I remember playing in Union City, and we had crap games after we finished playing at night. We would go next door to the cab stand where they were playing gin rummy and betting $1,000 a hand.
— Frank Vincent
I spent my youth playing music, and I worked a lot in New Jersey and New York clubs. At 18, I worked all around Hudson, Essex, and Bergen counties.
When you're acting on camera, you don't really think of your voice. You think of the whole instrument - your body, your look, and whatever you have to do. But when you're doing the voiceover, you're thinking only of your voice. You really can't compare the two different mediums.
You see mob guys when you play in nightclubs. It's part of the protocol.
There's a moment of truth that comes when you are performing, and you are all alone.
I'm not saying 'The Godfather' trilogy was bad - because it was brilliant - but that was fiction. It was based on reality.
If it's Saturday night, and you're sitting on your couch watching 'Showtime at the Apollo,' then you're not a man's man.
I played the Holiday Motel on the circle in 1970. I know the Jersey Shore.
I am a musician by rights, and I played in Asbury Park in the old African Room in the Robert Trent Hotel next to the Albion. That was in the early '60s.
New York's got a little rougher edge to it than Chicago.
Grooming should be done in moderation.
Atkins - I was on that for two weeks. All I lost was 14 days.
A man's man has no problems with commitment, as long as he's not with a woman who needs to be committed.
As a character actor, you have to understand that it's not about you. You have to remember it's about someone else's life. And your character is just passing through.
Actors are real egomaniacs. They get into a movie, they think the whole movie's about them.
When lines are great, they're easy to do. You just find the essence of it, and you do it.
My son, Tony Vincent, is a stuntman. He doubles for Jim Caviezel on 'Person of Interest.' He works really hard.
I think 'The Sopranos' probably solidifies the misconception that people have about New Jersey to begin with. Because you're from Jersey, and everybody has an accent, you are perceived a certain way. I don't know if they are jealous or in awe or look down their nose at you, but that's the way life is. If you don't like it, change the channel.
When I was 18 years old and playing the drums, I never thought that I would have a website and that people will be buying my autographed picture and paying money for it.
I enjoy going to the beach, relaxing with my wife, going out to dinner, and having a good time.
I don't know what drives me. I need to work. I wanted to be in the entertainment field, but I didn't know what.
I did a lot of 'NYPD Blues' and 'Law & Orders' and a couple of other ones that were shot in New York earlier in my career.
David Chase is a genius.
If you decide to go clubbing on a Friday night, and you're home before two A.M., you're not a man's man.
You are you, and nobody else can do what you do. But a little talent can help.
I never in my wildest dreams thought that I'd have merchandise selling on a web site. It's just amazing to me.
My wife and I lived in Chicago for two months, and we went to a lot of great restaurants.
A man's man is respectful, he's honorable, he's loyal, he's sensitive, he's strong, he's tough, he's well-groomed, he has a sense of humor - and he takes care of himself and his lady.
Fellas, one of the most effective ways to meet a woman is on the street.
'The Godfather' illustrated the family values - the reality that it was really a family thing, honor and tradition. It wasn't just a single-dimension thing.
There was an article about me once, and the first line was, 'It's good to be a gangster.' Well, I'm not a gangster. I'm an actor.
Being down makes you think who you are.
I've met a lot of big stars who have humility. Sly Stallone is a very humble guy. Robert DeNiro is a really humble guy. Some of the women aren't so humble for some reason. I don't know why.
I think all the roles were something that sort of hit me, and I guess I was very lucky to get those roles.
Trust is very important. In 'Goodfellas' in the 'Go home and get your shine box!' scene, we must have filmed 15 takes. If you played each take back, the timing would be exactly the same each time.
I work on television and I work in film, and the acting is two different things.
I do a lot of meet-and-greets with the people, and I do 'sign shows' where I meet people and sign autographs.
Nothing is real until you walk out on stage.
People are funny in the way that they choose to express themselves.
You have got to have a good sense of humor, you have got to be tough, and you have got to know how to dress.
Bad boys are classy and refined. For example, even though Donald Trump came from money and a privileged lifestyle, he's a man's man.
I wanted to be what I am. All my life. A musician and an actor.
Chicago - it's the Midwest, and the people are not as tough or not as edgy as they are in New York.
'The Godfather' changed the way gangsters acted.
It's very important what you say to kids. You have to walk a very fine line between talking about your life and talking about what you've done.
Fellas, it's all a numbers game. The more women you meet, the greater chance you have of finding the right one.
People are fascinated with the fast life, the easy life. For some reason, that's an American dream, and it goes all the way back to the Edward G. Robinsons and the Cagneys.
Sometimes people start with you. Especially in local places - 'Hey, go get your shine box.' So I go out earlier. I wear sunglasses and a cap... That's the downside of being successful.
I think that all the time I lived alone changed me.
People approach you in a different way when you're a celebrity - some are nice, some are not nice.
