John Aprea, the actor known for his roles in “Godfather Part II” and “Full House,” passed away on Monday from natural causes in Los Angeles at the age of 83. His manager, Will Levine, confirmed the news.
Aprea was born in 1941 to Italian immigrant parents in Englewood, New Jersey. He spent part of his childhood in Italy before his family returned to America. In the 1960s, he pursued acting by taking classes from Joshua Shelley in New York, who also trained notable actors like Mia Farrow and Jon Voight. Aprea made his film debut in the 1968 classic “Bullitt,” where he played Killer.
His early career included appearances in the 1970s TV series “Mannix,” the film “The Grasshopper,” and Jonathan Demme’s 1974 movie “Caged Heat.” Aprea’s breakthrough role came when he was cast as the young Tessio in “The Godfather Part II.” He sought advice from Abe Vigoda, who portrayed the older Tessio in the first film. Vigoda’s simple encouragement, “Just have a good time, kid,” left a lasting impression on Aprea.
Aprea’s career continued to flourish, and he starred in the 1975 comedy TV series “The Montefuscos,” focusing on an Italian-American family’s Sunday dinners. He later portrayed the brother of Ray Sharkey’s character in Taylor Hackford’s “The Idolmaker.”
From 1981 to 1987, he was a regular on ABC’s “Matt Houston,” taking on the role of Lt. Vince Novelli. He later returned to New York to appear in the soap opera “Another World” as Lucas Castigliano, earning a nomination for a “Soap Opera Digest” award for his role as an outstanding villain in “Knots Landing.”
Aprea also played the father of John Stamos’ character, Uncle Jesse, on “Full House,” and returned to this role in the recent Netflix reboot. Throughout his later career, he continued to appear in various productions, including the 1991 film “New Jack City,” and television series like “NYPD Blue,” “CSI,” and “The Sopranos.”
He is survived by his wife, Betsy Graci, with whom he shared 25 years of marriage, his daughter Nicole from a previous relationship, and his stepchildren Marika Parker and Valentino Graci. A private service is planned to celebrate his life.