Charley Scalies, The Wire and Sopranos Actor, Dies at 84 After ‘Long Battle’ with Alzheimer’s Disease

Charley Scalies, The Wire and The Sopranos actor, has died. He was 84.

Scalies died in a nursing facility in Phoenixville, Pa., after a “long battle” with Alzheimer’s disease on Thursday, May 1, according to his daughter, Anne Marie Scalies, per The Hollywood Reporter. 

His online obituary stated that he “passed away peacefully.”

The Philadelphia-born actor was best known for his roles on HBO as Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa in season 2 of The Wire and as Tony Soprano’s former high school coach in season 5 of The Sopranos.

In a 2015 interview for the site Wildsound, Scalies described working on the shows as “humbling, very humbling,” adding, “But the thing that really makes me smile is knowing my great grandkids, and beyond, will get to see what Poppi looked and sounded like.”

According to his obituary, Scalies made his film debut in the 1995 film Two Bits, starring Al Pacino. He also appeared in 12 Monkeys, Liberty Heights, and Jersey Girl, and was in numerous episodes in the Law & Order franchise. 

In addition to acting, Scalies held the position of director of sales and contracts at Clifton Precision, a company known for precision manufacturing. He also later established his own consulting firm.

And while Scalies found success in two different professions, his obituary noted that he was “known first and foremost as a husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. … His favorite audience was always seated around the dinner table.”

The Wire writer Rafael Alvarez posted a message to the actor’s children on a virtual tribute wall, writing: “I became instant friends with your Dad when I sat down next to him at lunch on the first day of shooting Season Two of The Wire. In time he became a member of my family. Miss you, Horse.”

Per his obituary, Scalies is survived by his wife of 62 years — “the true love and joy of his life” — Angeline M. Scalies (née Cardamone), as well as his five children and four grandchildren. 

His service will be on Thursday, May 8, at 11:00 a.m local time at Moore, Snear & Ruggiero Funeral Home in Trappe, Pa.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made in Scalies’ name to the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.