The Era Is Over

Al Sapienza

Al Sapienza is well-known for his roles in The Sopranos and House of Cards. Betwixt and between, he sang Beatles duets at Elaine’s. He is the over-the-moon father of a little girl who is affectionately known as Lambchop.

I WAS ON tour with Beatlemania in 1977 till around 1980. I would go to Elaine’s now and then. When I got The Sopranos, I started going to Elaine’s once a week.

I’m a real wanderer and traveler. I work between New York, L.A., and Toronto and I always go to dinner by myself. You could go into Elaine’s by yourself. She kept several tables for herself and her friends, regulars and celebrities. I’d sit at one of those tables and have these incredible conversations with people who had interesting jobs and an incredible influence on our culture.

I’d have a political conversation with a guy from 60 Minutes, and three days later I’d be sitting with a Broadway actress, and then I’d be talking to Ray Kelly (the former police commissioner) about law enforcement.

Once I brought a friend, a CEO of an airline, to Elaine’s. I ordered a steak and saved that part near the tip for the end. Then Elaine leaned over my plate, cut it off, and ate it with her fingers before I could.

That same night, my friend says to her, “What you are doing for the holidays?”

And she said, “What the hell you think I’m doing? I’m going to be here. I’m working.”

I met a bunch of women there. Elaine was a major matchmaker for me. But when I was ready to get married and have a child, I looked elsewhere. I didn’t need to meet the mother of my child at a restaurant bar.

I actually went on the Internet to find a wife. I wanted to meet someone outside my entertainment world, someone much more grounded than myself. I met the perfect person; she’s a psychiatrist at Mount Sinai—Dr. Michelle Widlitz. Elaine liked her the second she met her; she looked at me like “you’re a smart guy.”

Anytime that I’d go to Elaine’s with Michelle, Elaine would sit at our table for at least a half hour and we’d have these great conversations about everything: politics, Bloomberg, and whatever else was going on.

Elaine would always offer us a round of drinks when we were ready to leave and didn’t want to eat or drink anymore; never in the beginning when we were going to drink them.

When we decided to get married, I had my bachelor’s party and my rehearsal dinner at Elaine’s. My wedding was at the Essex House. I invited Elaine to come out of respect, but I didn’t think she’d show. I really wanted her to come, though. And she did.

For the centennial, I sang at Elaine’s with Uncle Junior, my partner in The Sopranos. We sang a bunch of Beatles songs on New Year’s Eve in 1999. It was the greatest place on Earth as far as I’m concerned.

When that place closed, that stopped. I was friends with Fred Gallo, who designed practically every Broadway set, and other Elaine’s regulars. I’m too busy to call those guys and they’re too busy to call me. There’s no place anymore where everyone goes. The era is over.

Every time I walked in, either Josh (Gasparo), Dr. Joe, or Tony Danza would be there to sit with. There’s no restaurant in New York like that. It’s just over. The era is over.

Photo credit: Walter Bernard.