Thursday August 21, 2008

Vincent Curatola will be a guest this Thursday for The Barclay's Golf Tournament, being held at the Ridgewood Country Club, located in Paramus, NJ. This event will be televised on The Golf Channel from 2 pm to 6 pm.

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Vincent Curatola recently completed filming the movie, "The Hungry Ghost" written and directed by Michael Imperioli. Vince plays the character of Nicky Z., a Russian immigrant restaurant owner, who is being interviewed on a talk show.

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From August 8, 2008 Star Ledger

It's a mob scene as 'Sopranos' cast parties with the FBI
by Jeff Whelan/ The Star-Ledger

They turned one of his lieutenants into an informant. They sneaked through the woods to hunt him down. And eventually, FBI agents put Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni, the New York mob boss, behind bars.

Then Thursday the gangster took an elevator ride to a fifth-floor parking garage in Newark and walked out to find himself surrounded by federal agents once again. This time there were hundreds of them.

"I thought this was all over with you guys," he sighed to a round of laughter.

Johnny Sack, of course, was a character on the "Sopranos," HBO's hit show about a dysfunctional Jersey mob family. Vincent Curatola, a Bergen County resident, is the actor who played him.

photo credit: Jennifer Brown/The Star-Ledger

Curatola and several of his cast mates were featured guests today at a luncheon in which the FBI's Newark Division celebrated the 100th anniversary of the bureau. Each division around the nation marked the occasion in its own way to recognize the FBI's growth from a team of 34 investigators to an elite agency with more than 30,000 employees. In Alabama, there was a picnic. In Pittsburgh, an office party. In Philadelphia, a formal dinner. But in Newark, there was Johnny Sack (Curatola), Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico), Furio Giunta (Federico Castelluccio) and Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese). Weysan Dun, special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark division, invited the actors, saying it was a way to pay tribute to a significant part of the FBI's history and New Jersey culture.

"Fighting organized crime is part of our legendary success," he said.

The "Sopranos" stars help the FBI celebrate

On the show, as in real life, the FBI agents and the mobsters were engaged in a protracted cat-and-mouse game. Today's odd pairing gave real-life crime fighters a chance to compare notes with the fictional wiseguys.

William Evanina, special agent in charge of the FBI's Trenton office, said plenty of New Jersey agents were fans of the show.

""We waited to see every Sunday whether they would get it right," he said. He recalled watching his fictional counterparts execute a search warrant at Johnny Sack's home with their guns drawn.

"That would never happen," he said -- a simple knock was more likely. "The majority of the stuff they got right. But obviously you've got to take liberties with television."

On another episode, an FBI agent who tipped off Tony Soprano to the whereabouts of an enemy cheered when the rival got whacked.

"We're not as bad as they make us out to be. And I'm not sure the real organized crime figures are as good as they are made out to be. But it's great entertainment," said Edward Kahrer, assistant special agent in charge of the Newark division.

Sirico, a Brooklyn actor, joked that if his fellow wiseguys knew he was hanging around a bunch of G-men, "they'd probably whack me."

Chianese's character, Uncle Junior, once complained on the show that he had the feds so far up one part of his anatomy, he could "taste Brylcreem."

Curatola teased Chianese Thursday as they readied to pose for photos with agents.

"Did you make a deal with these people? Are you going to flip?" Curatola asked.

Seth Gilliam, who played Sgt. Ellis Carver on "The Wire," a Baltimore police drama and another widely acclaimed HBO series, was also on hand. "I'm the only celebrity here who played a cop. Everybody else is a mobster. Until the special agents came in the room, I felt a little outnumbered," he joked.

Former FBI director and New Jersey native Louis Freeh was the luncheon's keynote speaker. During his remarks, he acknowledged that television and movies have helped burnish the bureau's image for decades, turning the FBI into a "global icon" and name brand.

"We certainly thank Hollywood," he said. "But the essence of the FBI is really a direct result of the quality and integrity of the men and women who have served there."

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Vincent Curatola was on Broadway (actually a block away) on January 6, 2008 to join several Bronx, NY Veterans in enjoying a performance of the Broadway Show, "Chicago". See the photos here.

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The holidays are coming and if you are looking for an extra special gift for someone really close to your heart, here is a fabulous suggestion. On December 15

at 1:00 pm, Vince Curatola will be signing copies of “The Sopranos…The Complete Book” at Bookends Bookstore (great place) located at 232 E. Ridgewood Ave. Ridgewood , NJ 07450 . For more information please call 201-445-0726.

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On October 21, there is an event, which will benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Greater New York. The Kidney Walk is a 5K (3.1 mile) walk which will commence from the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan . Participants are asked to meet on the North side of Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport on Walk day! The Walk will go to Battery Park and back. The photos from the walk are on line, click here to view!

This year, as in previous years, Vincent Curatola (Johnny Sack), will “walk the walk” along with the walkers. In previous years, other Sopranos cast members have participated.

Registration begins at 9:30 am, with the walk commencing at 10:30 am. To register on line, click here.

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Steve Schirripa and Vince Curatola recently appeared on The Rachel Ray Show in "The Great Sopranos Sauce Off", to see who had the better sauce and the recipe for the better sauce, which you can make at home, click here.

~UPDATED~

Sopranos cast and crew members, whose photos of them signing or autographs with The Sopranos Motorcycle are up on line, so far

David Chase
Edie Falco
Michael Imperioli
James Gandolfini
Lorraine Bracco
Lou Petraglia
'Little' Steven Van Zandt
Steven R. Schirripa
Jeff Marchetti
Frank Vincent
Mathew Price
Ray Abruzzo
Tony Sirico
Tim Van Patten
Tony Darrow
Robert Iler
Dan Grimaldi
Arthur Nascarella
Vincent Curatola