s Executive Interview
Steve Schirripa
Blue Diamond Talent
M
any people may know Steve Schirripa
because he’s been booking entertainment
at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas since the
early ’90s. Others may recognize
him through his numerous film
and television appearances, most
notably the HBO series “The
Sopranos” as the giant-sized
mobster Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri.
However, what many don’t know
is that the 43-year-old Brooklyn
native juggled a full-time career as
the Riviera’s entertainment director
and a near-full-time career as a
character actor throughout much
of the past decade. When his
“Sopranos” role was raised a notch
on the totem pole, resulting in his
increased presence on the New York
set, it forced him to finally pick
between the two careers.
His choice? Both, naturally.
“I had to finally make a choice
in February of 2000. I was offered
a full-time role on ‘The Sopranos.’
They made my character a regular
and part of that stipulation was
that I moved back to New York,”
Steve told POLLSTAR. “So at that
point, I went to the Riviera and
told them.”
Although Steve quit his office
position at the Riviera to work
as a full-time mobster – on screen,
of course – he continues to book
“probably 95 percent” of the
casino’s entertainment through
his Blue Diamond Talent company.
His firm is also involved with a
POLLSTAR
handful of other casinos and resorts
around the country.
“I’m still keeping my hand in
the Riviera, which I enjoy doing,
but I don’t know for how much
longer. I don’t want to compromise
either the acting career or the
booking. I don’t want to do a bad
job for either of them,” he said.
He remembered that despite
the increasing popularity of the hit
show, leaving the Riviera wasn’t an
easy decision to make.
“I had my doubts, you know?”
he admitted. “Here I am: I have
a wife and two kids, I’m 43 years
old and I’m going to start a new
career and a new life? I’m now
on the other end of the business.
Instead of buying, I’m trying to
sell myself. But it most certainly
turned out to be the right
decision.”
It seems that Steve is back where
he started: working full time buying
entertainment and performing full
time as the entertainment.
As an actor, he has been featured
in movies including “Casino,”
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,”
“Detroit Rock City” and
“Flintstones – Viva Rock Vegas.”
He’s also had television roles in
series such as “The King of
Queens,” “Chicago Hope” and
“Battery Park.”
At the Riviera, Steve has seen
a who’s who of the comedy scene
perform in the casino’s showroom,
such as Drew Carey, Kevin Pollak,
and Denis Leary. This year, he has
booked a host of musical and comedic acts, including Tony Orlando,
Brett Butler, and Christopher Titus.
His situation is unique. It’s a
common transition for performers
to jump to the other end of the
entertainment spectrum for an
out-of-spotlight position. Herb
Alpert was a prominent musician
with his Tijuana Brass outfit before
he devoted himself to A&M
Records, which he co-founded with
Jerry Moss. Yet, it’s rare for a pencil
pusher to find the limelight.
And it’s even rarer to find somebody who is committed to achieving
both.
After wrapping up a promotional
tour in the wake of the recent
season finale of “The Sopranos,”
Steve talked with POLLSTAR about
his adventures in Las Vegas and
eventual rise to stardom.
How did you get your start
in the entertainment industry?
Believe it or not, I started as a
maitre d’ running the showrooms
at the Riviera in 1986. Up until
that point, I wasn’t interested in
nor did I know anything about
the entertainment world. I started
getting involved with booking
comedians and that’s where
I really started, at the Riviera.
I then started booking acts in
some other hotels around town,
helping them out.
In the early ’90s, I helped bring
in a couple of big shows. One was
Jackie Martling. Another was a
couple of big bands performing.
We did those shows in the main
room and they were successful.
The Riviera saw that success
and when an opening came for an
entertainment director, they asked
me if I wanted the position. I was
still the maitre d’ running the
showrooms, running the front
of the house. I had nothing to do
with the back of the house. I was
responsible for running the ushers
and security and taking care of the
seating; that’s what I handled until
I started helping them bring in a
few things, special events and stuff.
They asked me if I wanted
the job and I took it but, really,
without much knowledge besides
booking comedians. So right off
the bat, I just had to find my way.
I wasn’t familiar with contracts or
publicity or marketing or any of
that stuff. They were patient with
me and very helpful. It was onthe-job training. And the Riviera,
at that point, wasn’t doing very
many big-name acts – they had
production shows – until about
three or four months after I got
there.
What were you doing before
you started at the Riviera?
I was a bouncer in Paul Anka’s
club. I was the manager of a
nightclub. This was all in Vegas
after I graduated from Brooklyn
College in 1980. I had a phys-ed
degree and I was going to be a
phys-ed teacher, but I decided to
move out to Vegas and just bounce
around for a while.
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Page 65
Executive Interview s
Then when I found myself
booking, we were booking pretty
big names. We brought back the
Beach Boys. That was the first big
act I had, the Beach Boys with
Brian Wilson. Then slowly we
started booking more name acts.
