jail when GFII was made, he did not appear in it (I think that he started acting during 1977 or 1978). However, he (and the rest of the Sopranos cast) seems to know the GF films extremely well...

Having just seen his very first CREDITED acting role on a Kojak rerun last night ('A Case Without a File', 1977), I did a Google which led me to an old Tony Sirico interview dating back to 1990 just before Goodfellas was released chronicalling his actual criminal past and the acting career that followed up to that point. In the interview (from his home turf in Bensonhurst) he says he was in Godfather 2 (albeit uncredited) in the scene where Pentangeli gets jumped in that dark bar room in Little Italy. He's one of the two who help Tony Rosato (Danny Aiello) drag him to the back and, according to the interview, he even had a speaking part although you didn't actually see him while he was saying, "it's a cop". You're lucky if you can see him at all for the scene is too dimly lit and they all run out of there too fast. Putting in the DVD, I played the scene very slowly pressing the pause button on and off and can catch two vaguely recognizable shots of his face as he and the others flee the joint. Once they're all outside, in the daylight, you still never get to see his face either in the gunfight that ensued or once they were all in the getaway car (too much light reflection off front windshield). Don't know why this is so 'unconfirmed' but I believe it's definitely him, and not just due to 'wishful thinking' because I think it would be 'cool' that another future Soprano alumn (such as Dominic Chianese as 'Johnny Ola') was in such a Classic. I've been willing to believe all along that he being in GF2 was a myth until I read the interview and re-analysed the scene for myself.

As for that Kojac ep, it was quite a trip to see him! Two very brief scenes where his character, a seemingly shady car salesman named Greek God, interacts with Kojac himself. In dress attire and mannerisms, it was certainly 'Paulie Walnuts', just a little thinner and not yet sporting grey wingtips. Dominic Chianese also guest stars in a different Kojac episode and he, Sirico, and Danny Aiello are all together again in a 1978 film that I wish to see called 'Fingers' starring Harvey Keitel along with some other Godfather alumni.

Cool to know that he was in GF2.

Has Sirico ever done an actual stretch in the joint other than the police station cell all those times he got pinched??