Story highlights
The Sopranos was shot in many New Jersey locations
Fans still visit some of the places where the show was filmed
One owner recalls the graciousness of the late James Gandolfini
Six years have passed since the final episode of “The Sopranos” aired, but the location of that last shoot, Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery, still boasts the connection to the show.
The Bloomfield, New Jersey, ice cream parlor still draws visitors who want to see the place where the fictional Tony Soprano may have met his end.
On Wednesday, Holsten’s owner reflected on the death of James Gandolfini, the actor who played the mob boss. Gandolfini died in Italy, possibly of a heart attack.
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“It was a great honor, one of the highlights of my life” to have the final episode shot at Holsten’s, owner Chris Carley said.
He recalls how gracious Gandolfini was, posing for pictures and signing autographs for his staff.
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“He was a very down-to-earth man when the camera wasn’t rolling,” he said.
The actor bought sushi for everyone on the second day of shooting, and Carley remembers Gandolfini sitting in the driveway in the back of the building, lit cigar in hand.
“It was like he was holding court, everyone around him listening and laughing,” he said.
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Many New Jersey establishments were touched by the show.
The strip club on “The Sopranos,” the Bada Bing Club, is also a strip club in real life, albeit with a different name.
Like Holsten’s, Satin Dolls in Lodi does not forget its Soprano ties. It still bills itself as “the original” Bada Bing Club in its advertising.
