Tony Ganios, the actor who played the lovable Meat Tuperello in the Porky’s franchise passed away at the age of 64. His fiancée, Amanda Serrano-Ganios, confirmed the news on social media, saying that he died on Sunday morning after suffering a heart failure following surgery for a spinal cord infection.
“The last words we said to each other were ‘I love you,'” Serrano-Ganios wrote on Instagram. “Love is an understatement. You are everything to me. My heart, my soul and my best friend. #I love you #tonyganios.”
Responding to people reacting to the news on social media, she added in a subsequent post, “It’s just unreal to me right now. It was so fast. He hadn’t felt well and hid it from me for days. When he finally told me, and was taken to the hospital, his spinal cord was severely infected. They did surgery, next morning, his heart stopped. I’m crushed.”
TMZ also reported that Ganios was on his way to a dialysis treatment Sunday morning when he went into cardiac arrest and experienced organ failure.
Ganios was born in Brooklyn and made his film debut in the 1979 crime drama The Wanderers, directed by Philip Kaufman. He played Perry, one of the members of the Italian-American gang that roamed the Bronx in the 1960s.
In 1981, Ganios landed the role that would make him famous: Meat Tuperello, a high school student with a large physique and an even larger reputation in the sex comedy Porky’s. He reprised his role in the two sequels, Porky’s II: The Next Day and Porky’s Revenge, and became a fan favorite for his hilarious antics and memorable scenes.
Ganios also appeared in other films such as Back Roads, Continental Divide, Body Rock, Die Hard 2, and The Taking of Beverly Hills. On television, he had roles in Wiseguy, The Equalizer, and Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
Ganios was also a producer and a writer, and had a passion for history and politics. He was working on a book about his experiences in Hollywood and his views on the industry.
Ganios is survived by his fiancée, his mother, his brother, and his nieces and nephews.
More information on Tony Ganios
Tony Ganios Wife
At the time of his death, Tony Ganios was engaged to his fiancee, Amanda Serrano. The couple had been together for nine years and were planning to get married just days before he was unexpectedly taken to hospital and sadly passed away.
Tony Ganios Net Worth
Estimates of Tony Ganios’s net worth at the time of his death vary, but most sources place it between $500,000 and $1 million. This figure is based on his acting career earnings, along with any potential endorsements or other ventures he may have been involved in.
Tony Ganios Cause of Death
Tony Ganios died from a heart attack on February 19, 2023. He had reportedly been experiencing health issues for several days prior to his hospitalization. Serrano-Ganios told PEOPLE of the news, “I’m just completely empty inside now. He was my best friend, my soul mate. I just love him so much.”
