As far as Italian-American “heroes” go, they’re pretty few and far between. Mainly because all of them seek to represent an embarrassing interpretation of what an Italian is (this includes all involved in The Godfather). However, most embarrassing is the formerly-perceived-as-a-real-Italian Christopher Columbus constantly being claimed as a symbol of Italian heritage, regardless of how long his origins have been contested/questioned (even a New Jersey radio station was willing to admit Columbus’ wasn’t “Eye-talian” back in 2016).
This claim to Columbus has been made annually in various Little Italys throughout the U.S., but most especially in the so-called Little Italy of New York. And yes, plans for the Columbus Day Parade are still going strong despite the further confirmed revelation that Columbus wasn’t Italian at all, but a Spanish Jew who likely switched religions to avoid persecution (in what amounts to one of the biggest examples of irony ever). In fact, the parade is even more “auspicious” this year because it marks the eightieth anniversary of its existence (though the origins of celebrating Columbus extend even further back than that, particularly in New York).
And yes, it still insists that it “celebrates Italian-American heritage” despite the now irrefutable evidence that Columbus was not Italian, but born in the Kingdom of Aragon (a.k.a. Spain). Nonetheless, the repeated story is that he was born in Genoa. This despite the fact that there is no known documentation of Columbus ever writing in Ligurian, let alone Italian. His letters were always in Spanish. What’s more, being a Sephardic Jew, it made sense that he would conveniently choose to sail for the “New World” in 1492, the same year that Jews were ordered by the Spanish monarchy (via the Alhambra Decree) to either convert to Catholicism or leave Spain. For while no one might have known his “secret,” one can imagine the phobia of being “outed” as a Jew at that time in Spain.
Funnily enough, many of the Jewish people who did flee Spain in 1492 went to Italy, creating a new influx of Jewish last names that had never existed in the register before (e.g., Faraggi). Not Columbus though, even if Genoa was supposedly his “home.” Instead, he set sail for “Asia,” ending up in the Caribbean. But either way, it was a place where he could be the discriminator rather than the discriminated against.
Despite Columbus’ waning cachet as a “hero” and “discoverer of America”—and now as an Italian altogether—Italian-Americans haven’t bothered to let go of their “emblem.” Their “totem” for a parade meant to symbolize “Italian pride.” In fact, this clinging to Columbus as an Italian hero was immortalized by a 2002 episode of The Sopranos called, what else, “Christopher.” Opening with a shot of the usual congregants outside the meat shop, Bobby (Steven R. Schirripa) reads aloud a news report about Native Americans (then still being referred to as “Indians”) intending to protest the parade in Newark. Silvio (Steven Van Zandt) becomes irritable, pronouncing, “Columbus Day is a day of Italian pride. It’s our holiday and they wanna take it away.”
One wants to reach through the TV screen in this moment, shake him and scream, “Let them! Let them take it away!” Because not only is Columbus not Italian, but he didn’t really do much to warrant admiration. Never mind Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) screaming at his son, Anthony (Robert Iler), “Look, you had to walk in Columbus’ shoes to see what he went through. People thought the world was flat for crying out loud. Then he lands on an island with a bunch of naked savages on it. I mean, that took a lot of guts.” Anthony ripostes, “Like it took guts to murder people and put ‘em in chains.” The Soprano matriarch, Carmela (Edie Falco), then chimes in, “He was a victim of his time.” Anthony balks, “Who cares? It’s what he did.” Unwilling to listen to more of his son’s “sacrilege,” Tony finally declares, “He discovered America is what he did! He was a brave Italian explorer, and in this house, Christopher Columbus is a hero! End of story.”
Over two decades later since that episode aired, and there are still many Italian-Americans willing to die on this “Christopher Columbus was a hero” and “brave Italian explorer” hill. And yet, if any “day” should belong to Italians (read: Italian-Americans with zero conception of the real Italy) in America, the better choice/commemorative effort at this point is August 23rd, the day Sacco and Vanzetti were executed in 1927 without receiving a fair trial for a crime (robbery and murder) they may not have been responsible for. This due to the undeniable taintedness of America’s perception and treatment of Italians at that time. That Sacco and Vanzetti were unabashed anarchists also didn’t help their cause.
