Vincent Pastore celebrated his 80th birthday just weeks before his death, sharing a cake with his “right-hand man” — who remembered the “The Sopranos” star as a loyal friend who cared deeply for his community and causes close to his heart.
Pastore, who was found dead at his Bronx home on Saturday, marked the milestone with a customized birthday cake, laughing as he blew out candles following the “Happy Birthday” song, longtime pal Stephen Villano told The Post.
“This is totally shocking,” said Villano, who last spoke to Pastore on Thursday.
“He was an amazing individual and he loved his craft… his craft was to Broadway, movies, television,” Villano said.
Villano knew the actor for nearly three decades and described himself as Pastore’s “right-hand man,” first starting as his driver before developing a close friendship.
Pastore lived alone and was not sick prior to his death, Villano said.
Police sources told The Post that the actor died of natural causes.
“He was totally healthy. He was fine. He just went for his yearly physical,” Villano said.
Villano said Pastore “had a lot planned,” including different television shows, premieres as well as being a part of his old-rock music band, the “Gangster Squad,” where he would sing and play the tambourine.
“I did everything with Vinny. I drove him to places. I took him to his doctor appointment, I sat with him on shows. I traveled with him,” the grieving pal told The Post.
“He was a good man. I will miss him a lot,” Villano said while holding back tears.
On Saturday evening, friends, neighbors and actor and stuntman Chuck Zito, gathered at Pastore’s home of 30 years to remember the actor who was known for playing mobster characters in a slew of film and TV roles.
While many may assume the “Big Pussy” actor was like the characters he portrayed, Villano said Pastore was anything but a gangster in real life.
“He said, ‘I’m an actor. I play a character.’ So people would think that this is the man, but that wasn’t the man,” he said.
“The man was generous, he was kind, he was caring,” Villano said.
“He cared about his neighbors, he cared about charities, he cared about fundraisers,” he said, adding that Pastore supported veterans in the Bronx, US troops and the police department.
“He supported St. Jude’s [Children’s Research Hospital] and he supported the NYPD,” Villano said. “Widows, orphans, their Christmas parties…all the time, back to blue.”
Pastore, a prostate cancer survivor, “fought, battled and won” against the cruel disease and liked supporting people going through similar battles.
“When he did ‘The Apprentice,’ he donated all the money that he won on the [show] to a charity,” Villano said.
While Pastore was best known for his iconic role in “The Sopranos,” Villano said that the actor’s decades-long career was more than just playing mob informant, Salvatore Bonpensiero, on the hit American crime drama series that ran from 1999 to 2007.
“Because ‘Big Pussy’ was just a character, he played multiple characters,” he said. “He’s played horror movies, comedies, and you know, he was a comedian.”
However, Pastore was grateful to “The Sopranos” which was the actor’s “career launching pad,” Villano said.
“He was grateful to the cast. He loved everybody, made friends with them,” the heartbroken friend said.
“They were a family,” Villano said of the cast. “He was actually very close with all of them… Stevie Van Zandt, [Steve Schirripa], Michael Imperioli, Vince Curatola” many of whom shared touching tributes to their “beloved friend” and “beautiful soul” on Saturday.
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