Former 'The Sopranos' Star a Big Hit at Calandra's

Calandra's Italian Village had a unique special on its menu Saturday afternoon: Former co-star of the "The Sopranos," actor Steven R. Schirripa.

Better known as Bobby Baccalieri or even just "Bacala," Schirripa signed autographs for two-and-a-half hours for a $25 fee that benefited West Essex Unico.

Dana Wilson, of North Caldwell, was all smiles before, during and after her time with Schirripa, who's now starring as Leo Boykewich in the ABC Family sitcom, "The Secret Life of The American Teenager" (Mondays, 8 p.m.)

After taking a picture with him, Wilson exclaimed, "he looks great! Absolutely!"

Although most were there to see the actor due to his fame in the HBO series that was often filmed in The Caldwells, others were there for Schirripa's cooking expertise. For the past several years, Schirripa has hosted an Italian-American cooking show, "Hungry" on Mag Rack, a free VOD television network.

After getting his picture taken, Fairfield resident Sal Scaringella pointed to his son Pete and said, "He's a fan of ['The Sopranos']. I'm not. I like his cooking-related stuff. There's too much cursing in 'The Sopranos.'"

Shaking his head and laughing, Pete Scaringella said he liked "the vibe" of "The Sopranos" and that "it was local—it showed the highways that you drive on everyday."

Schirripa has also become big with the toddler demographic, posing with little Gianna Carlson.

"We're from San Clemente," her mom, Lydia said.

Lydia Carlson said she and her family were in the area visiting and made sure to point out one important fact: "Don't let my last name fool you—I'm Italian," she proclaimed.

As she looked around Calandra's vast village, she sighed, "we don't have anything like this in California."

For more on Schirripa's visit to Caldwell and an interview with the actor, check out the video.

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