Profile Text
Birth Name: Frank Anthony Vallelonga
Date of Birth: July 30, 1930
Place of Birth: Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania or New York, U.S.
Date of Death: January 4, 2013
Place of Death: Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.
Ethnicity: Italian
Tony Lip was an American actor, author, and bouncer. Tony is depicted in the film Green Book (2018), where he is played by Viggo Mortensen . The film portrays Tony’s friendship with pianist Don Shirley.
Tony was the son of Nazarena and Nick/Nicola Vallelonga, who were Italian immigrants. Tony was married to Delores (Venere), whose parents were also Italian. The couple had two children, actor and filmmaker Nick Vallelonga , who co-wrote Green Book (for which he won an Academy Award), and actor Frank Vallelonga. He had roots in Province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria.
Tony’s maternal grandfather was named Bruno Iovine.