BATTERY CHARGED: Steve Schirripa, with dog Bobby, and his family live in a sleek,1,700-square-foot three-bedroom.
A spaghetti plate
“The Sopranos”
(Photos by Michael Sofronski)
‘I was always afraid they were going to kill me on ‘The Sopranos,’ ” says Steve Schirripa, who played Bobby Baccalieri on the HBO hit. So, even though the actor had been living in Battery Park City for 10 years, he waited to see how long his character would last — he lasted for 50 episodes — and until the show wrapped up in 2007 before buying a condo in the area.
(Although “The Sopranos” ended long ago, Schirripa remembers co-star James Gandolfini fondly. “He always tried to make you better, which sounds like a cliché, but it’s true,” Schirripa told The Post after Gandolfini’s sudden passing last month.)
Schirripa’s 1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bathroom Battery Park City condo boasts views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the shimmering New Jersey skyline across the Hudson. “We used to come up here before the building was built. I knew the construction guy, and he would bring us up on that outside elevator, when it was just a shell,” says Schirripa. “It was crazy. The elevator was scary. I’m not a height guy.”
He’s not a tough guy, either — even though he portrayed a gangster for five seasons. Schirripa is actually a humble, funny family man who loves the quiet but still centrally located neighborhood where he lives with his wife, Laura, and two teenage daughters, Bria and Ciara.
“This is like the suburbs of Manhattan,” says Schirripa, who’s originally from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. “You’re right on the water.
“There are some great neighborhood restaurants like Harry’s Italian; a lot of kids down here. It’s all good. The best is yet to come, when the Freedom Tower opens.”
Schirripa’s sleek living room is filled with comfortable couches, family photos and framed posters of his films, including “Nicky Deuce,” which just premiered on Nickelodeon. With a wooden island and kitchen accentuated by blue and white tile, food prep and family meals are an important part of the Schirripa household. A small bar stocked with wine adds a grown-up touch.
Asked how he got into acting, Schirripa explains, “I was an entertainment director in Las Vegas, booking a lot of acts at the Riviera. [There were] a lot of comics, and they put me as an actor in some of their sketches. Kevin Pollak would say, ‘Hey, I’m doing a little HBO special — you want to be in it? You’re a good character.’ It was fun. A lot of fun.”
After appearing in occasional sketches, Schirripa moved on to bit parts in low-budget films, but quickly became addicted to the thrill of acting. “It was the low end of funky,” he says. “But it taught me how to act in front of a camera, how to hit my mark, how to learn lines.”
By the time he shot movies like “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” he “was comfortable on the set.”
Schirripa can now add “author” to his list of accomplishments. His recently published book “Big Daddy’s Rules: Raising Daughters Is Tougher Than I Look” is a hilarious take on fatherhood. Sitting at his kitchen table, Schirripa shares some of his wisdom on how he has created a stable home for his girls.
“The first rule is: I make the rules. Big Daddy has a big mouth, big temper, big heart. I yell a lot. ‘Because I said so,’ are the four greatest words ever. I’m your father, not your friend, but I’m also the best friend you’ll ever have because I care about you. I’m not Dr. Phil, but I have a lot to say.”
And Battery Park, known for its kid-friendly environment, couldn’t be a more perfect place to be a parent — and observe the behavior of other parents. In fact, Schirripa lists all sorts of things he’s noticed about NYC parenting: “I don’t like parents who don’t put their dog on a leash, but they put their kid on a leash. Parents who won’t give their kids sugar, but gives them prescription pills like they’re M&M’s. Parents who get matching tattoos with their kids. Parents who buy their underage kids a keg to be cool. Parents who buy a $2,000 stroller and let their nanny push it while they text.”
And though Schirripa has worked hard to give his family a nice home in the city, he recognizes how difficult living here can be for creative types. “Unfortunately for people who want to be actors, dancers, musicians or artists, they come to New York now and it’s next to impossible unless they have a wealthy mom and dad,” says Schirripa. “It’s ridiculous.”
Steve Schirripa’s
favorite things
* His wife’s marathon-running medals
* His dogs, Bobby and Carly
* Statues of himself and Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) from
“The Sopranos”
* His SAG award
* A spaghetti plate
* A portrait of his family
* A “Nicky Deuce” movie poster
* A “Sopranos” poster