Frank Vallelonga Jr. was found dead outside a tin factory in New York’s The Bronx on November 28, 2022. At first, the cause of death was not clear. However, an autopsy report from the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that the actor died of “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine.” This is reported by the “New York Post”.
The police had initially assumed an overdose. She found no evidence of a crime. However, surveillance video showed a man lifting the deceased actor’s body out of his car.
Shortly thereafter, the police arrested a 35-year-old man. According to the New York Post, while in custody, he confessed that he had dumped Vallelonga Jr.’s body. According to News 10, however, he denied any involvement in Vallelonga Jr.’s death, telling authorities, “The guy was already dead.” According to People, an arrest warrant was issued for the man in January after he failed to show up for a court hearing. The current status of the case is currently unclear, it said at the time.
Frank Vallelonga Jr. is the son of bouncer legend and ‘The Sopranos’ actor Tony Lip (1930-2013), whose life story is told in the film ‘Green Book’ (2018). In it, lead actor Viggo Mortensen (64) took on the role of Lip. Vallelonga Jr. played his uncle Rudy Vallelonga there. The strip won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
