- [Narrator] Funding for this edition of One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been provided by Holy Name.

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- This is One-On-One.

- I'm an equal American just like you are.

- The way we change Presidents in this country is by voting.

- A quartet is already a jawn, it's just The New Jawn.

- January 6th was not some sort of violent, crazy outlier.

- I don't care how good you are or how good you think you are, there is always something to learn.

- I mean what other country sends comedians over to embedded military to make them feel better.

- People call me 'cause they feel nobody's paying attention.

_ It's not all about memorizing and getting information, it's what you do with that information.

- (slowly) Start talking right now.

- That's a good question, high five.

(upbeat music) - Hi everyone, Steve Adubato, my colleague Jacqui Tricarico.

This, what am I, announcing it?

This is Remember Them also seeing on our series One on One.

Jacqui, who we looking at today?

- Well, our first show up today we are looking at Paul Sorvino, the great actor.

Well, actor was just one part of his life.

He was so many other things, which you're gonna hear more about from Dee Dee, his wife, who you get to speak with for this interview.

Just remembering and honoring the late Paul Sorvino, best known, I would say, for his role as Big Paulie in "Goodfellas".

He was in so many more movies, and was on Broadway even at the beginning of his career.

But we're looking at Paul Sorvino, Steve.

- It made such an impact on so many.

The interview, Jacqui, help me on this.

Is it 2017 we did the interview at the WNET Tisch, WNET studio - Yeah!

- in Lincoln Center?

- Yep, Lincoln Center, 2017.

I remember that day, we were in studio with Paul and his wife, Dee Dee.

I feel like this is not too long after they got married.

Their love story, you'll hear Dee Dee talk about that as well, falling in love later in life and just connecting on such a personal level.

You know, you can see from Dee Dee in your interview, now, that we'll see up next, that, you know, she misses him dearly.

They were a match made in heaven, for sure.

They loved each other so much and Paul was just so family-driven.

She talks about that as well.

But before we get to your interview with Dee Dee, we are gonna look back at that 2017 Lincoln Center interview where you talked to both Paul and Dee Dee.

And Steve, of course, we know you love "Goodfellas", you gotta start talking to him about one of the most iconic scenes in the movie.

He's in the prison cutting the garlic with the razor blades, super thin, for all the guys that he's in prison with.

They're making their family dinner, their Italian family dinner.

So you talk a little bit about that in the next clip we're gonna see before your interview with Dee Dee.

- That's what Jacqui says.

[UPLIFTING MUSIC] [UPLIFTING MUSIC] - You know who he is.

'Cause he is who he is.

What do you say to yourself?

- Well, you know, it was really not about that, because I had not seen "Goodfellas."

I know- - [Steve] Look, I'm sorry, I'm outta here.

- I know, I know, I know, I know.

- Both of us, wait for me.

- This is Big Paulie.

Hold on one second.

- [Paul] Wait for me.

I'll be with you.

- [Steve] You don't know the scene.

And he's sick and tired of this.

- [Paul] She doesn't know.

- You don't know the scene in the jail, where he's explaining how to, where he's making a meal for all these guys?

- I do now.

I know everything you could ever know about "Goodfellas" now, because every day people run up and talk about it and in restaurants, they'll bring cloves of garlic and they must have gone down the street to CVS with a razorblade.

(laughs) - [Steve] Okay, but my favorite- - But I loved him.

I mean, you know, he's got this thing about him, right?

So it was over.

- All right.

I'll get this out of the way, I promise.

My favorite line in the movie.

You're okay, ready?

- [Paul] I'm not gonna turn my back on you.

- No.

What do you say to Ray?

- [Paul] Don't make a jerk outta me.

- Don't make a jerk, the other one I always say to my friends, "We're not animoli."

- "We're not animoli.

You gotta go back.

What are we, animoli?"

That's a Paul written line.

- [Steve] Gotta go back to Karen.

- That's an ad-Lib.

- Karen!

- Karen!

- I'm sorry.

That's it.

I gotta stop.

I'm stopping.

- We are honored, and I've said that before but I particularly mean it now, to be joined by Dee Dee Sorvino, the wife of the late great Paul Sorvino.

