In a surprising turn of events, Diamantopoulos, who portrayed Jason Barone, a family friend of Tony Soprano, found himself on the receiving end of a rather authentic "whack" from Sirico's character, Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri.
During filming for the season 6 episode "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh," Diamantopoulos's character, unaware of his late father's mafia connections, disregards Tony's instructions, leading to a swift and painful retribution—a visit from Paulie and a lead pipe.
"Sirico had two pipes, one lead, one rubber, for different camera angles," Diamantopoulos explained in an interview with PEOPLE. "Guess which one he used on me? Not the fake one!"
Despite the unexpected blow, Diamantopoulos lightheartedly described the experience as "a rite of passage."
The Sopranos, which premiered in 1999 and ran for six seasons, continues to be a cultural touchstone. Golden Globe nominee Cristin Milioti, who played John Sacrimoni's daughter, shared her own amusing anecdote about unknowingly consuming prop shrimp during her guest appearance.
The show's legacy was further cemented when creator David Chase recently revisited Holsten's ice cream parlor, the location of the series' final scene. The parlor's social media commemorated the visit, capturing Chase's approval of the iconic booth.
Even today, the show's influence remains palpable. Steve Schirripa, who played Bobby "Baccala" Baccalieri, recently drew inspiration from his Sopranos role for a Freshpet ad, proving that the nostalgia for the groundbreaking series is still very much alive.
