Charley Scalies, The Wire and The Sopranos actor, dies at 84

The Philadelphia-born actor played Thomas 'Horseface' Pakusa in 'The Wire' and Coach Molinaro in 'The Sopranos'

Charley Scalies starred as the stevedore known as 'Horseface' in 'The Wire' (HBO)

Charles “Charley” Scalies, the character actor known for his appearances in two of the most acclaimed television series of all time, has died. He was 84.

The Philadelphia-born actor played the stevedore Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa in the second season of The Wire and Coach Molinaro in the fifth season of The Sopranos.

His death was announced in an obituary posted by the Moore & Snear Funeral Home in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

According to the announcement, Scalies “passed away peacefully after a long battle with Alzheimer’s on Thursday May 1, 2025.”

It went on to describe the late actor as a “former business executive whose life reflected a rich blend of professional achievement, creative passion, and a true joy for life. His favorite audience was always seated around the dinner table.”

Scalies was born on July 19, 1940, to parents Charles and Theresa. He grew up above a pool hall that his father ran in South Philadelphia, and from a young age developed a knack for impressions and jokes that entertained the establishment’s customers.

He stayed in the city to study at St. Joseph’s College, and later found work at a precision manufacturing company before starting his consulting firm.

In the early 1990s, Scalies returned to his childhood love of acting and started appearing in community theater productions of plays and musicals such as Guys and Dolls, Chicago and The Wizard of Oz.

He made his film debut in 1995, aged 55, playing a driver in the Al Pacino drama Two Bits. The same year, he played a bodyguard in the thriller Condition Red and had a small role in Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys, which starred Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.

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A year later, he was cast as Sergeant Sal Burns in Homicide: Life on the Street. That role introduced him to the screenwriter and showrunner David Simon, who also cast him in 2003 in the memorable role of cargo checker and loyal union member “Horseface” in The Wire.

In 2004, he appeared as Coach Molinaro in the Sopranos episode “The Test Dream.” In a dream sequence, Scalies plays the high school football coach who chastises Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) for his decision to pursue a life of crime.

Scalies is survived by his wife of 62 years, Angeline; his five children: Charles Scalies III, Angeline Kogut, Anthony Scalies, Christa Ann Scalise and Anne Marie Scalies; and four grandchildren: Charles IV, Christopher, Domenic and Amelia Scalies.