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."

[Wolfie]

There's a joke here about "making your bones", but I'm not going there.

[antiRepublicrat]

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

I thought in the old-time mob it wasn't just about money, but about honor. AFAIK they don't care how much it'll cost them to kill you if it maintains their sense of family honor.

[presidio9]

Gay's as good as dead, mob turncoat testifies

[Rummyfan]

With an HBO series, it was inevitable that a gay character would be introduced.

[justshutupandtakeit]

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.

He may not have been conscious of the reason for the proposal since he tends to act out his thoughts as he explained with taking out the suitcase.

[presidio9]

bada ping

[martin_fierro]

That fagster is just lookin' to get whacked.

[alisasny]

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

Frankly Finn is a very annoying character. Meadow has picked a bunch of idiots to date. Her attitude towards her Mother is sickening.

[presidio9]

With an HBO series, it was inevitable that a gay character would be introduced.

Didn't they make the priest gay last season?

[nothingnew]

...it was inevitable that a gay character would be introduced.

Too bad. This is going to lose them a lot of viewers IMO. "Queer eye for the wiseguy" indeed.

FMCDH

[Wolfie]

Meadow has picked a bunch of idiots to date.

Like mother, like daughter. As for Carmella, enough of the pious self-rightousness already. Her therapist from a couple seasons ago had it right: If she's so upset at how her husband makes money, she shouldn't be angling for a cut.

[CollegeRepublican]

The thing that I don't get is wasn't Vito the guy that was calling up Adrianna when Chris was in the rehab center? Why would a gay guy be calling the sexy Ade when Chris is away? It just does not seem realistic for a Capo to be fooling around with a security guard at his place of so called work. All I can say is that Vito is flexable for a fat fat man.

[dennisw]

Saw it last night and had to avert me eyes! How the mighty have fallen and gone down on .... :)

[dennisw]

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.
________________________


Good take. This never came to mind.

[LetsRok]

As for Carmella, enough of the pious self-rightousness already. Her therapist from a couple seasons ago had it right: If she's so upset at how her husband makes money, she shouldn't be angling for a cut.

I agree. I am yelling at the TV. Carmella is entitled to NOTHING but the house. She can't claim any money because to the IRS it doesn't exist. If she causes a stink, the house and everything else will be forfeited to the government as being the proceeds of ill-gotten gain.

[alisasny]

Th priest was hot for Carmella. A few episodes ago Carmela was at lunch with him and said something about him being gay and he said he wasn't.

[presidio9]

The thing that I don't get is wasn't Vito the guy that was calling up Adrianna when Chris was in the rehab center? Why would a gay guy be calling the sexy Ade when Chris is away? It just does not seem realistic for a Capo to be fooling around with a security guard at his place of so called work. All I can say is that Vito is flexable for a fat fat man.

I don't know about that, but I do know that Vito was teasing Christopher about Adrianna giving Tony "roadhead."

[Always Right]

"It adds a lot of depth to the character,"

Yeah, lots of 'depth'. If you really want to add depth, why not a John Wayne Gacy type. Rape and murder kids and put them in a crawlspace. Now that is depth.

[radiohead]

Finn proposed to Meadow so as to gain protection from Vito who now can't do anything to Tony's future son-in-law.

That's one explaination. The other explaination is that b*tch was driving him crazy. He was hot, he was tired, and he wanted to go to sleep.

I'm a female and I wanted to off her.