Frank Vincent made swagger unpleasantly funny, and made small gangster parts count. We value his sharp timing with Joe Pesci in Martin Scorsese’s films, though the familiar tough-guy casting could make his arrival feel too predictable.
Fi1m perspective
Frank Vincent makes an insult sound like a claim to seniority. As Billy Batts in GoodFellas (1990), he gives the shinebox taunt the assurance of a man who expects to be indulged. We found him horribly funny: the swagger makes the insult uglier without making the speaker any less ridiculous. This is where we rate him most highly, finding comedy in men whose self-importance is dangerous. He does not need much screen time to make us dislike someone and still want to hear him speak.
His film debut in The Death Collector (1976) led to Martin Scorsese casting him in Raging Bull (1980), followed by steady character work. As Salvy Batts, he stands out even alongside Robert De Niro’s frightening Jake LaMotta. We admire the film’s exactness, though the repetition outside the ring can weary us. Vincent’s tough-guy swagger fits a film that never makes violence an easy pleasure; there is nothing especially inviting about belonging to this company.
Joe Pesci matters to this work. Their comedy partnership preceded the films, and that experience is useful when a joke is also meant to put somebody in his place. GoodFellas makes especially good use of their chemistry, giving Vincent a brief confrontation that stays with us. Yet the repeated gangster casting also limits the surprise; too often, we can guess what sort of man he will be before he speaks. His small part as Charlie in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989) offers a useful reminder that the casting need not always have been so narrow.
Casino (1995) returned him to Scorsese and Pesci as the lieutenant Frank Marino. The larger change came with Phil Leotardo in The Sopranos (2004–2007), his most extended television role. His association with Billy Batts had initially counted against his casting, which tells us how thoroughly one small performance could define him. Television gave that familiar menace more time, though it did not take him far from the gangsters. Begin with GoodFellas, provided an evening with men this pleased with themselves still sounds tolerable.
Biography
Frank Vincent was an American actor who frequently portrayed gangsters and criminals. Born Frank Vincent Gattuso Jr. on 15 April 1937 in North Adams, Massachusetts, and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, he began his career as a musician and drummer before entering acting.
He made his film debut in The Death Collector (1976) alongside Joe Pesci. Director Martin Scorsese cast him in supporting roles in Raging Bull (1980) as Salvy Batts, GoodFellas (1990) as Billy Batts, and Casino (1995) as Frank Marino. On television he played Phil Leotardo in The Sopranos (2004–2007). Vincent died on 13 September 2017 in New Jersey, aged 80.
