John Aprea, known for his role as young Tessio in The Godfather Part II and as John Stamos’ father in Full House, has passed away. He was 83.
Aprea passed away on August 5 in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family, as confirmed by his manager, Will Levine, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Aprea was born in 1941 to Italian immigrants in Englewood, New Jersey. In the early 1960s, he moved to New York City to chase his acting dreams before eventually relocating to Los Angeles.
He earned his first significant role in the 1967 Steve McQueen classic Bullitt, which led to his portrayal of young Salvatore “Sal” Tessio in The Godfather Part II. Initially, he had auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather. Of course, the part ultimately went to Al Pacino.
Aprea reportedly called actor Abe Vigoda, who portrayed the older version of his character in The Godfather, seeking his blessing and for any tips. Vigoda allegedly quipped to Aprea: “Just have a good time, kid.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Aprea described the role as one of the highlights of his career.
He also featured in notable films such as The Stepford Wives (1975), New Jack City (1991), The Game (1997), and The Manchurian Candidate (2004).
John Aprea’s Acting Career Beyond ‘The Godfather II’
However, Aprea might be better known to 80s and 90s kids for a high-profile sitcom role. He portrayed the exterminator dad of Stamos’ character, Jesse Katsopolis, on ABC’s Full House from 1988 to 1991, later reprising the role in the 2017 Netflix reboot, Fuller House.
His television credits include series such as The Gangster Chronicles, Matt Houston, and Knots Landing. He has also appeared in episodes of 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.
Aprea’s Knots Landing co-star Paul Carafotes paid tribute to the late actor on Saturday. On Instagram, he posted a throwback image alongside Aprea on Knots Landing, and a more recent shot of the two together, In the second shot, Aprea is laying on a hospital bed but still looks upbeat.
“We had lots of laughs,” he captioned the images. “We met on the set of CBS television show Knots Landing, 1987, over 40 years ago. Many will miss this man! Rest old friend. I’ll see you on the other side.”
He is survived by his third wife, Betsy Garci; his daughter, Nicole, from his previous marriage to actress Cherie Latimer; and his stepchildren, Marika Parker and Valentino Garci.