My forte was still comics and I
gave a lot of the acts here their first
shot in the big room: Drew Carey,
Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Kevin
James, Brett Butler, D.L. Hughley –
I could go on and on. Damon
Wayans and Keenan Wayans,
I gave them all their first shots
in Vegas. Now I’ve got Christopher
Titus coming. He’s got that show
on Fox. He’s the newest one.
Some of them had worked in
the clubs but I was the first one
to bring them into the big room.
They all found their way just fine
without me.
So that became my forte, to
bring comedians that other hotels
either didn’t know who they were
or felt it was too early in their
careers. I would take shots with
them and most of them worked
out very well.
How did your focus shift toward
comedy instead of music?
Well, I was running the comedy
club and we had an improv there.
I was dealing with four comics a
week, three shows a night, seven
days a week. The comics were
doing 21 shows a week and I got
to know everybody. I mean, in
the club were Chris Rock, Ellen
DeGeneres, Rosie O’Donnell, Bill
Maher, Richard Belzer, Sinbad –
all worked for me in the comedy
club in the mid-’80s before they
became big stars.
Then I became entertainment
director at the Riviera in ’95.
I was responsible for the main
showroom, the lounge and special
events. I was big with the comedy
but I was still doing Beach Boys,
Air Supply, Tony Orlando, Bobby
Vinton – acts that fit the Riviera’s
demographic. The Riviera
demographic is very much
50-plus. It’s an older demographic
even for Las Vegas standards.
As far as comedians go,
how do you determine if they
will appeal to an older crowd?
When we did Pauly Shore
and were very successful with him
in ’96 and ’97, he didn’t fit our
demographic at all, but we knew
he was a winner. We used him to
bring in some younger people
that wouldn’t normally be there.
He was another guy who I gave his
first shot in the big room and he
L-R: Steve with “The Sopranos” stars Dominic Chianese and James Gandolfini.
Page 66 2001-2002 Edition
did very well for us for a number
of years.
If we felt there was a younger act
and a sure winner, we would do it.
When I say we, it’s really me. But
that’s what I would do. I’d say he
doesn’t fit our customer – our
customers, per say, are gamblers
who won’t go to the show – but it
will bring in some outside people.
When did your acting career
begin to develop?
In 1993, while I was still
running the club, this comic
Bruce Baum thought I would be
a great character for one of his
projects. He was doing these little
short films for Fox TV called
“Comic Strip Live.” He asked
me if I wanted to be in one and
I said sure.
I thought it would be kind of
fun. He just offered me the role. He
thought I was a funny character.
I was wearing the tuxedo every
night. He said, “I got something
that’s funny and I think you would
be perfect for it.”
So I hopped on a plane to L.A.,
never acted before, memorized
my lines and I did this little fourminute short where I was the lead.
It turned out very well and it was
very funny. And right then and
there – I’m not lying to you –
I caught the acting bug. I was
sky high.
The short was called “Chia
Man.” There was a Chia-looking
guy on the golf course and we had
to find him. It was really funny,
you know? It was a lot of fun.
I spent the whole day shooting it.
When they asked me to do
another one, I was more than
happy to do it. Then Kevin Pollak
put me in his HBO comedy
special. I played his bodyguard
and that was a lot of fun.
From there, I did it in reverse.
I got the parts, then I got an agent
and then I went to get an acting
coach to learn what the hell I was
doing. It really happened like
that and here I am getting parts.
A guy would say, “Hey, I saw you
in that thing. Do you want to do
something for us?”
From there, it was really word
of mouth. I did this little movie
called “Highway To Vegas.”
I started doing “Rhonda: Up All
Night.” I did like 20-something
appearances on that show. People
would see me on TV and would
ask me if I was interested in these
small projects, but nevertheless,
it was work, you know?
Where did your acting career
take you from there?
In about late 1998, I started
to get more serious about it. I had
gotten a part on “Chicago Hope”
and I got a part in “Fear and
Loathing in Las Vegas.” I was
getting parts without having an
agent, just from word of mouth.
The local casting director knew
who I was, too.
So I started getting a little
more serious about it and I found
an agent that was willing to help
me, Tim Stone of Stone Manners
Theatrical Agency. He helped
me out. He hip-pocketed me for
a while. That means when a guy
doesn’t sign you but he’s just
looking out for you. He was
willing to hip-pocket me more as
a friend, I think. He was looking
out for me and would send me out.
I was still working small parts,
day-player stuff, but nevertheless,
I was working.
I was still keeping my day job
through all of this. The Riviera was
cooperative. We were doing more
stuff than ever at this point, more
name entertainment than ever.
I was pursuing acting not 100
percent but 50 percent. If there was
something there, I wanted to do it.