This is the better set of Italian “heroes” (/martyrs) to honor not just because it’s “chicer” to play up one’s historical victim status in the present, but because it’s one of the most well-documented instances of anti-Italianism in the U.S. That faux Italians should like to say that “taking away Columbus” from them is “taking away their holiday,” therefore an example of anti-Italianism, well, it just goes to show how fewer and fewer Italian-Americans (itself a dwindling population that only appears to delight in continuing to caricaturize itself for profit) seem to be in touch with their history. But if scientific evidence has officially proven Columbus wasn’t Italian at all, the reaction from Italians and Italian-Americans alike should be more pride than ever in the fact that their heritage has been wiped clean of this mostro.
Finally, some good TV. MAX, the artist formerly known as HBO, is back to dominating my Sunday nights with its highly addictive, highly stressful brand of terrific television.
After The Idol flopped so badly, I worried that MAX wouldn’t ever live up to its glory days. But Industry, which was a compelling quarantine-watch that I feared might fizzle out in its third season, has proven itself to be the streamer’s latest juggernaut — and possibly one of the best shows of the year.
Move over prestige period dramas and fantasy epics – the hottest show of the fall is all about the cutthroat world of high finance. HBO’s Industry has quietly become must-see TV for its potent cocktail of ambition, excess, and anxiety that capitalizes on our love for “eat the rich” dramas.
It’s like Succession and The White Lotus had a baby, except instead of the quiet comedy of the former or the slow, sleepy thrill of the latter, Industry is an anxiety-inducing feat of stress and success. While The Bear’s third season was just a flash in the pan, thanks in no small part to its immediate release of all of its episodes, Industry is coming out one episode at a time and really allowing us to sit in the stress it creates. And I love every second of it.
Industry, like all the beloved shows du jour, revels in depicting the bad behavior of the obscenely wealthy. But unlike overly didactic versions of this like Blink Twice or even Don’t Worry Darling,Industry follows a cohort of young finance hopefuls, exploring how a generation raised on social media and economic instability navigates the rarified air of high finance. The result is a show that feels both timeless in its examination of power and greed and painfully specific to our current cultural moment.
What is Industry about?
Simply put, Industry is about investment banking. But what an antidote to the “looking for a man in finance” song that went viral this summer. If these are the men in finance, keep them away from me! Industry follows a group of analysts at Pierpont, a fictional London investment bank. But it spins all stereotypes on their head.
There’s the spoiled nepo-baby heiress Yasmin (Marisa Abela); the prototypical Oxford boy who turns out to be a sensitive scholarship kid; Rob (Harry Lawtey), the privileged Nigerian golden boy suffering from disillusionment; Gus (David Jonsson); and our main anti-hero Harper (Myha’la), a Black woman from a state school who is both a prodigy and a fish out of water.
Now in its third season, Industry has solidified its place as the rightful heir to the anti-hero drama throne once occupied by titans like Mad Men and The Sopranos. But instead of 1960s ad men or New Jersey mobsters, we’re following viscous Gen-Z frenemies It’s a world of obscene wealth, ruthless competition, and morally bankrupt decision-making. And though Harper, — called a “diminutive Black woman” in a recent episode — might seem the opposite of my beloved yet deeply flawed Don Draper, she’s a talented outsider struggling to make it in a world of wealth. And talk about an underdog we hate to love rooting for.
The cast makes each of their characters so compelling we can’t look away — even when they’re making a trainwreck of their lives. Myha’la anchors the show with her complex portrayal of Harper Stern, bringing a fierce intelligence and vulnerability to a character who could easily have become a caricature in less capable hands. Marisa Abela’s Yasmin Kara-Hanani has become a fan-favorite for her portrayal of a woman navigating the intersection of wealth, privilege, and gender politics in the boys’ club of finance. “I got a surprisingly large gay following,” she says in one of her opening scenes this season — and I get it.
