{"id":27833,"date":"2024-09-14T00:01:59","date_gmt":"2024-09-14T07:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/?p=27833"},"modified":"2024-09-13T17:29:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T00:29:15","slug":"tony-sopranos-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2024\/09\/14\/tony-sopranos-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Tony Soprano&#8217;s Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6>By Joe Berk<\/h6>\n<p>The scenes and the locations are iconic, and I take pride in recognizing every one of them in <em>The Sopranos<\/em> opening credits.\u00a0 The music, the New Jersey Turnpike toll booth, the aged industrial locations, Pizzaland, and motoring up that long driveway at 14 Aspen Drive in North Caldwell, New Jersey. Today&#8217;s topic is the home you see at the beginning of every episode in what is unquestionably the best television series that ever aired.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The Sopranos Opening Credits Theme Song | The Sopranos | HBO\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mJpNmYeooQE\" width=\"1375\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I had originally seen the series sometime after it first ran on HBO.\u00a0 I didn&#8217;t at first recognize how wonderful the show was and how it would come to be known throughout the world.\u00a0 It was so good that many people think Tony Soprano is real.\u00a0 I was in Scotland for a consulting gig when my driver, an elderly gentleman, recognized my American accent but told me I didn&#8217;t sound &#8220;like California.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m originally from New Jersey,&#8221; I explained.<\/p>\n<p>My driver grew silent.\u00a0 He was thinking.\u00a0 Finally, the Question:\u00a0 &#8220;Do you know Tony Soprano?&#8221;\u00a0 He was dead serious.\u00a0 We were in Glasgow on a motorway taking me to my destination, and here was this Scot asking me about a fictional character.\u00a0 One who obviously seemed all too real to anyone who watched the show.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I never actually met the man,&#8221; I truthfully answered, &#8220;But I know people who knew him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>What I told the driver was true, sort of.\u00a0 James Gandolfini, one of Tony&#8217;s many aliases, was a Jersey boy like me.\u00a0 He graduated from my alma mater, Rutgers University. I could identify with <em>The Sopranos<\/em> and its New Jersey setting.\u00a0 I knew people who spoke with the same accent and who most likely knew the DeCavalcante crime family (the real-world gangsters <em>The Sopranos<\/em> modeled).\u00a0 \u00a0Hell, I speak with the same accent, and that old Scot picked up on it in Glasgow.\u00a0 Did I know Tony?\u00a0 Hey, I could name names, but I don&#8217;t want to sleep with the fish.\u00a0 I&#8217;m no rat.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>On a recent trip, I thought it might be fun to Waze my way to a few of <em>The Sopranos<\/em> locations.\u00a0 The list was long, as the show was mostly shot in New Jersey (as were most of the guys and a couple of gals who fell from Tony&#8217;s favor).\u00a0 The first location I would visit, of course, had to be Tony and Carmela&#8217;s mansion. Waze knew the way.\u00a0 The Garden State Parkway took me there, and that seemed fitting.<\/p>\n<p>When we arrived, the cul-de-sac was way smaller than it had appeared each morning when a bathrobe-clad Tony waddled down the driveway to pick up his <em>Newark Star Ledger<\/em> (a paper I used to read, by the way). I couldn&#8217;t see too much of the mansion, the result of 25 years of landscaping doing what landscaping does. The trees and bushes had grown to obscure the view from the street.\u00a0 It&#8217;s what Tony (or any organized crime figure) would have wanted.\u00a0 Best to keep a low profile, free from Agent Harris&#8217;s probing eyes.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27837\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27837\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27837 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5389-600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5389-600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5389-600-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27837\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">When a guy like Tony Soprano posts a sign like this, I pay attention. Nah, not really. What&#8217;s he gonna do? Coincidentally, we had that same mailbox in front of our house for years. It leaked and we grew tired of wet mail.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There it was, tucked away behind the vegetation, most definitely the mansion featured in so many episodes and, as mentioned above, in the opening at the start of every episode.\u00a0 Even though the current occupants obviously discouraged visitors, we still took our chances.\u00a0 As I was snapping photos midmorning on this New Jersey weekday, others appeared and did the same.\u00a0 Some of them might have been FBI agents.\u00a0 The fans of fame kept the flame burning bright, almost three decades after the music and the scenes first appeared.\u00a0 Note to self:\u00a0 Make the next visit in the dead of winter when the trees are bare, and do so late in the afternoon when the sun is in a better position.\u00a0 The lighting was not good when I gathered this evidence; a good lawyer could get the photos thrown out in court (a junior G-Man I&#8217;m not).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27836\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27836\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27836 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5391-600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5391-600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5391-600-273x300.jpg 273w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27836\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">14 Aspen Drive. If you listen carefully, you can hear Carmela bitching.