TV wisegay ('Sopranos' fella hits the other way)

NY Daily News ^ | May 3, 2004 | MICHELE McPHEE

[presidio9]

It's a first for "The Sopranos" - a gay mobster. On last night's episode, capo Vito Spatafore was caught in a compromising position with a male security guard - definitely not the kind of behavior that would go over well with the oglers at the Bada-Bing.

"It adds a lot of depth to the character," actor Joseph Gannascoli, who plays the newly outed mobster, told the Daily News.

In the real mob, being gay can add real depth - about 6 feet underground.

Vincent (Vinny Ocean) Palermo, former boss of New Jersey's DeCalvacante family, said to be the model for "The Sopranos," testified last week there is one way to handle gay gangsters: Kill them.

"What's the rule ... about this?" federal prosecutor John Hillebrecht asked the mob turncoat on Wednesday.

"You die," Palermo replied.

That was the punishment meted out to DeCalvacante wiseguy John D'Amato in 1992, whom Palermo ordered whacked after being told his underling had rendezvoused with another man at a swingers club.

Over lunch at a Brooklyn restaurant, Gannascoli took pains to point out he is not gay - adding just as quickly, "Not that there is anything wrong with it."

"My problem is, I love women," he said.

Gannascoli did say he relished the challenge of playing a homosexual. "It was my idea many years ago to have my character be gay, having read and known about gay wiseguys," he said. "I want to be effeminate but knockaround."

Still, Tony Sirico, who plays Paulie Walnuts on the show, grabbed Gannascoli by the arm last week and asked: "You okay with this? You want me to have a talk with [the show's creator] David Chase?"

Gannascoli knows he's in for a little ribbing or worse.

"I'm going to have to deal with a lot of grief in the neighborhood. I'm a little worried about how my family is going to react," Gannascoli said, just as his elderly father walked by a window of Paneantico, a bistro on Bay Ridge's bustling Third Ave.

"But I wanted to really act," he added. "I don't want to just play mob guys for the rest of my career."

Gannascoli refused to reveal whether Vito will face repercussions, saying only, "In the mob, it's about money."

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

engaging in good-natured ribbing, and suddenly over a joke no worse than any of the others were making,

Specifically it was a joke about homsexual activity...in the presence of Vito...which was intended to give us some insight into Vito's motivation later in the episode.

[Daus]

This call appeared to be on her own.

True, but a technicality IMO. :)

Now, is it just me, or is Deadwood a way better show than current day Soprano's?

[CollegeRepublican]

Physically she is attractive, but I do not find her attractive as a person. I think that actress is pretty. Somebody would have to be nuts to want to get involved with LCN in any way shape or form.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

oh well...one less idiot

That was uncalled for. Who pissed in your Wheaties this morning?

[CollegeRepublican]

It is not just you. Al Swearagen is the type of crime figure that I wish Tony Soprano would be like. Funny, sinister, and smart. Not passing out, snorting coke, and crying everyother episode.

I also like that Deadwood picks up each week where it left off. Of course it is hard to compare a series that is in week 7 and a series that is into 60 episodes now.

[Daus]

Of course it is hard to compare a series that is in week 7 and a series that is into 60 episodes now.

Yes, by season 3, everyone will be gay and David Lee Roth will be doing cameos at the Gem... :) But for now, the Calamity Jane character is just cracking me up.

Speaking of cameo's, on the credits scrolls for last night's Sorprano's, I could have swore I saw Tony Siragusa listed. Did I miss him?

[SuziQ]

"But I wanted to really act," he added. "I don't want to just play mob guys for the rest of my career."

Oh yeah, this will really expand his career options! /sarcasm

[CollegeRepublican]

Yeah, he was in the beginning of the show. I can exactly remember what scene, but he is a driver for somebody. He basically walked in a door and that is all you saw of him.

[presidio9]

made their money bringing liquor in from Canada and selling it to Capone, who would also contract important hits out to them

[CollegeRepublican]

Yeah, Jane's mouth is so dirty it puts this fraternity boy to shame just thinking about it.

"I apoligize..... I apoligize.""Shut the F^&* Up"

[presidio9]

I could have swore I saw Tony Siragusa listed. Did I miss

They use the same credits for every show. I don't think Goose appeared last night, but he was in two other episodes.

[CollegeRepublican]

He was in there.

[longtermmemmory]

I comment because it is posted here, and while not a regular follower I have on occasion seen an episode in passing. Now it only makes sense to keep changing the channel.

It is a ploy to win ratings. Granted HBO is a pay channel but there is outside money to be made in syndication outside the USA where it is played without editing (sex in the city is played in europe without any edits on broadcast TV). Then there is the boxed sets of DVD seasons.

This is just an effort to push homosexuals onto the public again. Sopranos is not supposed to be a homosexual series. As for it being a character trait, not so. It is a lifestyle choice. Homosexuals are only about sex.

[veronica]

We know Adriana will be whacked, or go on the lam.

She has a lead role in Matt LeBlanc's new show.

[NorthWoody]

After all the talk about the series being so great, I started watching during (I think) the third season, maybe the fourth. It was during the time that Chris was taking acting classes and punched some guy out during one, plus he went to treatment for heroin addiction. The FBI-babe was making chummy with Adrianna and then hauled her in and tried to turn her into a rat. Ralph Cifaretto was still seeing Tony's sister, Uncle Junior was still worrying about his upcoming trial and Flavio (or whatever his name was) was looking to whack Tony (but ended up going back to Italy without doing it) because he (Flavio) liked Carmella and disliked how Tony was treating her. Did Tony ever find out that Adrianna brought a fed to his house for dinner?

I made it through quite a few episodes waiting for something exciting to happen, but I didn't see what all the hype was about. The most exciting moment I can remember from that time period was when Tony and Chris whacked Ralph C, but I missed that when I left the room. Tony spent way too much time at Dr. Melfi's office and Carmella spent way too much time bitching, moaning and forgetting on which side her bread was buttered. The strip-club scenes were too few and far between and Adrianna never took her bra off once. What a gyp!

Since then, we have dumped HBO and subscribed to Netflix instead. Has the show gotten better since I stopped watching or shouldn't I bother checking out the DVD's?

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

This is just an effort to push homosexuals onto the public again

So before the last episode, HBO was pushing gambling, spousal abuse, adultrey, drug use, murder, etc...etc.. and NOW all of a sudden you feel the need to complian about it?

Sorry, but your a hypocriate

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

If you never liked it before you wont like it now

[breakem]

I think you just explained the purpose of the bear!

[nothingnew]

so you're going to stop watching, oh well...one less idiot

How clever of you.

FMCDH

[MattAMiller]

No, no, no, no. The whole point is that somebody caught somebody else in a compromising position and now they're both in danger. And it made for great TV.