'Goodfellas' Actor Paul Sorvino Dies at 83

And while he told People that he was able to overcome many of his struggles with some breathing exercises, he had already started acting by then.

After winning a scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Sorvino would make his Broadway debut in 1965 and become a fixture of stage and screen in the decades that followed.

While organized crime roles akin to his star-making performance as Paul Cicero in the 1990 classic Goodfellas were common for Sorvino, he also had a regular role on Law & Order by the following year.

Among his progeny are actor and producer Michael Sorvino. But of course, his most famous child is Mira Sorvino, who won an Academy Award for her performance in the 1995 Woody Allen film, Mighty Aphrodite.

That information comes from a statement his publicist made to The Sun. According to TMZ, Dee Dee was present for his final moments and released a statement of mourning.

In her words, "Our hearts are broken, there will never be another Paul Sorvino, he was the love of my life, and one of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen and stage."