At this point, I had done probably
10 movies – small parts – and
probably as many TV shows if
not more.
I went to New York for a
wedding and I asked my agent if
he would get me an audition for
“The Sopranos,” not knowing
POLLSTAR
s Executive Interview
IN THIS PHOTO from the archives, Steve
and wife Laura Schirripa meet the late,
great Frank Sinatra at the Riviera
Casino in Las Vegas.
whether they were casting, not
knowing anything. I just said,
“Hey, I’m going back there. Do you
think you can get me to read for
something?” And he said, “Let me
try.” He made the call and they
faxed me the stuff. I originally
auditioned for the part of an FBI
agent. They gave me a callback and
I got another part.
What was the lure of
“The Sopranos”?
I just knew they were shooting
in New York and they never looked
at anybody, to be honest, on the
West Coast. And I was heading to
New York. Even though I’m from
New York, I hadn’t gotten back
there that often.
It was just, seriously, if there was
ever a thing where timing takes
place, this was it. It was because
this guy just happened to be
getting married in June. The show
happened to be casting in June.
It was just one of those things.
This was at the end of their first
season. Their first season having
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just ended a couple of months
before, they were starting to cast
for the second season.
I had seen some episodes but
I wasn’t a die-hard fan. I was familiar with it but not that familiar.
So I auditioned and I got the part
of this character Bobby “Bacala.”
It was a recurring character, so I
never knew when I would be
called or not called. That made it
difficult with the job because I
would literally get the call on Friday: “Listen, we want you the following week.” It was a little tough.
I was working as a local hire in
New York. I was paying my own
way and traveling my own way
on top of trying to maintain
a full-time job at the Riviera.
The good thing that I had at the
Riviera was six weeks of vacation.
They let me take it in spots here
and there. So literally, from July
until December, I bounced
around. I mean, I was on call
waiting for the phone to ring.
I did six episodes but I was
in and out, still holding the Riviera
job, still booking the acts and
trying to juggle – sometimes
with their knowledge and
sometimes without, you know
what I mean?
There were a few times where
I would tell my secretary I was
going to lunch, drive to the
airport, get on a plane and call her
when I landed and ask, “Is anyone
looking for me?” She would say,
“No.” And I would say, “Cover me.
I’ll be back tomorrow.” So I really
had to juggle. And I never told
“The Sopranos” I had a full-time
job, either.
The Riviera was cooperative.
They helped me out. They were
very lenient. No other hotel would
have allowed me to do what they
did. They never gave me the
ultimatum. As long as the job was
being handled – which I did, I was
handling it – they never gave me
an ultimatum. I was there since
the mid-’80s. I had gone through
a management change. I was very
loyal to them.
How has your experience been
acting on “The Sopranos”?
Did you ever have doubts
about acting on the series?
Well, what’s funny with that is
I had never worked in New York
before, so I didn’t know any of
these people. Most of my stuff had
been in L.A., so I didn’t know any
of the New York actors. But from
day one, everyone was very, very,
very nice to me. They made me
feel welcome.
What was funny was there
was one scene we did, it was like
the second day on the set, with
Jim Gandolfini, who plays Tony
Soprano, and Dominic Chianese,
who’s Uncle “Junior.” We had a
To be honest, no, I never did.
I really never thought that I can’t
do this or they picked the wrong
guy. I never felt that way. My first
scene that I did was with the major
guys on the show. That was my
first scene I shot with them, with
the five leads.
I never felt that I can’t do this.
I think maybe if I felt that way,
I may have failed. But I never felt
that way. I always felt like let’s do it,
and it worked out fine. I’m sure
it probably showed in my
performance.
STEVE AND LAURA SCHIRRIPA enjoy the 2000 Emmy Awards with E Street Band guitarist
Stevie Van Zandt, who also co-stars in “The Sopranos.”
scene together and Jim said, “Let’s
go into my trailer and run lines.”
At that moment, that was a little
surreal to me because now I had
seen these guys on TV and two
weeks later, three weeks later,
I’m in his trailer running lines
for a big scene with them. That’s
when I took a step back and went,
“Whoa, how the hell did I get
here?” You know what I mean?
It’s like everything happened so
fast, and now all of a sudden, I’m
in a scene with this guy. I’m going
“Holy ... how did I get here?” That
was strange.
Absolutely. Your character
hasn’t been knocked off yet.
Exactly. It’s hard. I probably
should have had doubts. But I
didn’t.
What else have you done since
starting on the series?
I did a big movie right after my
first season called “See Spot Run.”
Before this past summer, I was
in Vancouver for two months
shooting that movie. A couple of
the leads were David Arquette and
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Page 67
Executive Interview s
it, I still enjoy that end of it. I enjoy
keeping my hand in that, you
know?
Being well-versed in both sides
of the business – the talent and
the booking – it seems that you
have a greater understanding
of the whole process.