But it’s not just the charm and quotable quips. What sets Industry apart is its unrelenting pace and frenetic energy. In an era where prestige TV often favors measured storytelling and slow burns, Industry hits like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. Honestly, it shares more DNA with the anxiety-inducing rhythms of The Bear with an upper-class flair.
Admittedly, the middle of the second season dragged. And with all the finance jargon and plotlines heavily contingent on the ups and downs of the market, sometimes it’s tough to follow. Sometimes I call up my friends who are deep in the trenches at Goldman or J.P. Morgan to simply translate whatever I just saw — and to provide a lens on what’s actually realistic. I worried that the third season would let me down. But instead, it ratcheted up the show to a level of intensity that shows Industry at its best.
Watch the Industry Season 3 trailer here:
Why Industry Season 3 is a game changer
This latest season doubles down on the show’s stress-inducing tendencies, with the most recent episode drawing comparisons to the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems for its relentless tension. The last time I was this stressed watching an episode of television was during The Bear season 2’s famous episode “Fishes.” If you know, you know that episode was a departure from the Season’s quiet meditations on its characters. It was the epitome of a chaotic family Christmas. And it was critically acclaimed for a reason. Similarly, White Mischief breaks from the narrative to focus on giving us heart palpitations.
Rishi has been a character on the sidelines who delivers some of the best — though sometimes pretty vile — one-liners. But in this episode, we get an unprecedented spotlight on Rishi as he navigates an even more chaotic Christmas than Carmy’s family. From work to home and back again, the episode takes us through a harrowing 48-hour period of gambling, drugs, and increasingly risky trades. And though it takes such a narrow focus compared to other episodes of the show, this episode exemplifies everything that makes Industry so addictive.
Season 3 has upped the ante considerably, with the addition of Kit Harington (of Game of Thrones fame) as an unstable — and perpetually shirtless — tech CEO disrupting the lives of our beloved Pierpoint characters.
But what exactly is the point of Industry, beyond giving viewers weekly panic attacks over concepts they barely understand? At its core, the show is an examination of ambition and its costs — literally and metaphorically. Through its characters’ struggles and their differing axes of identity — the rich trying to get richer and the poor trying to be just like them — it asks how far we’re willing to go to succeed in a system that may be rigged from the start. Through its ensemble of deeply flawed but magnetic characters, Industry explores the toxic allure of power and wealth and the toll it takes on those who pursue it relentlessly.
As we head further into Season 3, fans are on the edge of their seats to see how the various plot threads will interweave and resolve. Will Harper’s risky plays pay off and allow her to rebuild the glory she tasted for a moment at Pierpont, or will her house of cards finally come crashing down? Can Yasmin successfully navigate the minefield of office politics and her complicated personal life? And where the hell is her father? Will Harry get his emotions under control and deal with his grief instead of drinking it away? And just how long can Rishi’s luck hold out before everything implodes spectacularly?
I mean, we all saw the ending of Uncut Gems…
These questions — combined with the show’s sharp dialogue and on rushing pacing — have made Industry appointment-television for all of us who tuned in to watch Succession and White Lotus. It’s the kind of show that demands to be watched in real-time, lest you fall behind on the water cooler — or, more accurately, Slack channel — discussions the next day. In a television landscape often dominated by IP-driven content and safe bets, Industry feels fresh and unpredictable.
The week between each episode feels unbearable. But if you’re like me, the best way to distract yourself from the wait between good TV episodes is to watch more good TV.
Now, if you like Industry, you’ll like these shows — and vice versa. From timeless rewatches to new favorites, this is what I’m watching while waiting for the next episode of Industry.
1. Mad Men
For the Industry fan craving another dose of high-stakes professional drama, Mad Men is the ideal binge. Set in the cutthroat world of 1960s advertising — March 1960 to November 1970 — this AMC classic shares Industry‘s fascination with ambition, power, and the moral compromises we make in pursuit of success.
