THE SOPRANOS star – actor, playwright, director, and singer – Vinny Pastore and His Gangster Squad perform Fri, Feb. 27 at Bayonneâ€s Masonic Lodge.  (Photo: Zee Zee Photography)

Sopranoâ€s Star swaps Wiseguys for Sidemen in Upcoming Bayonne Show

By Sally Deering

 When David Chase, Executive Producer of THE SOPRANOS cast the showâ€s first season, he picked Vincent Pastore to play Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero, who got bumped off in second season off after Tony Soprano discovered he snitched to the FBI.

After Soprano and his wiseguys whacked Big “P” on a boat off the coast of Asbury Park, Pastore went on to star in a series of films, formed a theater company in New York City, starred in the Broadway musical “Bullets on Broadway” and kept on plugging after fighting a bout with cancer.

Unfazed and cancer-free, on Sat, Feb. 27, at Bayonneâ€s Masonic Lodge, Pastore will show the musical side of his many talents in “VINNY PASTORE AND HIS GANGSTER SQUAD” a night of live Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, Funk, Soul, and Reggae hits. Pastore shares the spotlight with some pretty intense musicians including Frank Pisani on keyboard and vocals, Al Orlo playing lead guitar, Eddie Denise on bass guitar and vocals, Charlie Powers on drums and vocals, Baron Raymonde playing sax, and Tommy ‘Blues Buddha†Dudley on vocals.

Filming in Connecticut on a recent Thursday afternoon, Mr. Pastore took a mid-afternoon break to talk with River View Observer (RVO) about his career as an actor, playwright, and singer; and how he believes saying yes to new projects keeps your hand in the show biz game.

RVO: Where did you grow up? Where were you born and raised?

VP: I grew up in New Rochelle, New York. I lived all over New Rochelle, till I was 50. Thatâ€s where I grew up and thatâ€s where I had my nightclubs.

 RVO: You started out as a club owner before becoming an actor?

VP: I owned a club in New Rochelle called Crazy Horse.

RVO: Did you ever hang out in Jersey before filming the Sopranos?

VP:  I would go to Hoboken a lot because in the 1990s, [worked with playwright Louis LoRusso who lived in Hoboken. And I got to Asbury Park. We filmed (The Sopranos) in Kearny, Harrison, and then we filmed the rest at the Silvercup Studios. Kearny was our home base.

RVO: Do you remember the early days of The Sopranos? When did you know it was a hit?

VP:  I was really really lucky. When we were doing those early episodes, there was nothing about the show on TV. We knocked off 13 shows and then HBO aired it.  I was with Dominic Chianese and Tony Sirico at the Left Bank (restaurant on 42^nd Street) in Manhattan. Someone asked us, did you see what they did at the corner? So, we walked to Times Square and there was a billboard with The Sopranos on it. Thatâ€s when things started to change for all of us. Then we had a premiere at a small venue on Broadway, and we went to the after party at Johnâ€s Pizzeria. Bruce Springsteen was there hanging out with us, I met Bruce then, and you say to yourself, my life is gonna change. Then we went to L.A. for the Emmys, then for the SAG Awards

 RVO: Before acting, you were a nightclub owner?

VP: Before I became an actor, had a club called Crazy Horse and I was doing theater—stage work. I would hire kids from the community theater to tend bar, do my lights. Way back then at the Crazy Horse we had that feeling of theater.  Film work started for me with TRUE LOVE with Aida Turturro and we both ended up on THE SOPRANOS.

RVO:  How important are connections when building your career?

VP: You need somebody to give you a break, thatâ€s the name of the game. Danny Aiello, who I knew through Louis LoRusso, gave me my first break.  He brought me to Canada for THE LAST DON. I did a lot of Indies with Danny Aiello. And Tony Sirico, We were friends way back in the 80s. We ran night clubs together; he was always in my corner. Frank Vincent, another friend, I met him when he did RAGING BULL.

RVO:  Since you played a “wiseguy” on THE SOPRANOS, are you typecast?

VP:  Not really. I just did a movie in Connecticut with Tom Sizemore and I played a bar-owner, so I donâ€t always play ‘wiseguysâ€. Iâ€m shooting a move next week in Harlem.  Iâ€m playing a Latin drug dealer. I play a gangster when itâ€s offered to me.

