The actor John Aprea, best known for his roles in “The Godfather Part II” and “Full House,” has died. He was 83 years old.
Aprea died of natural causes in Los Angeles on August 5, his manager Will Levine confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY on Sunday.
The New Jersey-born actor, the son of Italian immigrants, made his film debut in the 1968 crime thriller “Bullitt,” starring Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Vaughn. In the early 1970s, he appeared in several films and television series, including “The Grasshopper” and “The Dark Side of Tomorrow.”
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Aprea joined the Godfather family in 1974 when he landed a role in The Godfather Part II, a sequel to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 crime drama starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan. Aprea portrayed a younger version of Sal Tessio, played by Abe Vigoda in the films.
Shortly after Aprea got the role, she called Vigoda and asked for advice on how to play the character, Levine said. Vigoda told him, “I don’t know what I did. Just have fun, kid.”
“The Godfather Part II” grossed $47.8 million at the box office and won an incredible six Oscars at the 1975 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Following his success with The Godfather, Aprea appeared in a number of television series and films, including a leading role in the family comedy The Montefuscos (1975) and the Bob Marcucci biopic The Idolmaker (1980).
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From gangster gruffness to baby talk, Aprea is also known for his role as grandfather Nick Katsopolis on the sitcom “Full House.” Aprea played the father of John Stamos’ character Jesse Katsopolis in several episodes from 1988 to 1991.
Aprea reprised his role in “Full House” in the 2017 Netflix reboot of the series “Fuller House”.
Most recently, Aprea had a recurring role on the Peacock soap opera “The Bay,” where she played Jack Madison from 2020 to 2023.
Aprea leaves behind his longtime wife Betsy Graci, his daughter Nicole, and stepchildren Marika Parker and Valentino Graci.
