Joseph R. Gannascoli

Prior to his stint as a homosexual mobster - or "gayfella" - on HBO's series, "The Sopranos" (1999-2006), actor Joseph Gannascoli was doing bit parts - doorman here, security guard there - while keeping a steady job as a chef and restaurateur. His life's ambition was never to be a celebrity. Instead, he stumbled into acting as a fun thing to do on the side while making foie gras for a living. But much like his mob alter ego, Gannascoli was mixed up in more nefarious affairs - gambling and fencing stolen goods chief among them - which became sources of inspiration not only for his "Sopranos" character, but also for his first novel, A Meal to Die For. As Gannascoli started to straighten up and fly right, he steered away from the restaurant business to act full time. Once the sixth season of "The Sopranos" finally rolled around in early 2006 after an almost two year hiatus, Gannascoli had gone from delivering a line or two an episode to becoming one of the most talked about characters on the show.