After he acquired a reputation as a skilled character actor in the 1980s and 1990s, Pastorelli's career went into decline after the death of his girlfriend under mysterious circumstances at his home in 1999. He died of a narcotic overdose in 2004. He was best known as Eldin in Murphy Brown (1988–1994), Johnny C. in Eraser (1996), and Hughey in Michael (1996).
Pastorelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the son of Ledo ("Tally") Pastorelli (1918–2008), an insurance salesman and Dorothy ("Dottie"; 1918–2008), an artist. His sister, Gwen Pastorelli, is an opera singer and a real estate agent.[citation needed]
He spent his childhood years in Edison, New Jersey, graduating from Edison High School in 1972. He initially intended a career as a professional boxer, but had to abandon the sport due to injuries sustained in a near-fatal high-speed car crash at the age of 19 (he later claimed that he had a "near death" incident at this time, and that he had experienced himself looking down from above upon his body in the hospital bed with his father at the bedside overcome with grief). He acquired a narcotic habit in his early twenties prior to his acting career that he overcame, but he would relapse throughout his later life.

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