Sopranos leaves fans hanging and tourists coming

Harry Potter may be brining the bucks to Britain and The Lord of the Rings might have fans flocking to New Zealand but television hit the Sopranos has people coming in droves to Jersey. Jersey is about as unlikely a tourist venue as they come, but two weeks after the show’s season finale aired, fans are eager to experience the real life elements of the mob show drama.

Popular places in Jersey these days include the diner where the show finally ended and the ice cream parlor in Bloomfield called Holsten’s. Tourists line up to sit in the same booth where the character of Tony was filmed singing songs and eating ice cream.

“The phone just rings constantly all day from people wanting to make reservations,” said co-owner Chris Carley. “They ask ‘Can we reserve the booth? Can we get a T-shirt?”‘

Additionally fans often call to request the same dinner Tony ate for his last meal. “It’s just so funny that people want to sit in that booth,” Carley said. “A lot of people are taking pictures.”

The restaurant isn’t the only one getting business. There are 47 sites on the Sopranos’-themed bus tour and not many tickets left to go see them. The next two weeks are already sold out with tickets going for $42 each. The tour takes 54 people to scenes from the show including Satriale’s pork store in Kearny.

The building was never really a pork store and the owner who leased it to HBO for the show plans to demolish the structure soon. The planned condominiums on the site will be named “Soprano Court” and the remains of the building will be for sale for fans eager to buy a piece of the legend.