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."

[cryptical]

Personally, I always thought that Paulie was secretly gay. 'Lifelong bachelor', devoted to Mom, all the stereotypes.

What is unbelieveable is how oblivious Meadow and Carmella are to who Tony (and all those nice uncles) are, but it looks like they're getting a quick refresher.

Carm can't find a lawyer (or forensic accountant) that's stupid enough to mess with Tony. Meadow will be all sad when Finn gets murdered by 'African-Americans', just like Jackie Jr., but it will make her work harder at the Social Justice Center to help keep oppressed minorities from killing white kids.

All I can say about Vito is 'Hey, Vito, how's the gravy this morning?'.

[discostu]

They had a child molestor in the second season, the coach of the high school girls soccer team, Tony didn't kill him actually let the cops handle it.

Since the real family the Sopranos is roughly based on had a gay mobster no big deal, he'll probably get killed in a couple of episodes anyway.

[.38sw]

Finn IS annoying. I just about choked when he said he "didn't want to take a job from a minority". And Meadow was beyond annoying last night.

[steve8714]

It's tough to get an ethnic minority into the mob, so...

[justshutupandtakeit]

There had already been an incident at that spot earlier where someone got the hell beat out of him. A Union guy not on the take I think.

I think it was intended to remind us of how close to the surface psychotic behavior is with these guys. Remember Goodfellas and the killings for no reason or the shooting of the guy who plays Christopher by Pesci. and recall Paulie's sudden shooting of the waiter who had gone into a seizure or his attacking the Russian guy who is still unaccounted for after he and Chris lost him in the Pine Barrens.

As for as Finn goes the beating was also written in so as to give him a reason to fear his discovery about Vito. After watching another mobster get the crap kicked out of him for nothing he understood how dangerous his knowledge was. After all he is a pampered character never around such behavior.

[justshutupandtakeit]

The Purple Gang was not from Chicago. Detroit I believe.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Paulie has a long-term girlfriend who he lives with. He just doesn't believe in getting married. Plus, there have been episodes where he gets serviced by the Bing girls.

[CollegeRepublican]

He'll probably get killed in a couple of episodes anyway...

Or they will completely drop this story line until next season or something. That is the maddening thing, and also the addicting thing about the Sopranos, they almost never follow a plot line out to completion. I was surprised to see the bear back this episode. Of course the bear is a symbol for Tony. The bear that you can't get rid of...

[discostu]

True, they're very good at allowing things to become un-things. Or it could become the point of agitation for an inner family war, allowing Tony a reprise of his classic season 1 line "cunnilingus and psychology have brought us to this fate".

[RonF]

If she causes a stink, she'll probably get whacked. Don't think Tony wouldn't do it. Maybe not so much for the money as for the fact that she could give enough information to get him put in jail.

[gcruse]

Mafia metrosexual.

[gdani]

Finn proposed to Meadow so as to gain protection from Vito who now can't do anything to Tony's future son-in-law. This will allow an expanded role for him otherwise Vito would whack him. Plus, the proposal will give him an excuse for blowing off the Yankee game with Vito.

Or......Finn will be whacked courtesy of Vito who will have not heard about the engagement. Or Vito makes up an excuse to Tony as to why Finn is no longer around. Or Vito plays dumb as to Finn's whereabouts.

Notice on the scenes that there is a body bag thrown into the water? Could be Finn?

It's even likely that this is essentially the last we hear of the Finn/Vito angle.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Good analysis, IMHO.

[olde north church]

I saw this on a "death" site linked from Ogrish.com. The story about these headstones was wild. There was also a very wicked story implicating Courtney "Blood and Booger Skank" Love in Kurt Cobain's murder.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... 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?"

Sirico is a real life ex-con stickup man who reportedly took the role of Paulie Walnuts as long he has assurances that his character is never made out to be a 'rat'.

It must be an easy acting job to essentially play yourself. Everyone else on that show is an actor. Sirico is the real thing.

[Jhensy]

The old guy who plays Uncle Junior is gay in real life.

[BohDaThone]

"cunnilingus and psychology have brought us to this fate".

But note the very brief (almost subliminal) "descent" by Tony in the swimming pool when he overcomes Carmela's "resistance" a couple of episodes back.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

Too bad. This is going to lose them a lot of viewers IMO.

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

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

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.

Its a character trait....its not a ploy to "win" ratings. And if you never cared for the show then why bother commenting on it?

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

How so? All te years and all the characters later and people arent going to watch it anymore because....GASP....a charcter is GAY! OH THE HOORRROOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

[justshutupandtakeit]

It is very unlikely that this is the last heard of this. And don't forget that Meadow knows what Finn saw. If he disappears she is going to go to Tony and the truth will come out.

My thinking is that Vito will be apprised of the engagement the next time Finn is at the site when he will have to explain why he stiffed Vito. But he could whack the guy no doubt but that will not end this problem for him.