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The Sopranosis quite literally one of the best and most critically acclaimed crime drama series of all time, featuring the Mafia in a never-seen-before light that kept on giving and entertaining fans to the core. But it seems like, as immersive as the series may have been on the screens, it wasn’t all too real in capturing what actually happens in the Mafia world.
At least that’s what the former crime boss Michael Franzese had to say when he delivered his verdict on the series and how authentic it was. But while pointing out the mistakes was one thing, Franzese also had quite a few allegations on the show with respect to the things they got right, even claiming they based James Gandolfini’s mom on his own mom without his knowledge.
Michael Franzese had some serious allegations aboutThe Sopranos
While the series having all the qualities to be deemed a good quality TV show by fans and viewers with fitting actors and an excellent script – among others – was one thing,The Sopranosstill failed to appease the real used-to-be caporegime within the Colombo crime family, Michael Franzese. If anything, he had a lot of mistakes to point out about it (more on this later).
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But the surprising part was that he was even suspicious of the masterminds behind the series regarding the parts they got right. For instance, he didn’t hesitate to point out that the series got right the effects and accents the characters used to speak. However, he also seemed to connect these to the dots to the time the government and the FBI reportedly installed bugs in his home.
Getting candid in an interview with theInsider, he shared that he had been asked to consult on the show. However, he turned it down back then. Years later, expressing wonder at the same, he said:
I always wondered why [the show] contacted me. In my house, back in the ’60s when it was being built, the government, the FBI, installed a bugging device.
That said, the ex-mob boss continued to share and explain his suspicion that someone on the show must have used the Freedom of Information Act to get their hands on related tapes. This he evidenced by how Tony’s mother Livia Soprano was designed very much like his own mother.
Tony’s mother was so much like my mother … [I believe] he patterned that woman on my mother.
For the record, Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) mother in the series, Livia, played perfectly by Nancy Marchand, was portrayed as a cagey, manipulative, and self-absorbed individual who seemed to derive little pleasure from life other than making the lives of the people around her miserable. And Franzese believes she’s based on his own mom? Well, that’s interesting, for sure!
Michael Franzese also had a lot of mistakes to point out inThe Sopranos
Even though fans came to love the series for just the way that it is, Michael Franzese didn’t go easy on it at all. While alleging it of having based the main character’s mother on his own mother was one thing, the former Mafia boss also went on to call outThe Sopranosforsome of its most major elements, likeTony Sopranos going to therapyto air all the dirty laundry.
Candidly confessing what would have happened if this happened for real, Franzese said, “If a mob boss was ever visiting a psychiatrist, he’d be in the trunk of his car by the end of the week. Along with the psychiatrist. That would never happen.” Well, ouch. Brutal, yes, but Franzese is also the guy who made a lot of money in the ’80s as a mobster, so hehadto get real about it.
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That’s not all. Continuing, he went on to point out further inaccuracies from the show. For one, he noted the infamous declaration that a don never wears shorts as he said, “You go on a boat, you’re in shorts.” Then there was also the part where an underling would ever raise their hand to a boss who just hit them, which Franzese deemed to be purely ludicrous.
All in all, having had first-hand experience of it all, Michael Franceze went on to give the series an overall accuracy of 7/10. But how much part of this rating was truly genuine and how much of it was based on a biased opinion, considering how he alleged Tony’s mother was modeled on his own mum? Well, that’s something that we just might never know.
The Sopranoscan currently be streamed on Prime Video.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
