Biography: "Go home and get your shine box....", so said ill fated Billy Batts in "The Goodfellas (1990)". However, Billy Batts is better known to a legion of crime film fans as the incredibly talented actor, musician, and comedian Frank Vincent. Multi-talented Vincent was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, but was raised in the Greenville section of Jersey City, New Jersey. Frank studied music at St. Pauls ... show all "Go home and get your shine box....", so said ill fated Billy Batts in "The Goodfellas (1990)". However, Billy Batts is better known to a legion of crime film fans as the incredibly talented actor, musician, and comedian Frank Vincent. Multi-talented Vincent was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, but was raised in the Greenville section of Jersey City, New Jersey. Frank studied music at St. Pauls Grammar School and became a keen drummer from a young age, whilst his father introduced him to the dramatic arts. Vincent went on to became quite an accomplished musician and played with some of the 1960s key recording artists including Trini López, Del Shannon and Paul Anka. In 1975 Vincent appeared before the camers for the first time in the low budget "Death Collector (1975)" where he was noticed by acclaimed director Martin Scorsese who has since cast Frank in three noted films.....the first saw Frank play the insolent Salvi in "Raging Bull (1980)", secondly as the aforementioned character of made man Billy Batts in "Goodfellas (1990)" being bumped off by Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, and finally as Frank Marino in "Casino (1995)" where this time, Frank got the better of Joe Pesci, and bumps off Pesci's character in grisly fashion. To date, Frank Vincent has appeared in over fifty movies, and has set the pace as one of the cinema's most versatile and resourceful character actors. With the recognition of his talents, different offers of work followed and Frank Vincent has since lent his skills to contributing and appearing on video games, in television commercials and rock music clips with artists including DMX, T-Boz and Hype Williams. Most recently, Frank has been appearing in the role of Phil Leotardo in the hugely popular gangster TV series "Sopranos (1999)" Frank Vincent is also the proud recipient of the Italian American Entertainer of the Year Award, and has also been acknowledged with a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Back East Picture Show. hide |
