‘Sopranos’ Fans Gather at Atlantic City Casino to Meet TV Show’s Stars

Posted on: July 23, 2021, 02:18h. 

Last updated on: July 23, 2021, 06:38h.

Larry Henry Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Gaming Business, Legislation, Politics, Regulation.

A fan convention featuring stars from the HBO Mob series The Sopranos is talking place this weekend at Harrah’s Atlantic City Resort and Casino. The now-classic show first aired from 1999 to 2007, and is still available on the cable channel.

Lorraine Bracco, James Gandolfini
Images of Sopranos actors Lorraine Bracco and James Gandolfini appear in this photo illustration. Bracco is set to attend SopranosCon 2021 at Harrah’s Atlantic City from July 24-25. (Image: Vice)

Some stars, such as Edie Falco (Carmela Soprano) and Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti), are not scheduled to attend the SopranosCon event. But actors who portrayed other main characters have signed on to be there. Among these are Kathrine Narducci (Charmaine Bucco) Dominic Chianese (Uncle Junior), and Lorraine Bracco (Dr. Melfi). Actors from other Mob movies and TV shows also will be in attendance.

The event organizers’ alliance with Federico Castelluccio, who played Furio Giunta in the series, helped in attracting actors to the weekend convention, according to media accounts. 

This is the second year for SopranosCon, which gives fans a chance to attend panel discussions, visit vendor exhibits, and collect autographs.

This year, SopranosCon is teaming with MobMovieCon in hosting the event. The convention will feature a “Mob Movie Awards” ceremony, with entertainer Ice-T serving as master of ceremonies, according to northjersey.com. The award categories includes a “James Gandolfini Humanitarian Award.” Gandolfini, who starred as New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano, died of a heart attack in 2013 while in Rome. He was 51.

Tickets start at $50 each day for the Saturday and Sunday convention. For information, visit the  MobMovieCon website. 

New Jersey Mob Hub

The initial SopranosCon was held in 2019 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, N.J. This first convention attracted about 15,000 attendees, according to northjersey.com.

Last year’s convention was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Event organizer Michael Mota said Atlantic City’s longtime association with gangsters made the New Jersey gambling hub a “perfect fit” for the 2021 convention, northjersey.com reported.

In 1929, major mobsters met in the oceanside city for the first gathering of its kind to sort out differences and to form an underworld alliance. Those in attendance reportedly included Meyer Lansky, Al Capone, Benjamin “Bugsy Siegel, and Charles “Lucky” Luciano.

‘Sopranos’ Spinoffs

Though the final Sopranos episode aired 14 years ago, interest in the series remains high. 

Some of the show’s stars, including Imperioli and Steve Schirripa (Bobby “Bacala” Baccilieri), have their own regular podcasts. The podcast by Imperioli and Schirripa is titled Talking Sopranos.

Also, a “Monopoly: The Sopranos” edition of the board game recently has been released, retailing for $39.99. Players can buy, sell, and trade locations associated with the show, such as the Sopranos’ house and Satriale’s Pork Store, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Player tokens include Tony’s boat, The Stugots, and Dr. Melfi’s therapy chair

Interest in The Sopranos is expected to undergo another major revival when a prequel movie, The Many Saints of Newark, is released Oct. 1. The movie stars Gandolfini’s son, Michael, as a younger Tony Soprano.