Actor John Aprea, Known for His Roles in “The Godfather Part II ”and “Full House”, Dies at 83

Aprea had a storied career in Hollywood, appearing in everything from soap operas such as 'Knots Landing' to action-thriller films including 'Bullitt'

John Aprea, a Hollywood character actor known for his roles in The Godfather Part II and Full House, has died. He was 83.

Aprea's manager Will Levine confirmed to PEOPLE on Sunday, Aug. 18, that the actor died of natural causes on Aug. 5 at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family.

Originally from Englewood, N.J., Aprea was the son of Italian immigrants and began his acting career first in New York City in the 1960s, before moving to Los Angeles to star in movies including Steve McQueen's 1967 film Bullitt, 1970's The Grasshopper and 1975's The Stepford Wives, according to his IMDB.

Related: 'Full House' Cast: Where Are They Now?

He appeared in many more well-known and well-received films and TV series over the years, including director Jonathan Demme's 1974 movie Caged Heat, 2004's The Manchurian Candidate and the long-running soap opera Knots Landing.

Aprea portrayed dozens of mobster characters during his career, including in Mario Van Peebles’ 1991 movie New Jack City, as well as TV shows such as the 1981 NBC miniseries The Gangster Chronicles.

According to THR, Aprea met Francis Ford Coppola while bartending in Los Angeles and was given the chance to audition for the role of Michael Corleone in the original Godfather film. Although the role ultimately went to Al Pacino, Aprea was called back again for the sequel, where he took over the role of mafia man Salvatore Tessio, who was portrayed by Abe Vigoda in the original.

In a previous interview, Aprea said that working with Coppola, Pacino and Robert De Niro on the film was "the high point" of his acting career.

"I was surrounded by the best in The Godfather," he told the Shreveport Journal, according to Deadline.

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From 1988 to 1991, Aprea made appearances on Full House as Nick Katsopolis, an exterminator and father to Jesse Katsopolis, played by John Stamos. He also reprised the role for the show's 2017 Netflix reboot, Fuller House.

On Saturday, Aug. 18, Knots Landing actor Paul Carafotes paid tribute to his late costar, writing in an Instagram post, "I just heard that my old pal, friend, actor, father, husband, brother passed away," before sharing memories of Aprea.

"We had lots of laughs. We met on the set of CBS television show Knots Landing, 1987. Over 40 years ago," Carafotes continued. "Many will miss this man! Rest old friend. I’ll see you on the other side."

Aprea is survived by his wife of 25 years Betsy Graci, his daughter Nicole (from a previous marriage to actress Ninon Aprea) and his stepchildren Marika Parker and Valentino Graci. He was predeceased by his sister Rosanna Sole.

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