Jon Hamm’s Don Draper is the OG antihero who paved the way for Industry’s morally ambiguous leading characters. Like Harper Stern navigating Pierpoint’s treacherous waters, Draper’s journey from mysterious outsider to advertising titan is a masterclass in reinvention and survival. Mad Men may swap Industry‘s glass-and-steel offices for wood paneling and cigarette smoke, but the underlying tensions feel remarkably familiar. Both shows excel at exploring workplace dynamics, gender politics, and the psychic toll of constant performance.
With 16 Emmys and universal critical acclaim, Mad Men set the gold standard for prestige TV. Its influence on shows like Industry is undeniable, from the meticulous period detail to the complex character studies. The type of stress it creates is different and more simmering, as you wonder if Don Draper is going to get away with his indiscretions and if his company will retain their accounts. But it’s just as thrilling. For viewers who appreciate Industry‘s incisive writing and nuanced performances, Mad Men offers seven seasons of equally riveting drama.
2. Succession
HBO’s critically acclaimed drama about the dysfunctional Roy family and their media empire shares Industry’s fascination with wealth, power, and the corrupting influence of both. Where Industry focuses on hungry young graduates clawing their way up, Succession examines what happens when you’re born at the top — and the constant fear of falling. Both shows excel at depicting the often absurd world of the ultra-wealthy, balancing sharp satire with genuine pathos.
Jeremy Strong’s Kendall Roy could easily be a glimpse into the future of Industry’s most ambitious characters, What happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted, only to discover that it’s not enough? The ensemble cast, including Brian Cox, Sarah Snook, and Kieran Culkin, delivers performances as nuanced and compelling as anything in Industry. With 13 Emmy wins and counting, Succession is the definitive show about wealth and power in the 21st century. Succession‘s razor-sharp dialogue and complex character dynamics will feel instantly familiar to Industry fans.
3. The Sopranos
HBO’s groundbreaking mob drama paved the way for the complicated anti-heroes that populate shows like Industry. Both shows excel at exploring the psychological toll of existing in a world of constant pressure and moral compromise. The Sopranos may focus on organized crime rather than high finance, but the themes of loyalty, power, and the American-Dream-gone-sour resonate strongly with Industry’s explorations of late-stage capitalism.
The Sopranos set the template for the kind of nuanced, morally complex storytelling that Industry excels at. For viewers who appreciate Industry’s deep character work and unflinching look at a cutthroat world, The Sopranos offers 6 seasons of unparalleled drama. Each time I watch Industry, I can relate to Tony’s panic attacks.
4. The Bear
If Industry is the adrenaline rush of a million-dollar trade, The Bear is the heart-pounding intensity of a dinner service in the weeds. FX’s breakout hit about a high-end, fine-dining chef taking over his family’s struggling Chicago sandwich shop shares Industry‘s frenetic energy and exploration of high-pressure work environments.
Jeremy Allen White’s Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto — like Industry’s Harper Stern — is a talented but troubled protagonist trying to prove themselves in an unforgiving world. Both are prone to panic as much as moments of pure genius; we can’t help but root for them while hoping they finally get out of their own way.
Both shows excel at depicting the toll that constant pressure takes on the characters, balancing moments of triumph with crushing setbacks. The Bear swaps financial jargon for kitchen slang, but the underlying tension feels remarkably similar. The Bear has quickly established itself as one of TV’s most exciting new dramas, finding moments of connection and humanity amidst the chaos.
5. The Fall of the House of Usher
For Industry fans seeking a different flavor of high-stakes drama, The Fall of the House of Usher offers a gothic twist on tales of wealth and corruption. Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s works, Mike Flanagan’s Netflix limited series shares Industry’s fascination with the dark side of ambition and power. Bruce Greenwood’s Roderick Usher — the patriarch of a pharmaceutical dynasty — can be viewed as a cautionary tale for Industry’s young strivers. Both shows excel at exploring the moral rot that often accompanies great wealth and influence.
Where Industry finds horror in plummeting stock prices, Usher leans into supernatural terrors. Yet both understand that the most frightening monsters are often the ones we create ourselves while in pursuit of success. It’s too new for major awards, but Flanagan’s track record (including the acclaimed The Haunting of Hill House) suggests Usher will be a contender.