A MAIN FUNCTION of Steve’s character, Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri, is helping Corrado
“Junior” Soprano, played by Dominic Chianese.
Paul Sorvino. I did a movie with
David Spade called “Joe Dirt.”
After the first season, I did a series
on NBC called “Battery Park.”
I had been working quite a bit.
After this last season, we did a
lot of promotional stuff for HBO
and we also did some personal
appearances at various casinos.
I just did the “Conan O’Brien
Show.” My first talk show was
with Craig Kilborn. I also did the
Don Imus radio show. Probably
in the last three months, I’ve done
150 radio shows across the country, if not more, as well as various
newspaper articles and stuff.
I also book some river boats
and I book a comedy club in
Chicago and another one in
Houston. I also help with the
Riviera in Blackhawk, Colorado.
We have a casino up there. And
I’m still a consultant with the
casino here in Vegas. Although I
don’t go into the office anymore –
I don’t have the time – I still book
probably 95 percent of their stuff.
It hasn’t been easy. We’re still
booking the comedy club and the
lounge. My old secretary is now
the entertainment coordinator at
the Riviera and she helps me. She’s
kind of the conduit there.
It sounds like you’re a
full-blown celebrity now.
What keeps you still working
both jobs?
Now I understand why it’s so
hard getting the acts to get up and
do radio in the morning. I can
relate to them now. I can understand them now. I’m much more
compassionate toward the acts.
Well, there are a lot of acts that
I enjoy working with, especially
a lot of comics that I have known
for a long time. I don’t want to say
I don’t want to give up my day job
because I already have, but I enjoy
booking the acts and I still enjoy
the challenge of finding the next
big act.
There’s nothing better than
when you book an act and everything is successful and everything
works fine. That’s a good feeling.
When you book an act and the
show makes money and the act is
fine and your customers enjoyed
Explain the function of your
company, Blue Diamond Talent.
I’m still very much involved
with mostly comics and I’m still
a consultant to the Riviera. I’m
booking quite a bit of stuff at the
Riviera through Blue Diamond
Talent, which I started in 1993.
Page 68 2001-2002 Edition
Absolutely. I certainly do.
Before, I didn’t completely have it.
Now I can see when a guy is
looking for work. Sometimes you
may think the guy is a pain, but
he’s just trying to survive out
there. And how many times have
we bombarded acts with requests
to do all sorts of press while
they’re traveling the country?
Some guys are certainly more
cooperative than others, but I can
honestly understand the circumstances. You could be in a different
time zone, traveling, whatever.
Honestly, I make the time and I
also know that they can make the
time, but I am more compassionate about that stuff.
What I’ve realized with representation is that your agent is out
there speaking for you and I’m
very aware of that. I make sure that
I’m still in control of what’s being
done. Agents can be tough. That’s
something that I feel that the acts
have to watch out for. What I’m
saying is I’m still in control of
what my agent does for me and
probably more acts should start
doing that. Acts may never know
what their agents are out there
saying or doing.
Who is your current agent?
I’m still with the same guy, Tim
Stone. I’ve stayed with him and
he’s fine. And I have a publicist
now. Probably from my background of dealing with publicists
and agents and managers, I have
a much better understanding
than other actors. Don’t forget, I’m
brand new in the business for the
most part. I’m just a rookie from
the acting standpoint. I still have
an acting coach and I work hard
and I’m still trying to become a
better actor.
What kind of goals do you
have as an actor?
Well, I mean I love doing the
show, so I’ll stay on the show as
long as they’ll have me. That’s for
sure. I love doing it and there’s
no better acting class than to work
with actors who are that good.
You’re getting on-the-job training
there. It’s just watching and
learning. You have no choice but
to get better.
My goals are to become a
better actor, to gain a better
understanding of the acting world.
I’d like to do a play down the road,
either a Broadway or off-Broadway, which I almost just did.
I actually auditioned for and got
a part but I turned it down. I didn’t
want to be away from my family
for that long. It would have meant
another three months in New York
and I chose not to, but I know
it would have helped me in the
acting world. It would have helped
me with my chops, but I chose
to come back. So when the timing
is right, I’ll do that again.
My goal is basically to continue
working. It is all about the work
for me. I much more enjoy acting
than I do being recognized.
Do you have any current
projects lined up?
No, nothing I’m working on.
I have an episode of “Black
Scorpion” on the Sci-Fi Channel
coming out and I just did a movie
with John and Nick Turturro
called “Monday Night Mayhem”
that comes out in the fall. With the
strike, I really don’t have anything.
We go back to work in September.
I’m going to take a little
vacation. Now I’m going to
concentrate much more on the
booking end. So I’m taking care
of the Riviera business and I’m
taking a little holiday and that’s it.
We’ll see what our next move is.
Strange story, right? *
POLLSTAR