What role did John Aprea play in The Godfather Part II? Veteran actor passes away at 83

John Aprea, the actor who played the younger version of Salvator 'Sal' Tessio in The Godfather Part II, passed away earlier this month at age 83. The late actor's manager, Will Levine, confirmed the news of his death, saying that Aprea died on Monday, August 5, in his home in Los Angeles due to "natural causes." He was surrounded by his family members at the time of his passing.

Sharing the actor's death, Levine said:

"I am very saddened by the death of Mr. Aprea. He was an incredibly talented actor and loved by his friends. One of the classiest guys I knew."

John Aprea is survived by his wife, Betsy Graci, who has also been his partner for 25 years. He is also survived by his daughter from a previous marriage, Nicole, and his stepchildren, Marika Parker and Valentino Graci.

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John Aprea previously said playing Sal in The Godfather Part II was a "high point" in his career

John Aprea initially auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone, the youngest Corleone son who later became the Godfather of the family, in Francis Ford Coppola's OG The Godfather. However, the role eventually went to Al Pacino.

However, he would get his second chance to be part of Coppola's highly acclaimed Godfather movies in Part II, playing the young Sal Tessio, one of Don Vito Corleone's trusted friends and caporegimes. Aprea previously said in an interview for The Shreveport Journal in May 1988 that playing Tessio was a "high point" in his acting career. He also dished on what it was like working with Coppola in the mob flick as well as the stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, saying:

"I was surrounded by the best in The Godfather."

He also talked about the mob flick as "monumental" in his career during an interview with Digital Journal in 2020. He said:

"There were jobs that changed things for me, such as The Godfather Part I, which was monumental for me."

John Aprea also said it was one of the "best films ever made," and being part of it will stay with him, saying "it's part of who [he is]." He also praised Coppola and Mario Puzzo for writing its "amazing screenplay" and added that he's seen the movie over and over despite telling himself he's not going to see it again.

He also worked in more crime dramas after The Godfather Part II in TV projects and films, including The Gangster Chronicles. He played the mobster Albert Anastasia in the series, a character based on one of the most feared kingpins in Los Angeles. He also joined the cast of Dirty People and Brother and was part of the long-standing soap opera Another World as Lucas Catigliano.

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The late actor worked in Hollywood until 2023, with his last project being the crime drama The Bay, where he played the character of Mayor Jack Madison.