Talking Mob With Michael Imperioli
The William certainly feels like a fitting setting for a mobster meetup. The beaux arts-style hotel and former social club in Midtown Manhattan is quintessential old New York: a feast of dark wood paneling, soaring ceilings, marble fireplaces, and brassy mirrors. Music drifts down the hall, echoing off wood floors while party chatter fills the space.
As I'm led behind a thick velvet curtain to meet none other than Michael Imperioli himself, the scene feels almost too Hollywood. Seated in an ornately upholstered chair, the 58-year-old actor looks as distinctive as ever, with a head of neatly coiffed gray hair and a dark, furrowed brow.
I'd normally be hesitant to pepper him with questions about the mafia; after all, his resume boasts depth well beyond his still-signature role in HBO's The Sopranos. But luckily for me, the mob is exactly what we're here to talk about. Imperioli serves as the executive producer and narrator for History's new three-part docuseries, American Godfathers: The Five Families, and it's clear from the get-go that he's passionate about the source material.
"They sent me the book, which I thought was brilliant," Imperioli offers about how he got first involved in the series, based on Selwyn Raab's 2016 bestseller Five Families: the Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. "As a narrator, you have to really like the material, be connected to it, and really absorb yourself."
The series chronicles the five families that ran organized crime in New York City for the better part of a century. From humble roots in Sicily, to windfall profits from Prohibition and the drug trade, to the tumultuous power struggles that would bring many of them down, it's a fascinating and comprehensive look at the real history behind some of America's most notorious criminals.
These are also stories tailor-made for Hollywood—narratives Imperioli found early career success with. To him, the reason for the public fascination with the mob is obvious.
"There's this secret society that came out of the immigrant experience that exists in plain sight," Imperioli says. "They do this ritual: cut their finger, put blood on the saint, and burn it. They live in middle class neighborhoods for the most part. It could be your neighbor, and you would never know that the guy was a captain in one of the families. I think people find that really fascinating."
I wonder—having spent a good chunk of time immersed in true mob history—if he thinks the Hollywood stories of mafia life are over-the-top. To my surprise, Imperioli says it's likely the opposite. He cites Martin Scorsese's 1990 classic Goodfellas, where he had a breakout role as Spider, as an example. Although the film starts in relatively upbeat fashion in the 1950s as the characters first get involved in mafia life, the very first scene is a flash-forward to the violent murder of Frank Vincent's character, Billy Bass.
"Now why did [Scorsese] do that?" Imperioli asks. "I think it’s because before we seduce you into this world, the sharkskin suits and Frank Sinatra, it’s like: this is the nitty gritty. Even though that’s a movie, I think we don’t even know the extent of some of the horror stories. A lot of people met incredibly violent ends in very disturbing ways."
Throughout American Godfather, Imperioli's narration frequently circles back to the code of ethics that bound the five families together and helped them avoid infighting and prosecution. The most important of these is omertà, or the code of silence. Although the word itself is not uttered in The Sopranos, the concept comes into play throughout the series, notably in interactions with the police after Imperioli's character, Christopher, gets shot.
Hollywood moves a little differently than the mafia, although the early days of the industry have their own connections to organized crime. And, although the "old boys' club" adage remains, Imperioli doesn't see omertà in the filmmaking business—at least anymore.
"I think that got blown up, thankfully, by the Me Too movement," he muses. "I think before that people were afraid, women mostly, to speak out about certain abuses and inequities. People felt powerless, because there was no recourse."
Although his mobster roles like The Sopranos and Goodfellas remain an iconic part of his career, Imperioli has been experiencing a career renaissance as of late. He earned an Emmy nomination last year for his role in Mike White's HBO critical darling The White Lotus, and made his Broadway debut at the top of 2024 opposite Jeremy Strong in An Enemy of the People.
The roles have helped introduce the veteran actor to a new generation. Not that he needs it, exactly. After all, his classic roles continue to resonate all these years later. For Imperioli, the new burst of attention is something of a full-circle moment.
"It seems like a younger generation of filmmakers grew up on some of the stuff that I’ve been involved in," he said. "And some of them want to work with me so that’s cool. I was never in that position in the past, but it’s nice the projects I’ve been involved in are held in such high esteem. It’s not easy to have a long career and maintain quality projects. It’s hard, so I feel very fortunate."
American Godfathers: The Five Families airs Sunday, August 11 through Tuesday, August 13 at 8 p.m. on History.