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The sign&#8217;s admonitions notwithstanding, I looked around and started working the Nikon&#8217;s shutter (I&#8217;m not gonna lay down for some mailbox sign).\u00a0 The neighborhood was befitting a kingpin like Tony Soprano.\u00a0 The home on the other side of the cul-de-sac was better lit by the sun&#8217;s mid-morning rays, so I had to shoot it, too.\u00a0 Collateral damage; couldn&#8217;t be helped.\u00a0 An impressive zip code, to be sure.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27838\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27838\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27838 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5392-600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5392-600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5392-600-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27838\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A home across the street from Tony&#8217;s place. This is an exclusive neighborhood.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I liked <em>The Sopranos<\/em> television series then and I like it now.\u00a0 I watch <em>The Sopranos<\/em> episodes on my cellphone (it&#8217;s running on Max) when I&#8217;m working out.\u00a0 I get through an episode or so each time I visit the gym.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve been through the entire series four times (and I&#8217;m into Season 5 for the fifth time now).\u00a0 I started binge watching <em>The Sopranos<\/em> 18 pounds ago.\u00a0 <em>The Sopranos<\/em> have been very good to me, my waistline, my cholesterol, and my A1C.\u00a0 I need to buy a new belt, and Tony is the guy who made that happen.<\/p>\n<p>So what&#8217;s next?\u00a0 Paterson Falls, my friend.\u00a0 It&#8217;s where Mikey Palmici threw a drug dealer off the bridge.\u00a0 Stay tuned if you know what&#8217;s good for you.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Never miss an ExNotes blog:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<style>\r\n        .wpedon-container .wpedon-select,\r\n        .wpedon-container .wpedon-input {\r\n            width: 171px;\r\n            min-width: 171px;\r\n            max-width: 171px;\r\n        }\r\n    <\/style><div class='wpedon-container wpedon-align-center'><form target='_blank' action='https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr' method='post' class='wpedon-form'><input type='hidden' name='cmd' value='_donations' \/><input type='hidden' name='business' value='ExNotes@ExhaustNotes.us' \/><input type='hidden' name='currency_code' value='USD' \/><input type='hidden' name='notify_url' value='https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-post.php?action=add_wpedon_button_ipn'><input type='hidden' name='lc' value='en_US'><input type='hidden' name='bn' value='WPPlugin_SP'><input type='hidden' name='return' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='cancel_return' value='' \/><input class='wpedon_paypalbuttonimage' type='image' src='https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_US\/i\/btn\/btn_donateCC_LG.gif' border='0' name='submit' alt='Make your payments with PayPal. It is free, secure, effective.' style='border: none;'><img alt='' border='0' style='border:none;display:none;' src='https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_US\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif' width='1' height='1'><input type='hidden' name='amount' id='amount_ce9c3c4d6d462feaa119b32fae022e04' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='price' id='price_ce9c3c4d6d462feaa119b32fae022e04' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='item_number' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='item_name' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='name' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='custom' value='23447'><input type='hidden' name='no_shipping' value='1'><input type='hidden' name='no_note' value='0'><input type='hidden' name='currency_code' value='USD'><\/form><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Don&#8217;t forget: Visit our advertisers!<\/span><\/h3>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishmotorcyclegear.com\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-23940 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 85vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Joe Berk The scenes and the locations are iconic, and I take pride in recognizing every one of them in The Sopranos opening credits.\u00a0 The music, the New Jersey Turnpike toll booth, the aged industrial locations, Pizzaland, and motoring up that long driveway at 14 Aspen Drive in North Caldwell, New Jersey. Today&#8217;s topic &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2024\/09\/14\/tony-sopranos-home\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Tony Soprano&#8217;s Home&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[96,89],"tags":[4310,4313,4311,2799,4312],"class_list":["post-27833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feel-good-stuff","category-motorcycle-adventure-ride","tag-14-aspen-drive","tag-mikey-palmici","tag-north-caldwell","tag-the-sopranos","tag-tony-soprano"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5384900.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27833"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27833\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27882,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27833\/revisions\/27882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}