WASHINGTON: John Aprea, the esteemed actor celebrated for his roles in 'The Godfather Part II' and 'Full House', has passed away at the age of 83. According to a statement from his manager, Will Levine, reported by Deadline, Aprea died of natural causes on August 5 at his Los Angeles residence, where he was surrounded by his family.
Aprea, born on March 4, 1941, in Englewood, New Jersey, made his acting debut in 1968 with a role in the film Bullitt, featuring Steve McQueen.
He garnered significant recognition for his portrayal of Young Tessio in Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather Part II (1974)'
Notably, Aprea had initially auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone in the original 'The Godfather' (1972).
His film career continued with notable roles in 'The Stepford Wives' (1975), 'New Jack City' (1991), 'The Game' (1997), 'Dead Man on Campus' (1998), and 'The Manchurian Candidate' (2004).
Aprea also left a lasting impression on television with a recurring role as Nick Katsopolis, Jesse's father, in both 'Full House' and its sequel series 'Fuller House'.
In addition to his work on 'Full House', Aprea's television career included appearances in series such as The Gangster Chronicles, Matt Houston, and Knots Landing.
His extensive TV credits also feature roles in 'Wonder Woman', 'Three's a Crowd', 'The A-Team', 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', 'The Fall Guy', 'Falcon Crest', 'Tales from the Dark Side', 'Night Court', 'Melrose Place', 'Saved by the Bell: The New Class', and 'The Sopranos'.