'Sopranos' actors visit Mundelein eatery to promote wines

He spent eight years as a Marine and 21 as a New York City cop, but it wasn't until Arthur Nascarella became a coldblooded mobster — or at least played one on TV — that the “Sopranos” actor said people started caring who he was.

“What country are we in?” laughed Nascarella, who was at the Mambo Italiano restaurant in Mundelein on Monday night to promote the licensed line of Sopranos wines.

Nascarella, who played Carlo Gervasi on the hit HBO show, was joined by fellow actors Federico Castelluccio and Tony Darrow at Mambo Italiano, which was packed with restaurant regulars and Sopranos fans who needed special reservations to attend.

Darrow, who portrayed crime-family captain Larry Barese on the show, said he attends about 12 or 15 restaurant events a year to promote the wine, which is produced by the Vesuvio Import Co. of New York.

“We talk to people, and they ask us questions about our careers,” Darrow said.

Some attendees were visibly nervous about approaching the actors, but the trio welcomed everyone with open arms and jokes.

They held court at a small table, strolled through the small storefront restaurant and posed for countless photographs.

Carey Smolensky attended the meet-and-greet with his son, Blake, and family friend Gary Gillis.

“It's one of my favorite shows of all time,” Smolensky said. “It's nice to meet the real people behind it.”

Restaurant co-owner Briana Cardone was excited about the event, which she first pitched to the winemakers two years ago.

“It feels great,” she said. “It feels like they belong here.”

The actors seemed to enjoy the attention.

“The most important thing for me is that I get to meet my fans,” said Castelluccio, who portrayed enforcer Furio Giunta on “The Sopranos.”

Castelluccio was born in Italy and his character on the show speaks with a thick Italian accent, but it's just a bit of acting. Castelluccio even broke out a traditional Chicago accent when talking with some fans Monday.

“A lot of people ask, ‘Where's your accent?'” Castelluccio said. “And I say, ‘I left it on the show',”

Nascarella, who also appeared in “The Cooler,” “World Trade Center,” “Summer of Sam” and many other films, doesn't mind being typecast as a gangster.

“I made a lot of money with that stereotype,” he said. “With this mug, where am I gonna go?”