John Aprea, known for roles in ‘Full House’ and ‘Godfather Part II,’ dies at 83
John Aprea, the actor who played John Stamos' character's father on "Full House" and Sal Tessio in "The Godfather Part II" during a Hollywood career that spanned nearly 60 years, has died at 83, according to his manager.
Aprea died of natural causes Aug. 5 in Los Angeles while surrounded by loved ones, manager Will Levine announced in a statement to NBC News.
One of Aprea's most famous roles was as a younger version of mobster Salvatore "Sal" Tessio in one of the greatest movie sequels of all time, "The Godfather Part II," in 1974.
He played another gangster character in the 1991 classic "New Jack City." Aprea portrayed mob boss Don Armeteo, who goes to war with the murderous gang headed by Nino Brown, played by Wesley Snipes.
Aprea was also known for his role as Nick Katsopolis, the father of Stamos' Uncle Jesse on "Full House." He appeared in the show's original run from 1988-91 and for one episode of the Netflix reboot "Fuller House" in 2017.
Aprea was born in 1941 in Englewood, New Jersey, as the son of Italian immigrants. His first big acting break came as a killer in the Steve McQueen action classic "Bullitt" in 1968, followed by his role in "The Godfather II." Star Abe Vigoda, who played Tessio in "The Godfather," told Aprea that when it came to playing Tessio, to "just have a good time, kid," according to Levine.
Aprea also appeared in the television series "The Montefuscos" in 1975 and made appearances over the years on hit shows like "NYPD Blue," "The A-Team," "Melrose Place," "The Sopranos" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." His last acting appearance was on the British crime drama "The Bay" from 2020-23, according to IMDb.
Aprea is predeceased by his sister, Rosanna Sole, and survived by his wife and partner of 25 years, Betsy Graci, his daughter Nicole from a previous marriage, and stepchildren Marika Parker and Valentino Graci, according to his manager's statement.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
