Yahoo Sports Tommy DeVito, founding member of the Four Seasons, dies from COVID-19 at 92
Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images
Tommy DeVito, a founding member of the popular doo-wop group the Four Seasons, died Monday night of complications from COVID-19. He was 92.
DeVito was being treated at Siena St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nev., for weeks and was on a ventilator until he died, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons sent their condolences to DeVito's family in a statement provided to EW.
"It is with great sadness that we report that Tommy DeVito, a founding member of the Four Seasons, has passed," the statement said. "We send our love to his family during this most difficult time. He will be missed by all who loved him."
Joe Pesci, who honored DeVito in 1990 by having his character in Goodfellas named after him, is also in mourning.
"I was greatly saddened to hear this morning of the passing of my lifelong friend Tommy DeVito," Pesci said in a statement. "He was truly a gifted musician who dedicated his life to making people happy through his music. The time he spent as part of the Four Seasons produced some of the most iconic music of that era and continues to inspire young musicians to this day. I will always remember him for his great voice and for the character that he was. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loyal fans. I will never forget him. RIP."
Longtime friend and actor Alfredo Nitolli, who starred alongside DeVito in The Good Shepherd, said services for the performer would be forthcoming in New Jersey.
"My dear friend Tommy passed away in Las Vegas at 9:45 last night with deep regret I am writing this sitting in his living room I was informed by his daughter Darcel there will be a service in New Jersey," he wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
DeVito, born Gaetano DeVito, not only served as guitarist and singer in the Four Seasons in the '60s but was also their manager before abruptly departing in 1970. The behind-the-scenes drama that led to his disassociation with the group played out for audiences in Jersey Boys, a hit Broadway play that was later adapted for the big screen. DeVito said that his portrayal in the film was "around 75% right."
"I left [the group] because I had had enough," DeVito told the Las Vegas Sun in 2008. "I had it up to here with the road and the group."
During DeVito's tenure with the Four Seasons, they found success with songs including "Sherry," Big Girls Don't Cry," and "Walk Like a Man." He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside his bandmates in 1990, and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.
Related content:
