{"id":26358,"date":"2024-06-22T00:01:21","date_gmt":"2024-06-22T07:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/?p=26358"},"modified":"2024-06-01T12:50:33","modified_gmt":"2024-06-01T19:50:33","slug":"coming-up-a-sopranos-photo-safari","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2024\/06\/22\/coming-up-a-sopranos-photo-safari\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up: A Soprano Safari"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yep, that’s what I’m planning now.\u00a0 Susie and I are flying to New Jersey for a class reunion, and I’m going to be the ultimate tourist.\u00a0 \u00a0What I have in mind is a series of visits to key spots that were featured in the HBO television series, The Sopranos<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0If there’s something you think I’ve missed, let me know and it may just show up on the list.<\/p>\n

Holsten’s Restaurant<\/strong><\/p>\n

Holsten’s is the restaurant where Tony was whacked.\u00a0 It’s still open.\u00a0 Never been there; I’ve been wanting to ever since The Sopranos hit the airwaves.<\/p>\n

Bahr’s and the Sandy Hook Marina<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bahr’s is the outstanding seafood restaurant Tony and others mention frequently in the series, and the Sandy Hook Marina where Tony kept his boat (The Stugots) is just below it. I’ve been to both places many times, and I’m looking forward to going again.<\/p>\n

Pizza Land<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pizza Land is the pizza place you see Tony drive by in the opening scene of every episode.\u00a0 \u00a0It was a low revenue pizza joint before it made it into the Sopranos.\u00a0 It has since become a sensation.\u00a0 Today, they ship frozen pizzas all over the world, and it all came about because of that brief glimpse in the opening scene.<\/p>\n

Wilson’s Carpet Store<\/strong><\/p>\n

The giant carpet guy statue is another feature seen in the opening scene of every Soprano’s episode.\u00a0 It’s in Jersey City, the same place that xxx gun store is located (there the guys that handle the FFL transfer for the MacManus Award 1911 every year).\u00a0 I’ll got a shot of the carpet guy and the gun shop.<\/p>\n

St. Patrick’s Cathedral\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is one of two churches used in the series.\u00a0 It’s the one Tony shows to AJ when he explains what things were like for the Italian immigrants who came to America.\u00a0 Like Wilson’s Carpet Store, it’s in Jersey City.\u00a0 My Mom grew up in Jersey City and my grandparents lived there for a while.\u00a0 I want to see it again; I haven’t been there in more than 60 years.<\/p>\n

Cleveland Auto Body<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a body shop that was run by Big Pussy Bompensiero and was taken over by his wife, Angie Bompansiero, after Big Pussy was whacked for being a rat.\u00a0 I understand it’s a real body shop.\u00a0 I want to get a photo.<\/p>\n

Tony and Carmela’s Mansion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yep, it’s an actual house that a couple actually lived in when The Sopranos producers spotted.\u00a0 They asked if they could rent the house and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

The Rutgers Campus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rutgers is mentioned many times in The Sopranos.\u00a0 In the story, Tony attended a semester and a half at Seton Hall, but in real life, James Gandolfini attended and graduated from Rutgers.\u00a0 So did I.\u00a0 I want to visit the campus again, stop in to say hi to the ROTC detachment, and shoot a few pictures.<\/p>\n

The Paterson Falls<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are a couple of scenes filmed at the falls in Paterson, New Jersey.\u00a0 In one, Mikey Palmici throws a guy off a bridge.\u00a0 In another, Hesh threatens to do the same.\u00a0 \u00a0I’ve never been there.\u00a0 I’ll fix that on this trip.<\/p>\n

The Skyway Diner<\/strong><\/p>\n

This diner appears in several scenes, most notably with Janice Melfi (Tony’s psychiatrist) and Christopher Multisanti.\u00a0 We have a lot of diners in New Jersey.\u00a0 I’ve never been in a bad one.\u00a0 If it’s still in business, I’ll stop there for a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n

Joe’s Bake Shop<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is bakery where Christopher Multisanti shoots a counter guy in the foot for slow service.\u00a0 I don’t now if it’s real, but if it is, I want to stop and get a pastry.\u00a0 I know it will be good; it’s where I grew up there are no bad bakeries in New Jersey.<\/p>\n

Father Phil’s Church<\/strong><\/p>\n

Father Phil was a kind of a mealy-mouthed priest that Tony saw through right away.\u00a0 There were a few scenes filmed in that church.\u00a0 I’m going to stop in.<\/p>\n

Satriale’s<\/strong><\/p>\n

Satriale’s was a fictional pork store used by Tony and his crew.\u00a0 It’s since been demolished and today it’s a parking lot.\u00a0 That’s the pork store used in the series.\u00a0 What you may not know is one quarter of a mile away on the same street is a real pork store that was used by the DeCavalcante crime family, the real organized crime group.\u00a0 \u00a0If I can get a photo without getting in trouble, I’m going to.<\/p>\n

The Bada Bing<\/strong><\/p>\n

There never was a real Bada Bing topless joint, and topless dancing is illegal in New Jersey.\u00a0 But The Satin Dolls in Lodi (a similar bar with a similar theme, but again, not topless) that was used for the show was real and I will stop there.\u00a0 I read somewhere that it had closed too, but you never know.\u00a0 Anything for the ExNotes blog, guys.<\/p>\n

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