This is only minutes from me, so perhaps I'll try to hit it Saturday. Trouble is, the NJ Chili Cookoff is the same day, and I've been missing it every year! Decisions, decisions....

Ah, what am I saying!! How often can you walk with Paulie and Big Pussy and others?? And do something for Lou Gehrig's disease...

ALS Walk w/ The Sopranos

I should get me one of those Paulie Walnuts sweat suits...

Also...

"Sopranos" stars to help make disease disappear

BY CHELSEA MICHELS
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

SEASIDE HEIGHTS — Cast members from the hit HBO series "The Sopranos" are joining the ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter in the 2007 Seaside Board Walk To D'Feet ALS to raise money and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Registered walkers who turn in more than $25 in contributions Saturday will receive a complimentary pass for unlimited kiddie rides at Funtown Pier on the boardwalk in Seaside Park between noon and 2 p.m. that day.

ALS is a "neurodegenerative disease that usually attacks both upper and lower motor neurons and causes degeneration throughout the brain and spinal cord," according to the ALS Web site. Early symptoms include a painless weakness in the limbs, speech, swallowing or walking difficulty.

Sopranos stars Jeff Marchetti (Petey "Bissell" LaRosa), Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts), Max Casella (Benny Fazio), Matt Servitto (Agent Harris), and Vincent Pastore (Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero), and several others will attend the event to sign autographs and baseballs in honor of Gehrig, who is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Marchetti's uncle, Paul "Blackie" Rubbinaccio, died several years ago of the disease. Rubbinaccio's brother Mike Rubbinaccio of Toms River is the chairman of the 2007 walk and hopes to raise awareness.

"Blackie was a fighter. He would take any medicine or do anything the doctors wanted if it helped people down the road," Rubbinaccio said, describing how the most difficult part about ALS is that it is "a death sentence. There's no cure."

Rubbinaccio is taking part in the event as part of "Rube's Team," along with team captain Vince Cantone of Toms River.

"My initial reason for getting involved was Uncle Blackie," Marchetti said. "However, once you witness people involved with ALS, it opens up a sore spot. Anybody with even the smallest heart would be affected by it."

The ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia helps more than 850 people and their families, according to event manager Allison Walker. The association conducts six walks a year, and tries to bring the walks to their patients to avoid too much traveling. More than 700 people are expected to attend, and the organizers hope to raise about $150,000, according to Rubbinaccio.

All money raised from Saturday's event will support ALS research and services provided free of charge to local ALS patients and families, including in-home care, clinics, equipment and nursing visits.

That looks like a great event. Sounds like fun.

Maybe you can have Big Pussy cook up a pot of chili so you don't feel so bad.

That is cool Geoffy. Let us know how many autographs you get. Have fun.

Great stuff Geoff. As you said, how often do you get to raise money for a good cause and at the same time do so with names like Paulie Walnuts, Big Pussy, etc.

I'll pledge a $25 donation to sponsor you in the walk if you decide to walk. I'll give it to you next time I see you.

Keep us posted and let us know how much you raise.

I wish I had known about this sooner than yesterday. I didn't realize this was the type of thing like Part was doing for ADA. The suggested "personal fundraising goal" is $200 and it'd be tough to set all the up and raise that in one day.

Since they apparently do it every year (5th annual), what I may do is just informally walk - and since autograph sales proceeds go to the charity, I may just do that this year, and plan for next year...

Maybe next year we could form a GangsterBB Team and do it up right

I gotta find out if it's rain or shine tho... it's supposed to rain (of course)

PS - Who the hell is Petey "Bissell" LaRosa again? lol

Here's his pic. Whoever the hell he is.

Doodyballs.... I would have gone (but am not looking forward to walking around in the rain).

IF I decide to come down (on the spur-of-the-moment) can I crash at your place??? (I'll move packing boxes to make room).

$25 from me too if you do it.

I'm not gonna do the whole pledge thing this year since it's the last minute -- next year (assuming they'll be here again) I'd like to set up a GangsterBB team and invite whoever wants to walk to join me. Or donate virtually to the team.