For Industry viewers who appreciate that show’s psychological depth and examination of familial legacy, The Fall of the House of Usher offers a compelling, horror-tinged alternative.
6. The Morning Show
Apple TV+’s The Morning Show shares Industry‘s fascination with high-pressure work environments and the often murky ethics of corporate America. Swapping finance for broadcast journalism, The Morning Show offers another perspective on ambition, power, and the price of success. Jennifer Aniston’s Alex Levy and Reese Witherspoon’s Bradley Jackson — like Industry’s Harper and Yasmin — navigate a cutthroat world where personal and professional lines are constantly blurred.
NBC’s Good Girls offers a fresh spin on the high-stakes world of finance that Industry inhabits. Both shows explore how financial desperation can drive people to cross lines they never imagined they would. The stress in Good Girls is more visceral and violent, but the underlying question is the same: what would you do for money?
Where Industry finds drama in legal (if ethically dubious) financial maneuvers, Good Girls dives into outright criminality. Yet both understand that in a world driven by money, the line between legitimate business and organized crime can be surprisingly thin.
8. Severance
Apple TV+’s Severance shares Industry‘s interest in the dehumanizing aspects of corporate culture — albeit through a surreal lens. This sci-fi thriller — about employees who surgically divide their memories between work and personal life — offers a different flavor of workplace anxiety. Adam Scott’s Mark Scout, like many of Industry’s characters, grapples with the all-consuming nature of his job. Yet both understand that in our late-capitalist world, the boundaries between work and life are increasingly blurred.
9. Billions
For Industry fans craving more high-stakes financial drama, Showtime’s Billions is the natural next step. Following the chess match between a hedge fund king and the U.S. Attorney determined to bring him down, it shares Industry‘s fascination with the ethical compromises and psychological warfare inherent to the pursuit of vast wealth.
Where Industry focuses on young graduates entering the world of finance, Billions examines those at the very top of the food chain. These aren’t messy college kids living in a house flat who don’t know what to do with their money. These characters have far more to lose — but they’re playing equally fast and loose with their love and money.
Every day you decide to log on to social media is another day you decide to return to the front lines of online battle, also known as discourse. Should childless adults watchBluey? Can people be normal about Sydney Sweeney? Who is Mr. Beast? Pick a side or log off. Of all the commentators logging hours and upsetting people, no one does it with as much style and humor as the person behind the Socialist Sopranos Memes account, @gabagoolmarx.
John Palmucci is a New Jersey native and self-identified “Italian Guy,” which he insists is not a bit, who has been wading into Facebook and Twitter fights as Socialist Sopranos Memes for more than five years, armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of HBO’s The Sopranos, left-wing views, a righteous frustration with political and social discourse, and the heart of a poster. He uses the most popular Sopranos memes — Tony realizing he hates A.J., Christopher explaining trending topics, Carmela throwing orange juice at Tony — to comment on our daily cultural oddities, political ineptitude, and government’s lack of decency.
What makes an SSM post so satisfying is its blend of gallows humor and a distinct voice aimed at the perfect target. Every time Vice-President Kamala Harris puts her foot in her mouth or the right wing clutches their pearls can be met with a succinct wisecrack that hits as hard as an elbow to the face. Despite (or because of) how niche the overlap of The Sopranos, leftist politics, and shitpostingis, SSM has gained nearly 100,000 followers and wandered into too many online fights to count, including one with media reporter Taylor Lorenz breathlessly covered by the New York Post. With The Sopranos back in the cultural conversation and a presidential election looming, @gabagoolmarx remains one of the most unique voices on the internet.
Could The Sopranos get made today? I guess it could. I just don’t think networks are really putting out anything that’s at that level of quality. So in that sense, it couldn’t. Not because “society’s too woke” or whatever — I don’t buy that — but because networks aren’t really committed to delivering a level of quality that existed on television 20-some-odd years ago.
Is Tony Soprano alive? That’s always been my opinion. I get a lot of shit about this. From people online, but from all my friends, too. They all think I’m crazy. I think he was not shot and killed in that diner. I don’t think that’s the point of that final scene.
