Satin Dolls, setting for 'The Sopranos' Bada Bing! bar, ordered to give up liquor license
LODI — For years, mobster Tony Soprano and his friends routinely held their business meetings inside the fictional Bada Bing! go-go bar — the real life Satin Dolls.
Even after "The Sopranos" ended in 2007, fans poured into the Route 17 club. When actor James Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano, died, a makeshift memorial sprang up in the bar to pay their respects.
But on Thursday, authorities announced what could be the last call for the gentlemen's club.
In a case of reality imitating art, state authorities said Satin Dolls' liquor license must be sold or transferred and live entertainment must cease, because the business is being run by a convicted racketeer who conspired with the Genovese crime family.
"Illegal activity was glorified at the 'Bada Bing' in the fictional world of Tony Soprano, but it has no place in modern-day New Jersey," state Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said in a release announcing the order. "It's time to shut it down."
Authorities with the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control contend Anthony Cardinalle, whose family owns Satin Dolls, has continued to run the business despite being criminally disqualified from doing so.
Cardinalle pleaded guilty to federal income tax evasion in 1995 for not reporting cash payments from "gentlemen's clubs" in which he held undisclosed interests, authorities said. He also pleaded guilty in 2013 to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit extortion, after authorities said he participated in a scheme by the Genovese crime family related to the waste-disposal industry in New Jersey and New York.
On camera:Bada Bing! Filming of 'The Sopranos' draws mob to Lodi (7/13/99)
Mob ties:Investigators: Area eateries cater to mob (2/20/92)
The end:Going out with a Bada Bing! 'Sopranos' wraps up at strip-joint hangout (2/2/07)
Anthony Cardinalle:Satin Dolls owner outed as mob informant (2/7/14)
The Sopranos:Satin Dolls and other famous locales in North Jersey
Satin Dolls and A.J.’s Gentleman’s Club in Secaucus, which the state says is also owned by the Cardinalles, have until Jan. 3 to either sell or transfer their liquor licenses to a third party. In addition, authorities said live entertainment must stop at both clubs by Dec. 17.
Thursday afternoon, the clubs were mostly empty as music blared through speakers. Employees at both locations declined to comment to a reporter from The Record and NorthJersey.com.
Cardinalle could not be reached for comment.
State authorities also said Thursday that the clubs' owners failed to account for "large amounts of cash flowing in and out of the businesses," and that administrative charges had been issued alleging criminal solicitation for prostitution and lewd activity in May.
"The holding of licenses to sell and serve alcohol is contingent upon the owners' behaving in a reputable manner," said David P. Rible, director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. "The Cardinalles, quite simply, have not played by the rules despite many opportunities to correct their behavior, and it's time to get them out of the alcohol business once and for all."
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Whoever assumes ownership of the Satin Dolls license will have to receive approval from the Borough Council before it can re-open, Lodi Mayor Emil Carafa said. It was not clear whether the bar would be allowed to continue as a strip club.
Borough officials declined to comment on the matter, citing potential litigation.
“Until we see the directive on the complaint, we have no comment, because Lodi may be subject to possible litigation,” Borough Attorney Alan Spiniello said. “If any claim is filed against the borough, it would be frivolous.”
Meanwhile, Location Tours, which holds a four-hour "Sopranos"-themed tour every Saturday, was trying to figure out how the news would affect their business.
“We don’t know what the outcome will be, but we do know the fans of "The Sopranos" love that spot,” public relations director Alan Locher said.
The tour has been visiting Satin Dolls, which Locher called a “crowd favorite” since it was created in 2001. The tour starts in Manhattan and ends at Holsten’s in Bloomfield, where the series' final scene was shot.
“Fans still love to see where things were,” Locher said about Satin Dolls. “But it will be sad if they can’t go inside anymore.”
Email: ortizk@northjersey.com