If it's rainy, I'll just head to the autograph table - proceeds go to charity anyway. The organizer told me: "The autographs are open to the public. The cast members will be set up in a tent at the walk start (Hiering Avenue and the Boardwalk). They arrive a little after 10:00 to get in and settled before the walkers come back. The event is rain or shine." (Guess they're not actually walking lol)


You're gonna make me clean up? Sure thing... but I gotta see how much work I have to do tomorrow, afterwards

PS - I still don't recognize Petey "Bissell" LaRosa

Just checked IMDb -- apparently Jeffrey M. Marchetti appeared in 5 episodes, two in 2002 and 3 in 2004. He was also the on-set dresser from 2000-2002, as well as a stunt double.

Still don't know who "Petey" is, tho...

Does this jog your memory?

Jeff Marchetti was cast in Season 4, as Petey. His Sopranos acting debut, was when he destroyed Johnny Sack and Carmine Lupertazzi's attempt at having a restaurant in New Jersey. In the final episode of Season 4, Petey, at Christopher's request, killed Stanely and Credenza, on the banks of the Hackensack river. Jeff Marchetti, for several seasons has also been the "set dresser" on The Sopranos, so he has had a really interesting career behind the scenes of the show. Recently, he co produced the movie "Court Jester", which was filmed on location in Long Island and in several locations in New Jersey.

I'd pay to see SC walk 5 miles.

Don't forget to take pic's to Geoffy.

How much????

I REALLY want to go (to see the actors) but don't know if I'd make it... its pushing 4 A.M. now, and I just finished my dinner.... by the time I get to sleep it'll be after 5.... I'd have to be up by 6:30 to get to Geoff's in time.... I'm too old for this shit.

That's really too bad because Adrianna is going to be there and said that she would have given a full body massage to you had you shown up.

If I can get up, anyone can get up! Tho I suppose 4.5 hrs sleep is better than 1.5...

So??? Where are the pics already??

(Hope we don't have to wait until after the chili eating).

We passed by the chili cookoff on the way to the shore, and there was no one there - so no idea WTF...

Pictures coming in a few minutes...

Pretty Cool... Here are the pictures...


I was disappointed that Big Pussy didn't show up.
But here are the 4 that did: Patsy, "Petey", Paulie, and Benny






Baseball with 4 Sopranos autographs .... $10
Signed photo of Carmella .... $25
A picture taken with them .... $10

(click for larger version)

...asking Paulie to "look mean" and him replying, "You want me to look mean? You want me to look mean?!" then squeezing the shit out of my ear.... Priceless!



By the way, on the way out, I finally found Big Pussy!
Here he is...

Man, that pic of Paulie teasing you is great. Did you mention you met Vito and Gigi a few years ago?

Great pics Geoff. I can't believe a photo with them was less than half the price of an Edie Falco autograph. Great buy!

It's nice to see that you dressed up for the occasion.

They hearded us like cattle, so it was hard to strike up a conversation There weren't really a whole lot of people there - it took maybe half an hour on the autograph line, and 20 mins on the photo line... it woulda been nice to talk to these guys, tho. I was kicking myself for -- yet again -- not making "GangsterBB" cards to hand to them.

Wiseass? lol

P.S. My ear still hurts a little

You didn't wear your Satriale's pork store shirt.

Oh man... great pix!!!

I love that one with Paulie pinching your ear!!!

Geoff I am so jealous of you. I live in the wrong state so I'm moving in with you. Did you get to talk to them very much? Did they like your hat?

When you said you'd be walking with the Soprano's I didn't think you'd be quite that close!! Ha ha. So awesome. I would have loved it. You dared walk in front of Paulie????

Ok, I just got in and scanned quickly through the posts and am excited, but did you get to talk to the "crew" much and was it fun? And were was Tony & Carmella???

TIS

I didn't make the actual walk, TIS - that's a posed pic (for a $10 donation)... I didn't really get much of a chance to talk to any of them as they were hustling us thru ("one ticket, one picture - next!" )

Oh well. It still sounds fun. You got a lot closer to the Sopranos than most of us ever will. You New Jerseyians(Jerseyites ) have all the fun!!!!


TIS