Dee Dee is a cabaret star and founder of Sorvino Vino.

It is so good to have you with us, Dee Dee.

Good to see you again.

- I've gotta pull it right up because it's got Paul's picture on it, the mob guy.

(laughs) - I love it, I love it.

Hey, Dee Dee- - So, so happy to be back with you, Steve.

- Yeah, the last time we were together was in person together with Paul.

You came into the Tisch WNET Studios in Lincoln Center.

And I've done hundreds and hundreds, I think it's probably thousands, when you're in the business for 30 years.

And top five of all time sitting there with you and the late great Paul Sorvino.

It was a great interview.

We had a lot of fun.

- Oh, we did, and thank you so much.

That means a lot.

That just made my day.

And now Paul loved you.

It really was a great interview.

You Italians have a thing, you know.

(laughs) - What do you think that thing...

Okay, hold on.

Forget about me.

- You got that thing.

You know that thing.

(laughs) - Yeah, I know.

- I got that thing.

- But it's hard to explain what it is.

So do this for us.

So what I remember about that interview was how...

It's so ridiculously cliche to say how down to earth Paul was, but he was.

And that's what struck me.

I was awestruck because he was Big Paulie, you know, and "Goodfellas" and he... You know, it's that incredible scene.

And I'm talking about the scene like a million other people did.

And he's like, "I gotta deal with this guy again."

(Dee Dee laughs) But he was so genuine, down to earth.

Was that who he always was?

- Yeah.

Now Paul...

I mean, look, he had a temper.

I mean, if you really, really pushed him, Big Paulie would explode and you might get whacked.

However, his natural- - Metaphorically.

Metaphorically.

(laughs) (Dee Dee laughs) - As far as I know.

- Yes.

- Now he probably has the power to really do it and get away with it.

But, you know, he was always just a sweet soul.

Just sweet man.

And, you know, everybody loved him.

The thing about Paul that was so great, you know, he was great with the public but also with fellow actors and people that were... You know, even if you don't like Donald Trump.

Donald Trump did become the President of the United States and Paul was friends with him.

And we went to an event and here's Paul summoning Donald Trump.

"Hey, Donald, come down here."

And Donald runs down the Paul and they have this chat.

You know, when Paul's in charge, just like we saw Al Pacino at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and, "Al."

and he comes running to Paul.

Paul was just the boss.

And he was sort of a gentle giant and everybody loved him.

They just did.

- But Dee Dee, also, the other thing about Paul Sorvino and I wish I had that interview back in 2017.

We showed, Jacqui Tricarico, my colleague, and I showed some clips on the front end of that interview but I should have known this before.

This is a quote from Dee Dee.

"Paul was a true renaissance man.

He did it all.

Nominated for a Tony, a Broadway star, an opera star.

A movie star, TV star, sculpture, a painter, a writer, an archer, a cook, there it go the book behind me, an amazing and perfect husband."

Says Dee Dee Sorvino.

- All true.

And then of course, at the very end, a wine maker.

And that was something he always wanted to do.

So that was... You know, he was happy about it knowing it was coming and didn't happen until he passed.

But I was able to launch the wine on Valentine's Day.

So it was a special heartfelt Valentine's for Paul.

- Tell us about this book.

- Oh, the book.

The book is a labor of love.

Every chapter is a story, a story of ours, and a full menu and a drink, and Paul... Look, we had so much fun doing this 'cause you know, Paul was in the kitchen all the time.

He was a great, great cook.

And he didn't measure.

So it was a nightmare to do a cookbook 'cause we had...

They're like, "Paul, you have to write it."

We have to write something down.

So Paul's like throwing the stuff in, doing the stuff, whatever.

And then, you know, we have...

The agents are gonna, "Ah, ah."

Trying to write it down.

You know, 'cause Paul's a natural.

You know, he just knew what to do but he never wrote it down.

(laughs) So that was kind of fun.

- Yeah.

Do this first.

Paul's New Jersey connection because he loved New Jersey, had a strong connection to New Jersey.

Talk about that, Dee Dee.

