It only makes sense that on the 20th anniversary of the HBO hit television series The Sopranos we flashback to when former Stone World editor Michael Reis and I had the opportunity to meet several cast members from the show. It all started when I received a phone call one late Friday afternoon back in 2004 from Leonardo (Lenny) Ventimiglia who had a fabrication shop with his partner Thomas Landers in Passaic, NJ (not far from our office in Paramus). Ventimiglia told me about his shop and then asked me if I watched the show. “Of course!” I said. (Who living in Jersey didn’t?) He went on to explain that his shop fabricated the countertop for the house where Tony lived. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, he then told me that his brother, John Ventimiglia, played restaurant owner Artie Bucco on the show. Long story short, Mike and I were at the shop the next week and a Fabricator Case Study about Counter Revolution, along with a photo of the Ventimiglia brothers, their father and Landers, ran in the July 2004 issue of Stone World. A few months later, we were invited back to attend the company’s Customer Appreciation barbecue where we met the actors who played Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri and Johnny “Sack” Sacramoni. I have to say, this ranks up there with my most memorable memories in my 22-year Stone World career.
Throwback Thursday to a visit with cast members of The Sopranos