Sarah Chianese, daughter of The Sopranos actor Dominic Chianese, has died aged 58.
The news was announced on Instagram at the request of her family on Friday (18 April).
“Sarah Francesca Chianese, daughter of Dominic Chianese, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 15th,” read the post by fan page, @sopranosaficionado. “She battled glioblastoma and was only 58 years old. Her father stayed by her side til the very end.”
A tribute by her sister Rebecca added: “Sarah was a bright light in this world, she wanted everyone to live their happiest life and smile when they think of her.”
She was the daughter of Dominic Chianese, who is best known for playing Corrado John “Junior” Soprano Jr, the head of the DiMeo crime family for most of the cult series. Throughout the show, Junior serves as both uncle and mentor to protagonist Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). Chianese was nominated for two Emmy Awards for his performance on the show, which ran for six seasons between 1999 and 2007.
Sarah died of glioblastoma, a form of cancer that begins in the brain or spinal cord. Her brother, Dominic Jr, told People that their father had been with her in Colorado in her final days.
He described his sister as someone who “knew how to throw a party because she had a catering business. I just think that that’s such a great quality, if somebody knows how to throw a party.”
Dominic Jr added: “She was dedicated to her craft, like a real artist when it came to that,” he said of her catering business.
“I would just like to say that my father was there in her final days to support her in her transition. It was important to her and him both.”
Meanwhile, Sarah’s son described his mother as the “most accomplished woman I’ve ever known”. He wrote: “Whether it was reclaiming and restoring old barns, working in a law firm in her early twenties, or dominating the Hudson Valley with her catering company in her late fifties, she got the job done—always in record time, with unreal competence.”