RVO:  You played a musical gangster in BULLETS OVER BROADWAY based on Woody Allenâ€s film?

VP: Yes. I remember, we were having a read0through of BULLETS OVER BROADWAY and Iâ€m sitting next to this kid Nick Cordero whoâ€s playing Cheech. Heâ€s sitting next to me, and he says, this is a pretty good experience, I hope I make it to the next level.  And I said to him, I donâ€t know if theyâ€re going to keep me, either. I got cancer. I donâ€t know if Iâ€m going to make it. Well, I never missed a show. I was singing and dancing up there. And Nicky got nominated for a Tony Award for Cheech. Heâ€s doing A BRONX TALE now. He didnâ€t know his future; I didnâ€t know mine. And now, Iâ€m cancer-free.

RVO:  And now youâ€re singing in a band?

VP: The Sopranos to me was 15 years ago. Thatâ€s why I run around with my band now. These guys played at my club Crazy Horse. And when I play with my band, I get a big SOPRANOS following who come to see me perform.

RVO:  Youâ€ve been a nightclub owner, an actor, and now youâ€re singing? You seem to have re-invented yourself several times. Why?

VP:  You gotta reinvent yourself, or else you go nuts, I was a nightclub owner for 30 years. I just finished a movie last week, I have a theater company called Renegade in New York City with Maureen Van Zandt, the wife of “Little Steven” Van Zandt. Our next production is March 29^th at the Crane Theater in New York City. Itâ€s a week of one-acts, and one is a play I wrote called, MAMAâ€S CHAIR. Itâ€s about a son who confronts his father about his motherâ€s death. I also wrote a play called CRAZY HORSE, based on my life in the 80s, in New Rochelle running bars. What we do as entertainers, we try to take all that in from our experience and we develop things.

RVO: Any thoughts of retiring?

VP: Iâ€m not going to sit home and just watch soap operas. As soon as I get up in the morning Iâ€m constantly busy, putting shows together, auditioning for a TV show. When I hang up the phone, I have someone coming over who runs lines with me for my movies. I also try to have fun.

RVO:  Do you have any advice for up-and-coming actors trying to break into show business?

VP: A lot of the movies up for Academy Awards, these are special movies from 2015, Thatâ€s why they got nominated. As an actor you gotta find something special. I was lucky with The Sopranos, but yours ship can sink if donâ€t go out there and get work.  What am I doing today? Iâ€m producing directing and writing one-acts.  Iâ€m working with a rock-and-roll band once or twice a week, and Iâ€m looking for work as an actor. You say yes to everything. You say, let me try to get this done in my life. If you say no, theyâ€re not going to ask you again.

If you go

Sat, Feb. 27, 8 pm

VINNY PASTOREâ€S GANGSTER SQUAD

“Catch a Rising Star” at the Masonic Lodge

999 Ave “C”, Bayonne

For tix: www.catcharisingstar.com

For more info:  www.vincentpastore.com

Upcoming performances

Sun, Mar 20, Roseland Public Library, 20 Roseland Avenue, Roseland, NJ. The Baron on Sax

Fri, Mar 25, Bayou Restaurant, 580 Gramatan Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY.

Fri, Apr 8, Ranchero Cantina, 214 Kinderkamack Road, Emerson, NJ. Opening Act: Nick Wey

Thurs, Apr 14, Resorts World Casino, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd. Jamaica, NY. Bar 360; Guest: Killer Joe and Batman

Fri, May 13, Joe & Joe Restaurant, 65 E Central Ave, Pearl River, NY

Sat, Jun 25, Red Zone Tavern, 1 Wall Street, Cromwell, CT

Thurs, Jul 14, The Cutting Room, 44 E 32nd St., NYC – Vinnieâ€s Birthday Bash. Tix: $20.  Doors open 6:30 pm.  Special musical guests all night

 

The post GANGSTER ROCK  Vincent Pastore of THE SOPRANOS Sings and Swings first appeared on River View Observer.

