The Sopranos Sparks Interest in World of Gangsters

So you've ordered HBO and watched the first shocking episodes of The Sopranos, but how much do you really know about the show? Wondering what management style Tony Soprano uses to be an effective leader? What the symbolism is of the ducks in his pool? And did you ever wonder how Carmela Soprano makes her baked ziti? Lake Park reference librarian Karen Mahnk discusses Soprano-related books to help you get wise to everything you ever wanted to know about America's favorite Italian family. Mahnk, who is Italian, says she's been hooked since the second episode.

Q. Have you seen an increase in circulation of books related to the show?

A. Somewhat. Actually, we've noticed an increase in circulation of gangster movies such as Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco and, of course, the Godfather trilogy as well as earlier seasons of The Sopranos.

Q. Soprano-related books seem to run the gamut of topics from cookbooks to Tony Soprano-style management guides. What books about the show are most popular?

A. Who's Sorry Now: The True Story of a Stand-Up Guy by actor Joe Pantoliano with David Evanier and Wise Girl: What I've Learned About Life, Love, and Loss by actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler are the more popular of the related biographies.

The cookbooks seem to be the most popular. After all, food is an underlying theme throughout the series. In fact great food is an underlying theme for most Italians. Many of the scenes take place in front of a butcher shop. A few scenes, including a few unsavory ones, take place inside as well.

Baked ziti is featured and mentioned many times, as well as capicolla (spicy ham) and cannoli a crème-filled crunchy dessert item. It's a guess that many non-Italian viewers may become curious about these foods they see on the series. Many Italian viewers such as myself just get hungry for childhood favorites.

The latest cookbook, Entertaining with the Sopranos by Allen Rucker, is perfect to refer to if there's something you've seen in the show and would like to try yourself. Another is The Sopranos Family Cookbook: As Compiled by Artie Bucco by Allen Rucker and Michele Scicolone.

Q. What are books about the show like? Do the focus on the plot or characters?

A. They range from a number of issues focusing in particular on the characters' place in the fictional family, such as the latest releases: Reading The Sopranos: Hit TV from HBO (Reading Contemporary Television); This Thing Of Ours: Investigating The Sopranos; The Sopranos: A Family History and Bright Lights, Baked Ziti: The Unofficial, Unauthorised Guide to the Sopranos.

Others zone in on the psychological aspects: The Sopranos on the Couch: The Ultimate Guide; The Psychology of the Sopranos: Love, Death, Desire and Betrayal in America's Favorite Gangster Family.

Another looks at leadership from a Soprano boss's point of view: Leadership Sopranos Style: How to Become a More Effective Boss and Tony Soprano on Management: Leadership Lessons Inspired By America's Favorite Mobster.

Q. What attracts you to the show? Do you have a favorite character?

A. As a psychology minor in college, I'm intrigued by the metaphors, such as what the ducks are supposed to represent to Tony as well as the hypocrisy of the characters. Even Dr. Melfi, his shrink, is not without her moments of denial. I also find the dialect of the Italian words used interesting as the pronunciation varies not just from which part of Italy it is actually spoken but how many Italian words transform even further in the U.S. depending on region, such as New Jersey, Staten Island or New Orleans.

Q. Why do you think people connect with this show?

A. People have always been fascinated by gangsters and bad guys. The mix of glitz and guns is a safe escape on the screen vs. real life. While there is always the controversy that violence may be glorified, on The Sopranos, it seems everybody sooner or later gets their "just desserts." Some scenes, such as Tony's pronunciation and relating of Sun Tzu and the Art of War, are funny. Tony Soprano's America: The Criminal Side of the American Dream presents an interesting review of the sort of duality the Sopranos live and the way morality and family values are portrayed.

Q. What books would you recommend about the real Mafia?

A. There are several books discussing not only the history of the Mafia in New York and Italy but also closer to home:

Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld by Scott M. Deitche, and Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires by Selwyn Raab. For a different perspective there's No Questions Asked: The Secret Life of Women in the Mob and On the Run: A Mafia Childhood by Gregg Hill. Hill, as many Goodfellas fans will recognize, is the son of real-life goodfella, Henry Hill. Also, I'd recommend American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power and Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob, the Mafia's Most Violent Family by George Anastasia.

Q. Several groups have spoken out against The Sopranos, saying the show unfairly stereotypes Italians. Are there any books that expound on that?

A. There are several that do a very good job of covering the issue: Were You Always an Italian?: Ancestors and Other Icons of Italian America by Maria Laurino and La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience by Jerre Mangione. Italian Pride: 101 Reasons to Be Proud You're Italian by Federico Moramarco is particularly a nice read since it includes those great Italian food dishes as many of those 101 reasons.