How would you like to see The Sopranos end?
I don't have any idea to tell you the truth. I'd like the issues to get resolved; you know, so fans can have some satisfaction at the end. And then on a personal level, I hope my death gets avenged.

You talked about Brooklyn Rules. Tell us about your role as "Philly Cabrese".
Well, Brooklyn Rules again, was written by Terence Winter. Because we grew up together, he based the characters on himself, me and another friend of ours named Bobby Canzoneri. As a little inside joke for us, he used Bobby's real name in the script, but changed his and mine.

"Philly Cabrese" is a compilation of people I hung out with when I was younger, so it's not an actual character, but it's based on a few different people. It was a lot of fun doing that because I got to play a character that was kind of falling into my life when I was younger. And watching Scott Caan play me, I thought he did a great job. So it was a lot of fun working on that film. It was a real personal thing, it was a joy.

So talk to us about your relationship with Terence Winter and what it's like to work on a project with him.
He's an amazing writer and we're still really close friends. Anything that he writes that he wants me to be involved in, I wouldn't even think twice. It just happens to be that he really is a fantastic writer also.

What kind of research did you have to do to prepare for this project set in 1985?
Well, I was a kid at the time, so I kind of remember what was going on. I lived in Brooklyn, so I really didn't have to do much. I just had to think back.

So are you concerned with being typecast as a "mob guy" moving forward?
Yeah, it was fun to do, but there were a couple of projects that I passed on because of that. I mean, if it's a good script, I have no problem with it. But I've gotten a couple of projects that were bad scripts, an you don't want to do something just to do it. I would do The Sopranos forever because to me that's really not typecasting or stereotypical. The characters are so well written on that show, it's hard to do. Same thing with Brooklyn Rules, I didn't think twice about it.

What kind of reaction, if any, have you gotten from the mafia?
As far as The Sopranos, certain people that I know, people that know people, that know people, I mean, I don't want to be personal, said that The Sopranos is pretty much right on and that Brooklyn Rules was great too. The word from the mob is thumbs up. We got a "Siskel and Ebert" from the mob.

Any plans to write or direct for television or the big screen? What do you hope to accomplish in your career within the next three years?
To win an Oscar and an Emmy and a Tony. No, as far as writing, I have a script that I co-wrote with a writer that I am friends with, Nathan Nazario. We have a script called Totaled that we've finished and we're trying to get produced. There's been some interest in it and hopefully we'll be shooting it by next summer. So I want get that done.

I would also like to write something else about growing up. Not like a Brooklyn Rules type thing, but more of a family-based story I have in mind, kind of like a Spike Lee Crooklyn kind of thing – something like that. The funny upbringing in my family. I would like to write something like that. I just want to keep working and I wouldn't mind getting another role on a TV show or movie role in the next few months.

What would you be doing for a living if you never got into acting?
I'd probably still be working for the mafia. (Laughs). I spent some time as a brain surgeon, no just kidding. I bartended, so I'd probably be doing that. I'd have to fall back on that, but I really don't think about it because it's something that just not an option to me. I don't even want to think about it.

Tell us something most people don't know about you.
That I'm really a nice guy. I'm a sweetheart. And I'm very clean, like almost obsessively clean.

We've got one last thing for you here. We're going to do a word association. We'll just throw out a name and tell us the first thing that comes to your mind.

The Sopranos.
Art.

David Chase.
A genius.

James Gandolfini.
Amazing.

Terence Winter.
Super genius.

Billy Leotardo.
Dead.

Chris Caldovino.
You know what, that's the toughest one. That's terrible. No one ever threw a question like that at me. I'm stumped.

The future.
Successful.

Interviewed by Linda Craddock, May 2007. Brooklyn Rules is in theaters now.