‘Sopranos’ star Dominic Chianese’s daughter Sarah dead at 58 after cancer battle
“The Sopranos” star Dominic Chianese’s daughter, Sarah Chianese, has passed away. She was 58.
Sarah passed away from a battle with glioblastoma on Tuesday, according to a tribute shared on Instagram on behalf of the Chianese family. Glioblastoma is a malignant, cancerous brain tumor.
“Sarah Francesca Chianese, daughter of Dominic Chianese, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 15th,” the tribute read. “She battled glioblastoma and was only 58 years old. Her father stayed by her side ‘til the very end.”
“Sarah was a bright light in this world, she wanted everyone to live their happiest life and smile when they think of her,” her sister, Rebecca Chianese, added.
A series of photos of Sarah and her famous father was also posted alongside the touching tribute. One photo showed the “Sopranos” star and his late daughter holding one another while steeped in conversation. Another showed the pair smiling happily at the camera.
Dominic Chianese Jr., Sarah’s brother, told People that his sister would be remembered for her “kindness,” which he described as “one of the greatest human attributes.”
“[Sarah] knew how to throw a party because she had a catering business. I just think that that’s such a great quality, if somebody knows how to throw a party,” he told the outlet. “She was dedicated to her craft, like a real artist when it came to that.”
He added that their famous father was with Sarah in Colorado both ahead of and at the time of her tragic passing.
“I would just like to say that my father was there in her final days to support her in her transition,” Dominic Jr. said. “It was important to her and him both.”
Sarah’s son also remembered his mother as “one of the most accomplished women I’ve ever known” in his own tribute posted to her Instagram page.
“Whether it was reclaiming and restoring old barns, working in a law firm in her early twenties, or dominating the Hudson Valley with her catering company in her late fifties, she got the job done,” he wrote, “always in record time, with unreal competence.”
Dominic Chianese, 94, is best known for his work as Tony Soprano’s Uncle Junior in “The Sopranos.” He also played Johnny Ola in “The Godfather Part II,” as well as Leander Whitlock in the popular HBO series “Boardwalk Empire.”
Dominic credited his success on TV with bringing him closer to his loved ones during an interview with SouthJersey.com in 2001.
“But the biggest thing that happened is that it has connected me back with everyone in my family,” he said at the time of his “The Sopranos” fame. “I’ve always been close to my kids, but now we`re talking about everybody – cousins, aunts, uncles – and old friends.”
“They think it’s a beautiful thing that I’ve reached success late in life, but in only two years,” the actor added. “I’m also very grateful that it happened at an age where the success doesn’t go to my head.”
James Gandolfini, who starred alongside Dominic Chianese as Tony Soprano on “The Sopranos,” passed away in June 2013 of a heart attack. He was 51.