What is the point of that final scene? Putting you into [Tony Soprano’s] frame of mind. That’s all we really need. What do we get out of seeing him go on trial and go to jail? What do we get out of seeing him get shot in the head? We don’t need that. I acknowledge the plausibility that he could be dead, but that’s just not really the point of that.
Tell me about the origins of Socialist Sopranos Memes. I started on Facebook. It was late in 2018. I was doing a Sopranos rewatch and I was making some memes that had nothing to do with The Sopranos. So I’m rewatching the show and I said to one of my buddies, “What if I kind of mix these two things together? That sounds crazy, right?” That’s where it started. I’ve been doing this for a little over five years now.
Have you always had socialist views? Back when I was a teenager, I was into political punk — Dead Kennedys, Choking Victim, Crass, stuff like that. Then I went to college. I probably shifted to the right a little bit. I was like, Maybe I’m more of a libertarian? I had one of those silly little journeys. Then the whole Bernie thing happened in 2016. Like a lot of people, Bernie brought me back in — and then there were the disappointments with all that. After Bernie 2016, I joined a small socialist organization, and I’m still a member today.
What’s more annoying: when people don’t get a joke because they don’t understand socialism or when someone gets upset because they clearly don’t know The Sopranos that well? It’s definitely the people who don’t understand The Sopranos. I put something out mocking the whole, “Oh, they can never make this today in today’s woke society.” I’m clearly making fun of the people who earnestly say that, and some guy says, “That’s why we need Trump, and we need to make America great again.” The whole premise of the show is the good old days weren’t actually all that good. The whole idea is you can’t make it great again because it wasn’t great to begin with.
I can understand why someone might not understand a social political economic philosophy, but if you’re going to claim to be a huge fan of The Sopranos, have some kind of idea that it goes a little bit beyond the gangsters in New Jersey with guns. It’s obviously deeper than that.
It’s not unusual for you to upset people online. I find it very funny to see people argue with a screenshot of Michael Imperioli. Maybe it’s good for them to have a faceless meme account to get mad at. There was a time in my life where I was the guy at the dinner table that would cause political arguments. I’m an Italian guy from New Jersey with left-wing views, and not a lot of the people around me have those. How I view it now is, amongst my family and my friends, I’m not that guy anymore, because I put my views out there for me. Since I’m not going to argue with my family and my friends, I’ll do it with strangers. I just throw it out there, and if strangers want to get upset about it, that’s fine. Maybe it’s good for them too to not have a “real person” to get mad at.
If that outlet takes the form of a beloved HBO show, that helps make it less of a contentious form of expression. I work late hours, odd hours, long hours. I need some kind of outlet. I could only rant so much to my wife about politics. She’ll listen, and a lot of times she agrees, but it’s good to just let it out there. I didn’t know it was going to even become that when I started with this. It was just a silly thing I was doing, showing my friends. At some point, it just became my release.
Has someone had criticism that you found to be valid or made you think deeper? No, not really. It’s more about whatever’s going on in the world is probably what would change me in any way. I know it’s been going on for decades, but the last few months with Israel-Palestine, for example, seeing things … there was a time I didn’t make memes about stuff like that.
Circling back to my whole thing about how I use the account to say the things that I am kind of done arguing with my family and friends about, that was a big one for years. Israel and Palestine was something very contentious with a bunch of people in my life.
It’s funny that you have people yelling at you, “Why do you hate Taylor Lorenz?” Is that your biggest online fight? Taylor Lorenz was probably the big one. That all stemmed from when I saw her saying something about how the striking Starbucks workers were not wearing masks on their picket line. Some of them were not wearing masks on the picket line outdoors on their picket line in early 2023. They’re just baristas and whatnot, trying to get a better wage, and you’re coming in and while her thing is all telling people they’re being insufficiently leftist. I’m a union worker for almost 11 years now. So, no, I’m not going to tolerate that. Then I saw she gave crap to someone about going to a restaurant or something, meeting with friends and stuff, so I made a meme about her just like, You know what? You’re a big public figure and you’re going around saying all this stuff. You can and should be able to handle criticism. I get criticized, my page gets criticized. I can handle that. She responded with the whole about how I joined the right-wing harassment campaign. Yeah, that was the big one.
