TONY! TONY! TONY!: No, the Gawker avalanche hasn't inspired me to run a "Silver Stalker" feature from now on, but I thought I'd better share this: this afternoon I was walking down Hudson Street in the West Village (after returning from a trip to Philadelphia) and who should cross my path but Tony Soprano himself, James Gandolfini! He was by himself, wearing a blue polo shirt not too different from the one I was wearing at the time, and looked pretty much exactly the same as he does on TV. I didn't say hi or anything; I think I would've been afraid of accidentally calling him "Tony." Or of getting whacked. Or something. I believe he lives in the area; it's the same block where the "Real World" house was during the Malik/Nicole/Coral season.
James happened to be walking in the direction of the New York Gay Pride Parade, which was going on in the West Village at the same time, but knowing from Page Six and elsewhere all about Mr. Gandolfini's well-established heterosexual proclivities, I would not read anything into that connection. His role as a gay hitman in the movie "The Mexican" notwithstanding.
As for the parade itself, it was quite an experience: Chelsea boys were walking around in shirts that said "Just De-Criminalized." Yea, the crowds kept me from getting to the PATH quickly, but I didn't mind it nearly as much as when the anti-war protestors did the same thing a few months back. Did see lots "Queers for Howard Dean" buttons, though.