Veteran filmmaker Martin Scorsese paid an emotional tribute to famed onscreen tough guy Frank Vincent, saying the actor was someone "I could count on".
Scorsese directed the actor in three films- 1980's "Raging Bull","Goodfellas" (1990), and "Casino" (1995).
Vincent passed away at the age of 78 on Wednesday after complications from open-heart surgery, reported Entertainment Weekly.
"Frank Vincent was someone I could count on. He was a natural who was at ease in front of the camera - on a set or on a stage. He made it look easy in all respects. He was genuine," Scorsese said in a statement.
Vincent started acting in the mid-1970s and was a longtime friend of frequent Scorsese collaborator Joe Pesci.
"We worked together on three pictures, each time with his old partner Joe Pesci, and I always marvelled at his genius for improvisation.
"He was a hard-working actor, he understood the world we were portraying so well that he really didn't appear to be acting at all. I will always marvel at his artistry, and consider myself lucky to have had the chance to work with him and to know him," Scorsese added.
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