Actress from 'The Sopranos' bounced from jury pool at trial of Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano

BY JOHN MARZULLI
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, March 23rd 2011, 4:58 PM

An actress who appeared in "The Sopranos" was whacked from the jury pool for the racketeering trial of Bonanno crime boss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano.

The woman, identified only as Juror No. 438, is not a recognizable cast member and acknowledged she was mainly a stand-in for stars Edie Falco and Lorraine Bracco beyond some non-speaking bits as a "mob wife."

"They [the 'Sopranos' cast] got to be a family of mine," she said Wednesday in Brooklyn Federal Court. "Lovely people."

Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis axed her because the jury must be anonymous for safety reasons and her name is listed in the credits of shows she appeared in over four seasons.

Basciano, who faces the death penalty if convicted of ordering the murder of mob associate Randolph Pizzolo, nodded his head as the actress vented on how Italians like herself are smeared by organized crime.

"I agree with James Gandolfini, the star of the show, who said he hated the role he played," she said. "That's not what Italian-Americans are about.

"I've been an opera singer all my life. We've given so much culture to the world."

Outside court, the actress said she had never heard of Basciano, the Mafia's best-dressed mob boss since the late John Gotti.

Earlier this week, a prospective juror who claimed to be related to a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family was bounced from the panel.

LOL at someone appearing on the Sopranos and then complaining about being stereotyped.

It's a cultural thing. Italian men (family/good friends)kiss the cheek all the time. It just morphed into a mob thing in America.

James Gandolfini said he hated role playing the role? f*** him then

I don't understand these reactions.

Entertainment is full of people who are best known for roles that either weren't their favorite or which they actively hated.

To be fair though I haven't seen a direct quote by JG saying he hated the Tony Soprano role but I have seen quotes from him saying he was taken aback that people didn't realize he was playing a bad guy.

I think it's hypocritical to complain that ordinary Italians are smeared by organized crime, and then to voluntarily appear on (and presumably try to get some benefit from) a show that deals with Italians involved in organized crime.

Not many actors can afford to pass up a role that will define their career or, at least, put them in a comfortable financial position.

Most of us, to an extent, prostitute ourselves at times regarding our careers. To laugh at someone for doing so is worse than the act of prostitution.

I'm not asking anyone to pass up anything, nor am I making judgments about people's life choices. I am just asking to be spared the posturing and preening. Sure, everyone is a hypocrite at times in their lives. But when you shout it from the rooftops in an attempt to gain some type of moral high ground, you should be called on it, IMO.

who cares im 100% and if someone offered me a bunch of money and a great career to play the town irish booze hound id jump right on it....people look way to far into these steretypes.....i think people forget whats important and thats the indvidual. so many polocks are smart, so many itatlians are not in the mob, so many irish people are sober, so many african americans don't eat watermellons. things are just ridicoulous.

99% of Italian Americans have absolutely nothing to do with the mob. I really don't understand why people are so quick to assume somebody's connected to the mob because the person's Italian. The first thing I think about is food. 'Do you cook' is usually my first question when I meet Italians.