The William certainly seems like the place for a mob hangout. The Beaux-Arts-style hotel and former social club in Midtown Manhattan is quintessential old New York: a feast of dark wood paneling, high ceilings, marble fireplaces, and brass mirrors. Party chatter fills the space as music echoes off the hardwood floors as the hallway echoes.
When I’m ushered behind a thick velvet curtain to meet Michael Imperioli himself, the scene feels almost too Hollywood. Seated in an ornately upholstered chair, the 58-year-old actor looks as resolute as ever, with his neatly combed grey hair and dark, furrowed brows.
Normally, I'd be hesitant to ask him about the mob; after all, his resume has depth far beyond his signature role on the HBO series. The sopranos. But luckily for me, the gang is exactly what we're here to talk about. Imperioli is producing and narrating History's new three-part docuseries. American Godfathers: Five Familiesand it's clear from the very beginning that he's passionate about the source material.
“They sent me the book, which I thought was fantastic,” Imperioli says of how he got involved with the series, which is based on Selwyn Raab’s 2016 bestseller. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires.As a storyteller, you really have to love the material, connect with it, and really immerse yourself in it.”
The series follows five families who have run organized crime in New York City for more than a century. From their humble roots in Sicily, to the windfall profits of Prohibition and the drug trade, to the turbulent power struggles that would bring many of them down, it's a fascinating and comprehensive look at the true history behind America's most notorious criminals.
These are also stories tailor-made for Hollywood; stories that Imperioli found success with early in his career. For him, the public's fascination with the mafia is clear.
“There's a secret society that's clearly emerged from the immigrant experience,” Imperioli says. “They do this ritual: they cut their fingers, put blood on the saint, and burn them. They live in mostly middle-class neighborhoods. This could be your neighbor and you'd never know the guy was a captain in one of the families. I think people find that really fascinating.”
I wonder—as someone who has spent a lot of time immersed in real-life mafia history—if he thinks Hollywood tales of mob life are exaggerated? To my surprise, Imperioli says it's probably the opposite. He's referring to Martin Scorsese's 1990 classic Good friendsfor example, in a role that made his debut as Spider. Although the film begins on a relatively optimistic note in the 1950s when the characters first become involved in mob life, the first scene is a flash-forward to the brutal murder of Frank Vincent's character, Billy Bass.
“Now why [Scorsese] “Do that?” Imperioli asks. “I think it's because before you're drawn into this world of sharkskin suits and Frank Sinatra, it's like: this is the thing. Even though this is a movie, I don't think we even know the scope of some of the horror stories. A lot of people have met incredibly violent ends in very disturbing ways.”
Along American GodfatherImperioli's narrative often returns to the ethical rules that hold the five families together and help them avoid internal strife and persecution. The most important of these is the omertà, or code of silence. Although the word itself is not pronounced The SopranosThis concept is evident throughout the series, particularly in Imperioli’s character Christopher’s interactions with the police after he is shot.
Hollywood operates a little differently than the mob, but the industry’s early days had their own connections to organized crime. And while the old boys’ club adage may persist, Imperioli doesn’t see omertà in the filmmaking business—at least not anymore.
“I think that was, thankfully, blown away by the Me Too movement,” she reflects. “I think before that, people, mostly women, were afraid to speak out about certain abuses and injustices. People felt powerless because there was no recourse.”
Like mafia roles The Sopranos And Good friends Imperioli has been experiencing a career renaissance lately, earning an Emmy nomination last year for his role in Mike White's critically acclaimed HBO hit White Lotusand makes her Broadway debut opposite Jeremy Strong in early 2024 Enemy of the People.
The roles helped the veteran actor meet a new generation. It’s not like he needed it. After all, his classic roles continue to resonate after all these years. For Imperioli, the new surge of attention is a kind of full-circle moment.
“It feels like a younger generation of filmmakers have grown up with some of the things I've been involved in,” he said. “And some of them want to work with me, which is great. I've never been in that position in the past, but it's nice to have projects that I've been involved in held in such high regard. It's not easy to have a long career and sustain quality projects. It's hard, so I feel very lucky.”
American Godfathers: Five Families It will be broadcast on History from Sunday, August 11th to Tuesday, August 13th at 20:00.