An Inside Look at The Sopranos 25th Anniversary NYC Tour

In honor of their 25th anniversary, Sopranos fans gathered in Manhattan for a special tour of iconic filming spots through North Jersey last week, capturing the show's gripping narrative.  The tour, provided by On Location Tours, took everyone through the secret lives of Tony and the gang, and promised by the end of the day we would be "part of the family".  A long-time fan of the show, and recent New Jersey resident (as of October), this was a fantastic way to celebrate the Garden State's most famous residents and learn a few new things. After this story, if you are interested in taking the tour for yourself, you can book your timeslot here. A Significant Meeting Spot: The NYC Garment District To start the tour, everybody was asked to meet at the Button sculpture of the famous Garment District at 39th and 7th. The reason for this is that the Garment District has significant mob ties. Fans of the show will recall Tony venting to Dr. Melfi about him being unhappy with his "work" because of RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act)  Statutes.  RICO laws enacted harsher penalties for those caught being involved in mobster activity, leading to a lot of family members becoming informants for authorities. Tri-state area residents may be familiar with Thomas and Joseph Gambino. They, of course, are the sons of infamous Mafia Don, Carlo Gambino. Both brothers had a stranglehold on the garment district through their city trucking companies. [caption id="attachment_112265" align="aligncenter" width="781"] NYC Garment District Button Sculpture[/caption] Following Tony Soprano After meeting at the sculpture and getting on the bus, we began the tour where any good TV show starts, the opening credits. Like Tony Soprano, the tour started with us going through the Lincoln Tunnel. Sadly, Alabama 3 was not there to sing that famous song we all know and love. Once we exited the tunnel we were on our way to some of the more iconic spots seen throughout the show. [caption id="attachment_112277" align="aligncenter" width="824"] A View from the Lincoln Tunnel, leading into New Jersey[/caption]