Paul Herman, known for roles in 'The Sopranos', 'Goodfellas' dead

Herman, who was born in Brooklyn in 1946, began his acting career in 1982 with 'Dear Mr. Wonderful', co-starring Joe Pesci and Karen Ludwig. 

Washington: Actor Paul Herman, best known for his roles in 'The Sopranos' and 'Goodfellas', has died. As per People magazine, Herman died on his 76th birthday on Tuesday. 

Michael Imperioli, a former 'Sopranos' cast member, confirmed the news of Herman's death in an Instagram post on Wednesday.Along with a picture of the late star, Imperioli wrote, "Our friend and colleague PAUL HERMAN has passed away. Paulie was just a great dude. A first class storyteller and raconteur and one hell of an actor. Goodfellas, Once Upon a Time in America , The Irishman and of course The Sopranos are some highlights. Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and i am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us. I'll miss him. Lots of love to his family, friends and our community of actors and filmmakers. #thesopranos #goodfellas #paulherman.

"The cause of Herman`s death has not been released yet. In a statement to Variety, Herman's 'Goodfellas' co-star Robert De Niro said, "I am very sad about the passing of Paul Herman. He was a wonderful actor as well as a dear friend. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him, and by the profession he so proudly served through the quality of his work."

Herman, who was born in Brooklyn in 1946, began his acting career in 1982 with 'Dear Mr. Wonderful', co-starring Joe Pesci and Karen Ludwig. Throughout the 1980s, he then appeared in films such as 'Easy Money', 'The Cotton Club', 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' and 'Radio Days'.

On the television side, the actor had roles in 'Spencer: For Hire', 'Miami Vice' and 'The Equalizer', before taking on the role of club owner Peter "Beansie" Gaeta in 'The Sopranos'.