 

 On December 7, 2010 the Hoboken, Edward A. Dalton Boys & Girls Club will host their 13^th Annual fundraiser, “An Evening with Two Guys from Hoboken,” honoring the efforts of the neighborhood’s own Joe Pantoliano and Rich Pèpe. In collaboration with Hoboken’s oldest restaurant, event sponsor “Leo’s Grandesvous,” the duo will cook a family style Italian dinner for guests using Pèpe & Pants Pasta Sauce.   Also another neighborhood famous business, Carlos Bakery known for the home of the CAKE BOSS will be donating their famous cake for the evening’s event.   This family style event will raise funds to support the community’s youth development programs, as well as Pantoliano’s No Kidding, Me Too! NKM2 is Pantoliano’s own non-profit organization is dedicated to removing the stigma associated with mental illness. All of the profits from Pèpe & Pants Pasta sauce is donated to NKM2.

The Mayor of Hoboken will present duo neighborhood friends, businessman and celebrity, Pantoliano and Pèpe with Keys to the City, in honor of their respective family’s contributions and in commemoration of their Italian heritage which now spans 3 generations. Spoken on behalf of the pair, Pèpe muses their start, “As you may know, our families emigrated from Italy through Ellis Island over a hundred years ago, settling in Hoboken, New Jersey. It was there that Joey and I learned the importance of close family ties, strong work ethic, and where we each developed a sense of community”.  Joey Pants echoes “  NEED A QUOTE”

Information for event is below:

 

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

5:30 PM Dinner & Award Ceremony

Hoboken Boys & Girls Club
123 Jefferson Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030

 

To buy individual tickets or a premiere sponsorship table for the event, contact:

Gary Greenberg / ggreenberg@bgchc.org / 201.333.4100 ext. 302

 

For more information on Pepe & Pants please visit http://pepeandpants.com/ and to read more about Joey Pantoliano go to www.joeypants.com.

 Joey founded No Kidding, Me Too! a non-profit organization dedicated to removing the stigma associated with mental illness

• Joey will make his directorial debut with his informative and moving documentary of the same name – No Kidding, Me Too! opens on April 24^th and can be seen starting May 24^th on WNET 13/PBS

 

• Joey is the co-founder of Pèpe & Pants Pasta sauce, which donates 100% of its profits to NKM2
• Joey is currently working on his upcoming book The Great Depression
• Joey was recently awarded a key to Hoboken, NJ in honor of his family’s contributions to the community and in commemoration of his Italian heritage which now spans 3 generations

 

The post BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS HONOR JOE PANTOLIANO WITH THE HELP OF THE CAKE BOSS AT “AN EVENING WITH TWO GUYS FROM HOBOKEN” first appeared on River View Observer.

It has developed the habit of stealing Doritos from a neighborhood convenience store.

(notice how the gull takes one last quick look to see if anyone is watching)

The seagull waits until the manager isn’t looking, and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.

Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds.

The seagull’s shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, and helped himself to a bag of Doritos. Since then, he’s become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips.

The manager thinks it’s great because people are coming to watch the feathered thief make the daily grab and run, and that’s good for business, and especially since customers have begun paying for the seagull’s stolen bags of Doritos because they think it’s so funny. However, the manager did say, ‘This is New Jersey , and if that seagull starts to grab a 6-pack of ‘Bud’ to go along with the Doritos, I may have to put a stop to it.’
Thanks Lil Dekay

The post New Jersey Seagull -Caught In The Act-Could It Be One of the Soprano’s-This birds no stool pigeon first appeared on River View Observer.

On television and in films, Pantoliano never shied away from revealing his characters’ inner-demons, but when the cameras stopped rolling, the actor isolated himself, afraid that others might learn he was fighting a personal demon of his own – depression.

For years, Pantoliano, known to his friends and fans as “Joey Pants” suffered from a debilitating depression that affected him so badly, he would sometimes come home from a day’s filming and “roll up in a ball.” But when he started working on the movie, Canvas, which deals with mental illness, Pantoliano came out of hiding and sought professional help.

Pantoliano’s doctor diagnosed him with clinical depression and now, with medication and behavioral therapy, the actor’s life has changed both personally and professionally. And a happier and healthier Pantoliano is helping others.

