Posted on 07/13/2013 11:04:29 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
The sudden death at 51 of James Gandolfini is intolerable.
When he died, it never occurred to me not to go to his funeral. Until my wife pointed it out afterward, it also never occurred to me that I had “crashed” it. Standing in the sunshine in a long line in front of St. John the Divine with “ordinary people” I was spotted and we were ushered down front among family and colleagues.
My first mourner encounter was with the great Dominic Chianese, (Uncle Junior). We embraced. The procedure, repeated over and over, while the church filled, was to come face-to-recognized-face with one “Sopranos” cast member after another, wet with tears, speaking not at all or with great difficulty.
And there they all were. I had, over the years, met most of them — Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, Tony Sirico, Vince Curatola, Steve Buscemi, Vincent Pastore et al, and we exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheek.
(The unruly mind being what it is, the thought occurred to me that I hadn’t been embraced and kissed by so many males since congratulating, backstage, the talented cast of a New Orleans drag show.)
So much crying. A grown man, weeping, is a tough thing to see.
There was a kind of through-the-looking-glass feeling standing there in a small group of Big Pussy, Paulie Walnuts and Johnny Sack, plus, for seasoning, a noticeably reduced Gov. Christie. “Do you know all the Sopranos?” I asked him. “Most of them,” he said. “And arrested some of them,” the greatly gifted Curatola added, for a needed laugh. (It’s no secret that the phrase “done a little time” applies to a cast member or two.)
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com ...
Hey Dick, get a life.
Phew! Too bad Dick had to stand in line with all those ordinary people until someone discovered him. Pathetic.
I would think what would be a lot more “intolerable” to DICK would be our vets having to die or get their limbs blown off because liberals think it’s funny to fight a “polite war”.
Dick was just being (a) Dick.
“...I hadn’t been embraced and kissed by so many males since congratulating, backstage, the talented cast of a New Orleans drag show...”
Barf.
I didn’t read it that way. He was trying not to be presumptuous by standing outside with the non-celebrities. He could certainly have called Imperioli or his agent to try to wangle an invite to the inside. It was nice — and very Italian — of the cast to welcome him inside.
Well, since I kinda know Dick Cavett, I can say he can be pretty pushy when he wants. And don’t get me started on Dominic Chianese!
Blechh. I am just so unimpressed with these mafia portrayers and celebs in general
May God rest his soul
Honestly, a half mast flag in NJ. Please he was a fOckin actor not royalty. That’s the problem with this country. We treat these people like they matter. Meanwhile they hate the country that gives them their lifestyle? F em.
STFU Dick,
hugs and kisses,
One of the ordinary people
I guess Ive been to too many military funerals, military retirement ceremonies, MIA/POW tributes and religious funerals of people who did many worthwhile things beyond acting and in the part of a criminal
God rest his soul i am just so bored with the mediocrity that passes for culture
I'm tired of walking through stores with all the magazines telling you every little twit an twaddle of these "celebrity's" lives. Scroll through tv, and you have all the celebrity gossip shows. I leave my Yahoo email account and I see all these articles that Yahoo has. 1/3 of them are about some celebrity or athlete.
There is nothing wrong with being a celebrity. But its the brain dead people who soak up the trash. People bawling their eyes out over Michael Jackson, when he died. MOST of them had never even BEEN TO one of his concerts, let alone ever met him.
Our society has become one of narcissism and superficiality. Unfortunately, those of us who don't live that way are stuck with those who do.
Ditto that
“And don’t get me started on Dominic Chianese!”
I know that I’m going to regret this but, go ahead Miss M, I’m intrigued.
Just not very bright. Will go no further.
Exactly, OH MY GOD! An actor died! Tragic for his family? Yes, for me, not so much. We have Soldiers, Mothers, Fathers and children dying every day and each one is a tragedy. I’m sorry, what makes an actors death more important or tragic than any other persons death?
Back in the day when people really did something to be admired.
They do it’s just not put into the media
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