Classic Mob drama ‘The Sopranos’ first aired 25 years ago

When the groundbreaking HBO series The Sopranos debuted in 1999, it was an instant hit and a critical success. It continues to influence popular culture 25 years later.

The crime series is centered on psychologically troubled Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey mobster overseeing an organized crime family while attempting to hold his home life together with a wife and two children.

Throughout the series, Soprano attends regular therapy sessions with a psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). His anxiety stems in part from problems involving both families — the crime family and his own.

Created by television veteran David Chase, The Sopranos features a large cast of characters who, like Tony Soprano, have become a part of television lore. Others include Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco), Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico), Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) and Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli).

According to The New York Times, the series, which aired from January 1999 to June 2007, might be “the greatest work of American popular culture” in years. 

In 2021, the show was back in the spotlight with the release of a prequel movie, The Many Saints of Newark, set during the late 1960s and early ’70s, when the characters were younger. The prequel fueled speculation that there could be another movie or a television spinoff at some point, though nothing has surfaced to indicate anything else is in the works.

Instead, fans are enjoying a 25th anniversary revival, including interviews and behind-the-scenes features on Max (formerly HBO Max), highlighting the show’s success.

‘High-quality television’

Scott Deitche, author of Garden State Gangland: The Rise of the Mob in New Jersey and other books on organized crime, said The Sopranos is “the last great Mob pop culture product.”

“It came at a time when cable was beginning to flex its muscles in terms of producing high-quality television shows, so it caught on with a larger segment of audiences that may not have tuned in to just another ‘Mob show,’” he said in an email.

At its core, Deitche said, The Sopranos is one of the best-written television shows ever and has “iconic performances that have transcended the screen.”

“Without those, the show likely would not have the legs it’s had for this long,” he said.

Deitche said there is a “connection between the public perception of New Jersey and the Mafia.” “I think The Sopranos took that to the next level,” he said.

As a next-level example, Deitche cited a recent media frenzy surrounding New York Giants backup quarterback Tommy DeVito after he led the team on a three-game winning streak. An Italian American from New Jersey, DeVito attracted good-natured comparisons to characters from The Sopranos and popular Mob movies.

When it came out that DeVito enjoyed his mom’s cooking, especially her chicken cutlets, the quarterback was dubbed Tommy Cutlets, calling to mind food-nicknamed mobsters such as the Johnny Roastbeef character in director Martin Scorsese’s 1990 movie Goodfellas.

The sports references don’t end there.

Writing about cold-weather NFL playoff games, sports analyst Michael Lombardi recalled the popular “Pine Barrens” episode from The Sopranos. In that episode, Paulie Walnuts and Christopher Moltisanti unsuccessfully chase a Russian adversary through snowy woods, becoming temporarily stranded in the frozen forest.

“I understand the Russian in the ‘Pine Barrens’ episode of The Sopranos screamed he never feared the cold, claiming to bathe in frigid weather, so there is a ‘getting used to’ element worth noting,” Lombardi wrote on the VSiN sports network website, regarding the challenges facing football teams in freezing temperatures. “However, the reality is that it’s hard to catch frozen footballs.”

These days, Imperioli and Sopranos cast member Steve Schirripa host a podcast, “Talking Sopranos,” and in 2021 released a book written with Philip Lerman, Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos. The title alludes to the theme music that opens each episode.

Schirripa, a former executive at the now-demolished Riviera hotel-casino in Las Vegas, portrayed Bobby Baccalieri in The Sopranos.

In other recent news, Imperioli and his wife, Victoria, have opened a Manhattan speakeasy called Scarlet, specializing in “craft cocktails and tapas-style small plates,” according to the New York Post.

The newspaper also reported on a fashion trend revolving around the Mafia lifestyle. This “Mob Wife Aesthetic,” as the newspaper called it, is noted for “big hair, furs and miniskirts.”

“It’s ‘in-your-face’ glamour,” author Sarah Arcuri told the Post. “It’s a nostalgic nod to the wild fashions of ’80s, ’90s and 2000s — it’s all about the Carmela Soprano influence and the Victoria Gotti impact.”

Does Tony Soprano die at the end?

Arthur Nascarella, who appeared in The Sopranos as mobster Carlo Gervasi, said the show is “a part of the American fabric.” A Marine Corps veteran, Nascarella served in the New York Police Department for 21 years before breaking into acting, ultimately appearing in a long list of films such as Cop Land, Clockers and Summer of Sam. His first of several appearances in The Sopranos came during the fourth season in the “Pie-O-My” episode.

Though the series ended years ago, Nascarella said in a telephone interview that he often is approached by people wanting to talk about the show.

One topic that frequently comes up, he said, is the cut-to-black ending to conclude the June 10, 2007, series finale. The scene was filmed in Holsten’s, a Bloomfield, New Jersey, restaurant.

For years, the cut-to-black ending has been much debated. Some fans believe Tony Soprano was killed while eating onion rings with his wife and son, as they waited for Tony and Carmela’s daughter, Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler), to finish parking her car outside. A man in the restaurant wearing a Members Only-style jacket is the likely suspect, in the eyes of some fans.

Years later, the series creator seemed to confirm that Tony Soprano was killed in a booth at Holsten’s — a booth later commemorated with a plaque.

During an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Chase said he initially thought of having Soprano go to New York for a meeting “at which he was going to be killed.” But as Chase was driving one day near an airport, he saw a small restaurant.

“It was kind of like a shack that served breakfast,” Chase said. “And for some reason I thought, ‘Tony should get it in a place like that.’”

Thinking back on that scene and the entire series, Nascarella said he feels honored to have been a part of the show. He still owns one of the expensive custom watches Gandolfini handed out to the cast and crew as a parting gift when the series ended.

Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack in 2013 at age 51, was a down-to-earth person who supported other actors — “a wonderful guy,” Nascarella said.

The former New York City cop said he doesn’t wear his gift watch, inscribed with Gandolfini’s name, wanting it to remain a pristine memento of that special show.

Larry Henry is a veteran print and broadcast journalist. He served as press secretary for Nevada Governor Bob Miller, and was political editor at the Las Vegas Sun and managing editor at KFSM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Northwest Arkansas. Today, he is a senior reporter for Gambling.com.