Metro

‘Reserved’: Gandolfini mourned at Holsten’s ice-cream parlor where last ‘Sopranos’ scene was shot

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Published June 20, 2013, 4:00 a.m. ET
AN EMPTY SPOT:This table, where the last “Sopranos” scene was shot at Holsten’s ice-cream parlor in Bloomfield, NJ, is a sad reminder of James Gandolfini last night. AP

The finale of “The Sopranos” shot at Holsten’s ice-cream parlor. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

AN EMPTY SPOT: This table, where the last “Sopranos” scene was shot at Holsten’s ice-cream parlor in Bloomfield, NJ, is a sad reminder of James Gandolfini last night. (AP)

The owner of the New Jersey ice- cream parlor where James Gandolfini filmed the unforgettable final scene of “The Sopranos” paid a touching tribute to the actor last night.

Holsten’s proprietor, Chris Carley, placed a “Reserved” sign in the booth where Tony Soprano sat with his family just before the screen cut to black in the mystery climax of the series.

“During his down time, he’d be outside smoking a big cigar, talking to people. He seemed like real regular guy,” Carley said of Gandolfini.

He was “really, really nice to the staff, giving autographs and taking pictures . . . One night, at 1 a.m., he brought in a whole bunch of sushi at his own cost. Just a really nice guy.

“After a 15-hour day, he could [have been] cranky and tired, just like us,” Carley said.

Carley’s daughter, Sara, said about the “Reserved” placard, “A lot of people came just to see it, not to get ice cream.”

Meanwhile, folks in working-class Westwood, NJ, mourned the loss of their hometown hero.

Gandolfini, who was born in Westwood’s Pascack Valley Hospital in 1961, often visited the town and was remembered as a regular joe.

“We’ve known him for a very long time, since he was a teenager,” said Mike Meidanis, the owner of Ridge Diner. “He came every Sunday.”

A signed copy of Gandolfini’s New Jersey magazine cover is posted near the eatery’s entrance.

“Even though he was a big celebrity, he still came around to his old neighborhood. He was everything to his town,” said manager Peter Fatouros.