During his career spanning more than fifty years, Sorvino became known for roles as the cold-blooded mobster Paulie Cicero in Goodfellas and NYPD Sergeant Phil Cerretta in the crime series Law & Order. He also portrayed James Caan’s bookkeeper in The Gambler and Claire Danes’ pushy father in Romeo and Juliet.
In 1973, Sorvino received a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Award for his performance as the unscrupulous Phil Romano in the Broadway production That Championship Seasonwinner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Despite his gangster and bad guy roles, Sorvino described himself as a softie with a passion for poetry, painting and the opera. When his daughter Amanda Sorvino, who also acts, took the stage in 1996 to receive an award for Best Supporting Actor, Sorvino was seen in the audience crying with joy.