‘Sopranos’ raging over Joe
Last Updated: 7:51 AM, June 25, 2013
Posted: 12:02 AM, June 25, 2013
EXCLUSIVE -
NY Post, Page SixThe cast of “The Sopranos” is furious at Joe Gannascoli, who played gay gangster Vito Spatafore, for doing a series of glowing interviews about James Gandolfini — when in fact they were not close friends and hadn’t talked in years.
Sources tell Page Six that Gandolfini and his series co-stars were turned off years ago by Gannascoli’s “grandstanding” and self-promotion. One said, “After joining the show, Joe hired his own p.r. person and would do all this press for himself, and it just became too much. Jim was very much a team player, and would only do interviews if it was to help someone in the ‘Sopranos’ family, or as a group.
"But Joe was the opposite; he kept grandstanding and it became a turnoff for Jim and [‘Sopranos’ creator] David Chase. It also rubbed most of the cast the wrong way. Then, as soon as Jim died, Joe was grandstanding again. He wasn’t close to Jim. They probably haven’t spoken in around seven years. Some members of the cast feel like Joe is using Jimmy’s death to get his own name out there.”
Gannascoli has done a series of TV, radio and newspaper interviews since Gandolfini died, at 51, of a heart attack in Rome on Wednesday.
An emotional Gannascoli told the Daily Mail that Gandolfini was “a tremendous guy,” adding, “He came to my wedding with his son and spoke beautiful words in front of everyone to me and my wife.”
In another interview, in which Gannascoli described “being a part of history with Gandolfini,” he said, “I didn’t leave on the best terms with all the cast members, but Jimmy was really cool, and he told me not to worry about it. He never turned his back on me.”
Amid numerous posts on Facebook, Gannascoli admitted, “Jimmy and I were not the closest of friends, But I am forever indebted to him . . . he also said he would go in and talk to David Chase with me if I didn’t want to play my role on the show. Just a humble and gifted actor and person.”
In response, Gannascoli said, "This is a vindictive plant by [another cast member]. The problem that Jimmy and I had [was] long ago solved, he knew it was not my fault ... the press I did was when I was killed off the show and at that point it didn't matter. I was done. Cast members told me [the cast member] was envious of all the attention and work I was getting in season 6 of the show. He resented it and now he resents me paying my tribute to Jim. I always lead off with saying we were not the closest of friends but he touched me in three ways I will always remember."
