Tony Lip

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.