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It's funny how things turn out in life. In the end of February 2001, I met a reporter for the New York Times at the Barnes & Noble in Clifton. She wanted to talk to me about what exactly Soprano Sue is. Tonight, it has become full circle for us. Last night I was at that same Barnes & Noble again, except this time to was to report on Debra Galant's reading and book signing of her newest book, "Fear and Yoga in New Jersey." Excellent book, pick up a copy. She's doing another event Thursday night at Cafe Eclectic located at 444 Bloomfield Ave in Montclair, NJ (7 pm), Make a point of attending, she does a lively comedic presentation.

It's Wednesday and as always its my favorite night of the week. After a nice dinner of baked ziti, its time to curl up in my recliner and listen to Vincent Pastore's Wise Guy Show on Sirius Radio Raw Dog 104. The program airs from 6 to 9 pm. Cha Cha's web site (Albie Cianflone) is updated with tonight's guests, and if you become his friend on MYSPACE, you'll receive a bulletin, giving you a heads up on Wednesday night's guest list.

After that, you have a chance to see the show, I was lucky enough to see in a special screening last week, "Beyond Wise Guys: Italian Americans and the Movies" which airs at 10 pm on Channel 13 (NET) in the New York area.

Jenni Gordon, Producer Paul Borghese, and Executive Producer Rosanne De Luca Braun

Italian American film artists are well represented in Hollywood and the independent film community, shaping the art and craft of moviemaking in America and creating box office hits all over the world. Through interviews with Italian Americans active in the film industry and vérité footage of them at work – Beyond Wiseguys reveals how their heritage finds expression in their art and informs the projects they choose.

Executive-produced by award-winning actor and filmmaker John Turturro, Beyond Wiseguys is a feature-length documentary that uses extraordinary interviews with prominent Italian-American film artists such as Mr. Turturro, Isabella Rossellini, Susan Sarandon, Martin Scorsese, Ben Gazzara, Marisa Tomei, Richard LaGravenese, Stanley Tucci, Nancy Savoca, Santo Loquasto and many others to explore the personal experiences that brought them all to the movies.

It's impossible to imagine American film history without Rudolph Valentino, Frank Capra, Vincente Minnelli, Henry Mancini, Francis Ford Coppola or Martin Scorsese. It's also hard to separate the popular image of Italian Americans from the goombas and gangsters that crowd many of Hollywood 's most successful and critically acclaimed films. Why this happened and how it still affects artists working both in front of and behind the camera are key questions the program confronts. What social and cultural forces drew Italian Americans into the film industry and what price did they pay for their success there? Certainly, the Italian American gangster and other stereotypes, often popularized by Italian American filmmakers themselves, have not only persisted but prevailed as integral parts of American popular culture. At the same time, Beyond Wiseguys looks at classic movies like The Sheik , The Godfather , Mean Streets, Rocky , My Cousin Vinny, and Moonstruck to understand the seemingly irresistible power the Italian American archetype exerts on audiences and filmmakers alike.

Today, Italian Americans find themselves at the forefront of filmmaking. Our guests relate their personal stories of struggle and success—Nancy Savoca (writer & director, True Love ); Richard LaGravenese (screenwriter, The Bridges of Madison County ; writer & director, Living Out Loud ), and Santo Loquasto (production designer for Woody Allen since 1987)—and how their Italian American heritage plays a part in their careers. Using behind-the-scenes footage of these artists at work today, we'll see how their own personal attachment to their culture has helped define their journey as creative artists.

Thisa film also includes interviews with Sopranos creator David Chase and Michael Rispoli (Jackie Aprile, Sr), who beside sharing their thoughts they also share some photos from their past. I really enjoyed this film and highly recommend it to my readers. It airs in the New York area at 10 pm, on channel 13 (WNET) at 10 pm. So if you can't stay up, set the VCR, DVD recorder or Tivo, this is a definate must see! The program is airing in other markets, check your local listings for times and dates, and if I hear of any airings, I will have it up.

- Soprano Sue