Vinny Vella Tribute

Guests Monsignor Donald Sakano John Thomas Tony Ray Rossi Artie Pasquale David Noferi Dennis Dell Olivia Milano Richard Speziale The Acchords Tommy Mcmanus Warren Tesoro Dennis Dell Phil Point theacchords.com Producer Scott Skolnick Longtime MNN producer Vinny Vella died in February after a long battle with cancer. He was 72. Vinny hosted hundreds of episodes of his MNN series “Tell It Like It Is” between 2007 and 2018. A true raconteur, bon vivant, and man about town, Vinny was born on Bleecker Street and was a lifelong resident of Little Italy. After a one-line speaking role in “The French Connection” (1971) he went on to receive over 70 acting credits. He worked with directors such as Sidney Lumet, Jim Jarmusch, and Martin Scorsese. He is also remembered for his portrayal of Jimmy Petrille on HBO’s “The Sopranos”. Vinny appeared with longtime friend Robert De Niro in Scorsese’s “Casino” (1995), considered by many to be Scorsese’s best film. Vinny and De Niro (who was best man at Vinny’s wedding) will be featured in the long anticipated Martin Scorsese biopic of Jimmy Hoffa, “The Irishman” with Al Pacino. In a heartfelt one-hour tribute, Vinny’s friends, fellow actors, and associates celebrate his long and storied life, with performances by The Acchords, singing Vinny’s favorite music style: vocal harmonies. Vinny is survived by his wife Margaret-Anne, and his children Benjamin and Anthony Hernandez, Lauren and Jennifer Vella, and Vinny Vella Jr., who resides in Florida with his wife and two children. Vinny’s MNN series “Tell It Like It Is” can be seen Saturdays at 7pm on MNN 2