Actress from 'The Sopranos' bounced from jury pool at trial of Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano
Surveillance photo of Vincent Basciano, also known as 'Vinny Gorgeous'
An actress who appeared in "The Sopranos" was whacked from the jury pool for the racketeering trial of Bonanno crime boss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano.
The woman, identified only as Juror No. 438, is not a recognizable cast member and acknowledged she was mainly a stand-in for stars Edie Falco and Lorraine Bracco beyond some non-speaking bits as a "mob wife."
"They [the 'Sopranos' cast] got to be a family of mine," she said Wednesday in Brooklyn Federal Court. "Lovely people."
Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis axed her because the jury must be anonymous for safety reasons and her name is listed in the credits of shows she appeared in over four seasons.
Basciano, who faces the death penalty if convicted of ordering the murder of mob associate Randolph Pizzolo, nodded his head as the actress vented on how Italians like herself are smeared by organized crime.
"I agree with James Gandolfini, the star of the show, who said he hated the role he played," she said. "That's not what Italian-Americans are about.
"I've been an opera singer all my life. We've given so much culture to the world."
Outside court, the actress said she had never heard of Basciano, the Mafia's best-dressed mob boss since the late John Gotti.
Earlier this week, a prospective juror who claimed to be related to a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family was bounced from the panel.
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