How are you feeling going into this election? I mean, not great. Four years ago, Trump lost and we were sold that Biden was going to be the second coming of FDR. By 2020, I was so cynical, and you could see that by whatever I was posting back then. Four years later, that’s just all compounded. I mean, sure, there’s a lot of potential to come up with memes on the election. But we’re kind of rehashing, though, because it’s the same two guys that ran four years ago and they’re just older. More older Biden jokes. Trump’s the harder one to make jokes about.
Why is that? I’m a socialist, so obviously, I don’t like a billionaire business magnate. That’s obvious. So every time there’s an election, I get the stuff about, “You only go after Democrats.” I’m like, “No one ever confuses me for a Republican.” I get confused for a Democrat. Every time I make something mocking Democrats or Biden, that just reinforces that idea. I don’t even know if I’m going to vote. I don’t like any of these guys. Don’t even throw RFK at me, none of them. I live in New Jersey, what does it even matter here? [Laughs]
Ron Stark, co-owner of Holsten’s, the Bloomfield N.J. ice cream parlor and restaurant where the final scene of “The Sopranos” TV series was filmed, sits on March 5, 2024, at a recreation of the booth where Tony Soprano may or may not have met his end. The day before, the original booth used in the show was was sold in an online auction for $82,600 to a buyer that wishes to remain anonymous. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
BLOOMFIELD, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey ice cream parlor booth where Tony Soprano may or may not have been whacked has sold for more than $82,000.
An anonymous buyer won an online auction Monday night for the piece of memorabilia that occupies an outsize role in the lore of the award-winning HBO series.
That’s particularly because it was where the “Sopranos” crime boss was sitting when the series ended by cutting to black, outraging many viewers and claiming a place in TV history.
Ron Stark, co-owner of Holsten’s in Bloomfield, says the money will go toward renovating the dining area of the shop that opened in 1939.
Grey’s Anatomy: Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson
The TV Academy also teased tributes to All In The Family, Cheers, I Love Lucy.
Additionally, Charlie Puth and will perform with duo The War and Treaty for this year’s “In Memoriam.” Blink-182’s Travis Barker is set to open the show with a performance alongside host Anthony Anderson.
In two 6-3 decisions on Friday, the court ruled that President Joe Biden could not enact his (already modest) student loan forgiveness plan; and that businesses can use a free speech claim to discriminate against members of a protected class.
In the latter case — which web designer Lorie Smith brought so that her refusal to build a site for a gay wedding could be legally sanctioned — reporting the day before the ruling revealed that one of the gay grooms Smith cited had never tried to hire her for any reason.
It would be easy, reasonable, and correct to be angry that an entirely hypothetical situation invented by a homophobe acting in bad faith is now the law of the land. But Imperioli has found a way to use the ruling to his advantage.
On Saturday, the native New Yorker and star of The White Lotus and The Sopranos, posted a screenshot from a news report on the ruling to his Instagram grid with an unambiguous caption:
“I’ve decided to forbid bigots and homophobes from watching The Sopranos, The White Lotus, Goodfellas or any movie or tv show I’ve been in. Thank you Supreme Court for allowing me to discriminate and exclude those who I don’t agree with and am opposed to. USA! USA!”
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This is not the first time Imperioli has used his feed for good: in March, he posted an image of the transgender flag, captioned, “dear brothers, sisters and siblings. fear not, be strong and don’t let the bastards grind you down. love you.”
He has subsequently deleted comments on the post, because — and this may shock you — idiots made some of them. However, the interactions were reported at the time by Josh Kurp at Uproxx. “Unfollowing,” wrote a user identified as “philip.the1st.” “you should,” Imperioli replied, “hurry up.”
If you are among the many lucky Imperioli fans to whom this ban does not apply, and you’ve already re-watched him in The Sopranos and The White Lotus, check him out on Hulu in This Fool; Season 2 arrives July 28.
