Charley Scalies

Charley Scalies, an actor known for his supporting roles in "The Wire" and "The Sopranos," died May 1, 2025, of Alzheimer's disease in a nursing facility in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, at the age of 84.

Scalies did not begin acting early in life. His first onscreen role didn't come until the age of 55, when he was cast in the Al Pacino film "Two Bits" in 1995, followed by two episodes of "Homicide: Life on the Street" the following year. He landed the role that he's best known for in 2003, when he played Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa on the second season of "The Wire," a union-loyal stevedore who clashes with investigators. Other roles included playing Coach Molinaro in a fifth season episode of "The Sopranos," as well as appearances in "12 Monkeys," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Jersey Girl," among others.

"Uncle Charley was not just our beloved uncle. He was a guiding light and voice for so many in our family. Larger than life personality and an even larger talent. I mean a force!" film curator Virgil F. Cardamone said on Facebook. "I saw him perform as The Cowardly Lion when I was a youngster and it changed something inside of me. Seeing someone I know shine so brightly made me feel like anything was possible if you could conjure the courage to do it. Not long after that I found my own voice and would turn to him for advice. He never stopped sending words of encouragement. I always found it ironic that he played Tony Soprano's coach - because he was always the coach to me."

By Eric San Juan

(Image: Charley Scalies via Facebook)