I dont think he ever died.
He just disappeared.
The other guy was terriable
They didn't. They basically pretended that the fourth season (Miami, with Stephen Bauer) never happened, so Vinnie was never killed. Presumably, Vinnie was burnt out and was assigned to a boring, safe position, i.e. wire tapping, which is mentioned in the movie...
shareI don't think they ever found irrefutable evidence that he was dead during the series. He was just presumed dead and Bauer's character was brought in. I guess they just retconned the story to assume he resurfaced later, and took a safe job.
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We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.