- Yeah, I mean, he... You know, New York, New Jersey.

And he lived in New Jersey for quite some time.

And he kind of bragged that, "I had the biggest house in Tenafly."

I'm sure he did.

Big Paulie loved it, had a pool there, loved the people.

And you know, as kids went to school there.

So yep, he's got a big connect to New Jersey.

And then of course, Atlantic City.

When we went to Atlantic City, you would think Elvis came back to life because they were all over Paul.

I mean, he is just a magnet there.

So, you know, that was one of the last things.

Well, probably, a year before he died, we did this...

It was a SopranosCon, I think is what they called it.

And he is just... You know, he loved it.

He loved New Jersey and he loved Atlantic City and had a ball there.

- You know, Dee Dee met... We talked about this, I believe it was on the Neil Cavuto show over at the Fox News channel.

You were in the green room.

Was this 2014?

You were in the green room.

And by the way, background, Dee Dee, she's a renaissance woman.

And she was doing- - Oh, sweet of you.

- I think republican consulting or polling, I'm not sure you're doing.

And what's Paul... Paul's not doing a political segment.

So what are you doing there together and what happens then?

- Well, Paul was interviewing with Neil and he was actually talking about Obama.

'cause he had voted for him and then he kind of changed his mind about him.

- Okay.

- So he went to the right, he was a pro-gun guy.

You know, he wasn't crazy to the right like I am.

But he was just leaned to the center right.

And so he was talking about that.

So he gets out of the seat and I take the seat and I see him giving me a double take.

And he was still in the green room and that's when he saw me, and he said he saw an aura around me.

And later he said, "Well, that was my mother bringing me to you.

That was my mother's sign that you were the one."

And he said, "That's for me."

And the man knew right away.

I did not.

But Paul knew right away we were gonna be together.

And then we were married a year later.

- Awesome.

I was remiss.

Go all the way back.

'Cause it's one thing to see Big Paulie Cicero in "Goodfellas."

And again, I won't talk about the slicing of the garlic which those who know the film are obsessed with and people would ask him all the time.

- Sure, sure.

- But his first role, he's five years old?

- Yes.

He was in the school play and he was Paul Oatmeal.

So I wish I could remember.

Darn it, it's in the book.

What's wrong with me?

I should remember this.

- That's okay.

- It goes- - But he's five.

- Yeah, he's five, and he...

They give him a mark.

You know, because in theater, they give you marks of where you're supposed to stand.

And he was insulted at five years old.

He goes, "I know where to stand.

I don't need that mark."

At five years old, (Steve laughs) Big Paulie was already big and a star was born.

(laughs) - He was little Big Paulie even then.

- Yes.

Did not like someone telling him where his mark was because he knew where his mark was.

And he was insulted as a five-year-old.

- Do this first before we let you go, Dee Dee.

And again, thank you for joining us The biggest, most significant reason we should quote unquote, "remember" because this series is "Remember Them," Remember Paul Sorvino is.

- It's all about love.

Paul was, you know, he was all about love.

And he loved his work and he loved his people and loved his family, he loved his wife.

And he left his mark in this world and it'll never go away.

You know, and it's nice 'cause we still see his movies, so he's still around on TV, on stage, in spirit.

So yeah, he was all about love.

- Dee Dee, thank you.

We appreciate it.

- Thank you, sir.

- Wish you and your family all the best.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

- We'll keep remembering.

- Your Paul's Paisano forever.

(Dee Dee chuckles) (Steve chuckles) - Don't go there.

You'll open up a can of worms.

But you're right.

(Dee Dee laughs) That's Dee Dee Sorvino.

I'm Steve Adubato.

And Paul Sorvino was loved by all, not just Italian Americans.

So we'll be right back after this.

Years ago, you don't remember this.

My colleague, Raphael Pi Roman and I, he's right here in the studio, does a great show, "Metro Focus" every night.

He and I interviewed you years ago.

You did something for us.

I don't know if you'll do it for us again.

You sang just a little bit for us.

I heard that you were singing downstairs.

- I was warming up the pipes.

I do a little bit.

