My boyfriend thinks I’m a psychopath. His evidence is that after watching Goodfellas, Munich, or a few bloody episodes of the Sopranos, the first words out of my mouth are usually, “I’m hungry.” In my defense, the few scenes in these movies or shows that don’t incorporate violence usually incorporate food. If you mentally block out the violence, what are you left with? Exactly, a raging hunger for garlic sliced with a razor blade.
The connection between food and mafia movies is not in my head, that’s a given. Otherwise HBO wouldn’t make a killing putting out cookbooks and my local pizza store wouldn’t be hanging a painting of Don Corleone holding a slice over the caption “I’ll make you a pizza you can’t refuse.” (sic). Real life mobster Henry Hill even got in on the act, writing a cookbook of his own, and later opening up a restaurant, Wiseguys (which later burned... hmm), in West Haven, Connecticut.
It seems lately everyone's getting in on the act. Many of the former "Soprano" cast members have since adopted projects that show off their culinary leanings. Steve Schirripa, aka Bobby Bacala, and author of “The Goomba Diet” filmed nine episodes of “Steve Shirripa’s Hungry” for cable network Lifeskool back in December. And just last month, Lorraine Bracco threw a launch party at the Hard Rock Cafe for her new wine company, Bracco Wines. And who can forget Tony Sirico, aka Pauly Walnuts, in those Denny’s ads?
Some of you might not know this, but he also did a Dunkin Donuts ad before he was Pauly Walnuts?
What does it all mean? Who knows. Maybe I’ll let this Seinfeld scene sum it all up for me.
Did that answer your questions. No? Don’t blame me, I just watched the Godfather and am loopy for some marinara. And now that I start to think of it, maybe I’m lumping myself in with an unsavory group. Oh my God! Maybe I am a psychopath after all.
