rant · moment 21 of 22
Growing Up Near Mafia Royalty on Long Island
from Bay Ridge Boys · #133
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
2 minStories about real mafia figures from his hometown (the Sopranos inspiration Vinny Ocean Palermo, Goodfellas connections) and a childhood memory of an old mob boss serving him ribs and mocking his father.
- 1:00:29Tim grew up on Long Island near Vinny Palermo, the real-life mobster The Sopranos is based on.
- 1:00:50Goodfellas figures like Henry Hill and Paulie also lived in Island Park, and Tim's father played music at mob-run clubs.
- 1:01:10At a mansion in East Quogue, Tim's father instructed him to eat whatever was served without complaint.
- 1:01:26An old mobster in a velour suit asked Tim if he liked cheeseburgers, and Tim said he preferred ribs.
- 1:01:44The mobster had someone bring out an entire cooler of ribs and threw them on the barbecue because Tim knew what he wanted.
- 1:02:06Tim realized the mobster respected his directness and contrasted it with his father's weakness, questioning whether he could respect his dad again.
Vinny PalermoGoodfellasHenry HillThe SopranosLong IslandIsland Park