No Kidding, Me Too! is a new documentary Pantoliano directed to broaden awareness and reduce the stigma of mental illness. Pantoliano is also founder and president of the No Kidding Me Too! foundation, which raises awareness and funding for those suffering from anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, depression, addiction and more.

Last week, No Kidding, Me Too! earned “Best Documentary” at the Hoboken Film Festival and on June 9th, it will be shown in Red Bank at the Two River Theater, sponsored by the Mental Health Association of Monmouth County.

“The whole mission for the film and the foundation is to eradicate the stigma of depression,” Pantoliano says. “It’s just a disease like any other and for that matter, a highly treatable disease. You can get your life back.”

On tour promoting the film and his foundation, Pantoliano conducts Question and Answer sessions when he attends screenings. During these Q & A’s, people often reveal their own personal stories to him. Pantoliano says this is a big step for people with clinical depression because it takes them out of isolation, which is one of the symptoms.

“They share their experiences and their struggles and they do it in an open forum,” Pantoliano says. “That’s the whole point. Talking about it openly, relinquishes the shame that people feel with the disease. It’s the best therapy there is.”

The film is just part of Pantoliano’s mission to help others. As president of the No Kidding Me Too! foundation, he writes a personal blog on the website, www.nkm2.org, and he brings out the stars at fundraising events. The Foundation’s Advisory Board reads like a Hollywood’s Who’s Who and includes Robin Williams, Harrison Ford and Marcia Gay Harden, who starred with Pantoliano in the movie, Canvas.

It was during the filming of Canvas that Pantoliano became aware of the symptoms of depression portrayed in the film by Harden’s character. Off-screen, the actor confessed to Harden that his mother may have suffered from depression and that he too, might be affected.

Born in Hoboken in the early 1950s, Pantoliano grew up in a first-generation Italian-American family. His father Dominic “Monk” Pantoliano drove a hearse and worked as a factory foreman; his mother, Mary worked as a seamstress and a bookie. After a hard day, Mary would often try to feel better with a tranquilizer.

” Trankalizers’ is what she called them,” Pantoliano says.

Pantoliano believes his mother was self-medicating to help her deal with feelings of depression and he dedicates the documentary to her and his friend Charlie, a victim of depression who took his own life.

“One thing I’ve realized in my recovery is that I never had patience for people who were sick,” Pantoliano says. “I thought they were selfish, grandiose, or looking for sympathy, especially people who were alcoholics or drug addicts. Why don’t you just stop and cut it out, I would think. And I realize now that my mother couldn’t stop. She wasn’t choosing a negative (behavior.) It was the only path.”

Before he sought help, Pantoliano would self-medicate with alcohol; now he takes yoga.

“My doctor taught me positive behavioral coping skills to substitute the negative ones,” Pantoliano says. “In my depression, I would drink alcohol to try to feel better, but then I would get a terrible headache and hangover. Now, I get up early. I go to yoga class and a 12-step meeting. I don’t have the depression. Back then, I felt sad and confused. I would ask myself, why am I sad when I have nothing to be sad about. I’m healthier now.”

On his own path of recovery, Pantoliano learned several behavioral modification techniques that treat symptoms of depression. Exercise helps recovery, he says. Laughter does, too. Pantoliano’s doctor advised him to watch less news and more comedies because when a person laughs, their brain releases Dopamine, a chemical that brings on good feelings.

“Just by going ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, Dopamine is released and you feel better,” Pantoliano says. “That’s why the website is so important. Aside from medical information, there are feel-good stories and anecdotes. You can come to our website and we can help each other. So many people with this disease don’t have insurance and can’t see doctors on a regular basis. The website is a forum for people to share and communicate. We have to be able to talk to each other and help fix each other.

The No Kidding, Me Too! foundation’s mission is to continue building partnerships with members of the entertainment industry along with social services and government agencies to ensure a broad-base of support and input.

Pantoliano, meanwhile, has added mental health advocate to his lengthy resume and it’s a part that fits him well. But unlike the roles he plays on screen, this one’s for real.

“I just got back from two days in Philadelphia promoting the documentary,” Pantoliano says. “I took my daughter and we had so much fun. We took pictures and we laughed.”

The post Joe Pantoliano Fights His Demons On and Off the Screen first appeared on River View Observer.