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."

[oyez]

Only a glutton for punishment would date Meadow any way. This already mixed up kid is headed for a special kind of personal Hell and maybe an abrupt end.

[Netheron]

Obviously he has always wanted to be a Fairy Godfather.

[sheik yerbouty]

Finocchio"

[longtermmemmory]

A homosexual character is supposed to help raitings? I never cared for the series, now it has become the homosexual mob series, now a reason to avoid the series.

This was a marketing blunder. It will kill DVD sales.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

the proposal will give him an excuse for blowing off the Yankee game with Vito.

Subliminable message here?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Did others find the incident of violence when the guys were sitting around at the construction site to be far-fetched? Guys are just hanging out, engaging in good-natured ribbing, and suddenly over a joke no worse than any of the others were making, one guy comes close to beating another guy to death, and the other guys basically just laugh it off.

I thought it was a stretch done for plot purposes of scaring Finn.

[AlaskaErik]

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

This seems to be the stock reason given for a character being a sexual deviant. In real life, homosexuals are as shallow as you can get. Multiple partners with the next ejaculation being foremost in their minds. Everything else is secondary.

[AmericanChef]

When they indoctrinate - er, I mean introduce - a gay on "24", I'm throwing out my set.

[O6ret]

Finn can also get protection now by telling Tony, but then Vito goes bye bye.

Nah, too easy a solution. And Vito is a much more interesting character.

My bet is that if Finn doesn't "play ball", Vito says Finn came on to him. He's been portrayed to be a little girlie-like anyway. And Meadow loses another boyfriend.

[Clemenza]

Gannascoli said, just as his elderly father walked by a window of Paneantico, a bistro on Bay Ridge's bustling Third Ave.

I live one block away from Paneantico.

[presidio9]

Good?

[Clemenza]

Its OK. Basically a pastry shop with prefab sandwiches that is Italian owned and operated (unlike those hideous Indian-owned prefab sandwich places in Manhattan). They are owned by the Generoso family (of Royal Crown bakery fame), so their bread and pastries are very good. All in all a decent place to stop for a lite lunch or dessert, but not a great place. I prefer the butcher shop/Italian grocery the family owns (Piazza Mercato) one block up third.

[presidio9]

If by Midtown pre-fab sammich places you mean "Pret-a-Manger" that chain is owned by McDonald's.

[uncbob]

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."

Maybe not GAY buy certainly OBESE

Man they have a lot of heavyweights on that show

[justshutupandtakeit]

Moi? Never.

[Elle Bee]

the Purple Gang out of Chicago were supposedly bologna smugglers

.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Yes he is but I suspect he is about to get an education in reality. Yes she has. And yes it is.

Carmella had better watch it if she attempts to undercover and reveal Tony's sources of hidden income. She will get a settlement she doesn't want if persisting in that endeavor.

[gathersnomoss]

You may want to open your window soon.

[justshutupandtakeit]

I don't exclude your description of the event and, in fact, consider it as part of the whole process which leads up to the proposal. He is a "feeler" not a "thinker" when deciding a course of action. In this case his reasoning was
subliminal not conscious.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Nonsense, this is a minor character. One who, by the way, just sat and watched while another minor mobster just beat the crap out of another one who just joked that the former was gay. This was at the end of a "just busting balls" session sitting in front of the construction job Finn is working on. The Esplanade job I think.

Vito is bi, being married with kids.

Someone else mentioned the improbability of Vito fooling around on the job site with a security guy. I also was disturbed by that flaw.