He was known for playing Tony Soprano—a brutish, selfish, abusive thug, a criminal and philanderer and cold-blooded killer. But there were miles of real estate between James Gandolfini and the character that made him famous, as anyone who knew Gandolfini could tell you.
So on this, the 10-year anniversary of his untimely and unexpected passing, we spoke to more than two dozen of his costars, collaborators, and friends, to get a better picture of the real James Gandolfini. They agreed on many things: his warmth, his generosity, his sense of humor, his intensity as an actor. The only thing they really split on was what to call him.
Susan Aston(longtime acting partner and coach): It’s funny, because you can tell when somebody met him by what they call him. When I met him, he was James, and he didn’t start going by Jim till later.
Karen Duffy(entertainment journalist and high school classmate): Yeah, it was Jimmy, Bucky, and James.
Drea de Matteo(costar,The Sopranos): I called him Jim or Jimmy. Yeah. James? No. [laughs]
Vincent Curatola(costar,The Sopranos): I think his sisters called him Jamie.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus(costar,Enough Said): I called him Jim.
Edie Falco(costar,The Sopranos): When I first met him, I asked him, “What do I call you?” And he said, “Whatever you want,” which was no help at all! But I called him Jim.
Jake Scott(director,Welcome to the Rileys): His appearance and his size was imposing. So, you know, you approached him cautiously. But he was a big, gentle, beautiful, warm, loving human. So you felt you earned the right to call him Jim or Jimmy.
Mykelti Williamson(costar,12 Angry Men): I’d seen his work. But we got to the stage at Paramount, and he’s just the coolest, down-to-earth, New Jersey/New York–type personality. He was just a sweetheart of a guy—but you could tell that there’s a sharp edge on the other end of that thing too.
John Magaro(costar,Not Fade AwayandDown the Shore): When I first met him, you know, it’s him, and he’s intimidating. He just has a presence about him. He was a big guy. And he’s not super talkative, he’s not super jokey. But then once you crack the outer shell, you understand that Jim is hilarious, likes to goof around.
Mimi Kennedy(costar,In the Loop): I just felt like I was in fifth grade with him. He was the freest actor that I’ve ever worked opposite, because of that 11-year-old energy of just, “Yeah, we’re in this. They think we’re supposed to do this, but I’m gonna make you laugh.” And I always would laugh.
De Matteo: The ongoing joke we used to—oh, this is so fucked up, I don’t even know if I should be divulging this kind of information—but my friend Ginger, who was a PA on the show at the time…we used to walk around and make, like, the sound of a faucet going. Meaning, like, we need a cold shower, every time we walked by Jim. Who knew that we would have crushes on this big, hulking, balding, middle-aged man?
Rosanna Arquette(costar,Gun): He has those very compassionate, empathetic eyes. When you connect with somebody’s eyes, as an actor, you really can connect in that way immediately.
Tony Danza(costar,12 Angry Men): He had a different look than anybody else. He wasn’t what you expected for an Italian leading man. And he had a real…he had such an ease of delivery. The guy was really, really good.
NEW YORK—In the wake of recent moves to reduce the size of its library in order to save on residual payments, streaming service HBO Max announced Thursday it would move forward with a plan to destroy all evidence that The Sopranos ever existed. “Once we have finished burning the 35-millimeter film on which the series was shot and deleting all digitized footage, we will begin confiscating millions of DVD box sets, which will then be steamrolled into tiny pieces and dumped into the Hudson River,” said CEO Casey Bloys, who explained that HBO would begin enforcing a unique noncompete clause in cast members’ contracts that would prohibit Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Lorraine Bracco, and other Sopranos stars from ever again taking an acting role and inadvertently reminding viewers of the show’s existence. “We have already bulldozed the structures used for exterior shots of Tony Soprano’s home and Satriale’s Pork Store, and will soon proceed with demolitions of the Lincoln Tunnel and the entirety of the New Jersey Turnpike.” Bloys confirmed that HBO had also directed its general counsel to send cease and desist letters to every Italian restaurant in the world that has baked ziti on the menu.
