John Aprea Of ‘Full House’ And ‘The Godfather Part II’ Dies At 83

John Aprea, famous for playing father to John Stamos’ Jesse Katsopolis in Full House and younger Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather Part II, has been confirmed dead by his manager, Will Levine. He noted that he died of natural causes at his Los Angeles home.

The 83-year-old, who is survived by his wife of 25 years, Betsy Graci, and his daughter Nicole, was surrounded by his loved ones in his final moments. The news was followed by tributes from fellow celebrities and co-stars like Paul Carafotes, who met him on the set of CBS’ Knots Landing.

From bartending to stardom

John’s career started with his debut as Dr. Kinner in Bullit alongside Steve McQueen, after several acting classes with Joshua Shelley. He then starred in The Grasshopper, The Dark Side of Tomorrow, and Curtis Hanson’s Sweet Kill in the early ‘70s.

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After a few more movies in the ‘70s, John landed his breakthrough role in The Godfather series while bartending in Los Angeles. He met Francis Ford Coppola at Roberts and was initially considered to play Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone; however, younger Salvatore in the sequel proved a much better fit.

John never stopped working

John’s career opened up with more gigs and recognitions, including a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Villain for playing Manny Vasquez in CBS’ Knots Landing. The late icon excelled in TV series and film, co-starring with A-listers like Denzel Washington in 2004.

He famously guest-starred as Nick in Fuller House, after which he spent the last four years reprising his role as Jack Madison in The Bay. John has left behind a lasting legacy, which fans acknowledged as soon as the tragic news broke. “RIP to John Aprea, a talented and ubiquitous character actor,” a supporter reacted via Instagram.