Organizers are expecting a mob scene on the New Jersey waterfront on Wednesday.
Bada bing! Actors from the "The Sopranos," the acclaimed HBO television crime series about a New Jersey mob family, are giving a free reading Wednesday night of "On the Waterfront," the Oscar-winning movie that was shot in New Jersey.
"Sopranos" star Vincent Pastore, and other actors (including Paul Sorvino, Joe Pesci and Danny Aiello) who have all portrayed Mafia men, are reading Budd Schulberg's script on the spot where Marlon Brando uttered that classic phrase: "I coulda been a contender."
"We thought it appropriate to present 'On the Waterfront' which was filmed in Hoboken as our gift to the community," said Garry Pastore, of the Hudson Film Group which is producing the readings.
"We know right now lots of families are hurting and cannot afford a night out. We wanted to make great theater available to everyone," added Pastore, who played Jerry Basile on "The Sopranos."
The Emmy-award winning show, which ran for six seasons over more than eight years, has sparked bus tours for tourists interested in seeing locations featured in the series, cookbooks and even a line of Soprano Wines.
"Wine was an integral part of 'The Sopranos'. It was always there, at Sunday dinner ... Wine was just such a big part of the show, not to mention that there are 12 Soprano cookbooks," said Mark Gonsalves, a partner in the firm that imports the Italian wines and is a co-sponsor of the event.
The reading, which coincides with the 55th anniversary of the film that also starred Karl Malden and Lee J. Cobb, is taking place in what is now Hoboken's Sinatra Park.