(Paul operatic singing) (Paul operatic singing continues) (Paul operatic singing continues) (group applauding) - It never gets old.

Good job, honey.

- How- - That song was written about my aunt.

- She's looking for a kiss right now.

- Excuse me, I'm with people now.

(Steve laughing) - [Narrator] To watch more One on One with Steve Adubato find us online and follow us on Social media.

Remember Them looks, now, at Ray Liotta.

We talk with our good friend Steve Edwards, who's the President, Foundation of New Jersey Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.

Ray Liotta passed on May 26th, 2022 at the age of 67.

Important, iconic artist, actor who Steve knew very well.

He also knew his father very well in the hometown, I believe, down in Union County, if I'm not mistaken, pick it up from there Jacqui.

- Yeah, Union Township, that's how Steve has a personal connection.

And then obviously, the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Ray Liotta was inducted into the Hall of Fame as well.

So we get to hear from Steve Edwards.

Next up, your interview with him, all about Ray Liotta.

Ray Liotta's career spanned so, so many generations.

And yes, he was in "Goodfellas".

And we just saw your interview.

- Who did he play, Jacqui?

- Henry Hill.

- Just checking.

- So him, him and Paul Sorvino, who we saw earlier in our show, here, big connection there.

They were in "Goodfellas" together.

Their characters really intertwined, there, Big Paulie and Henry Hill.

So, you know, Ray Liotta had a signature acting career with "Goodfellas", but he had so many more.

He was in a movie called "Cop Land".

That was back in 1997, and it was all about a town in New Jersey.

So bringing it back to New Jersey.

- Hold on, was that, Stallone was in that too?

- Yeah, Stallone was in that, Robert De Niro.

So, you know, they taped that movie.

- Wow!

It was all about Garrison New Jersey.

A town in New Jersey, that was based in.

- The last file that came out, Jacqui, "Cocaine Bear", put that in perspective - Yeah, yeah, it was- - because it was dedicated to him, it came out after he passed.

Go ahead, please.

- Right.

Yeah, yeah, they shot that before he passed and then it actually, you know, came out after his passing.

So they made sure that that was dedicated in his memory.

So that was the last film out that featured Ray Liotta, "Cocaine Bear".

Weird name, interesting concept.

It's based on a true story.

I think everybody should go see it, I've heard a lot of interesting reviews about that one.

(laughs) - Interesting stuff, this is Steve Edwards, the President of the New Jersey Hall of Fame Board of Trustees talking about Ray Liotta, 2006 Hall of Fame Inductee, the great, late Ray Liotta.

- If you build it, he will come.

- Uplifting music.

- We're now joined by Steve Edwards, President of the Foundation for the New Jersey Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.

Good to see you, buddy.

- Good to see you too, Steve.

I hope you're having a great summer.

- I am, we're taping this to the end of this summer.

Help me on this, Scarlyn.

We're doing this not just we're gonna promote the Hall of Fame because there are partners in they're great.

- Okay, I'm sorry.

- But I wanted to use this picture of Ray Liotta.

And my team said, "No, it's too glare..." That's Ray Liotta, this is from "GoodFellas".

All right, we can take it away 'cause I'm pulling a muscle holding it.

Hey, Steve, you ready?

- Yeah.

- You had a connection to Ray Liotta who was inducted into New Jersey Hall of Fame 2016, if I'm not mistaken.

- I think that was the year, yeah.

- What's the connection between you and the great, late-great who died way too young, Ray Liotta, please.

- Yeah, he sure did.

So Ray grew up the street from me in Union, New Jersey, and I knew Ray, I was not friends with Ray.

I was friends with his dad though.

His dad was actually my campaign manager when I ran for school board way back when, in the late eighties, believe it or not.

And I got to know Ray through his father, Al.

Al, by the way, was just a super nice guy.

Ray's mom, Mary was the township clerk in Union, very loved all over town, the Town of Union.

But Ray grew up the street from me and Al, used to buy (poor sound quality) movie premieres.

So I got to know Ray that way, and he's just a great guy.

I hope you don't mind me jumping probably to your next question.

- No, no, no, no, but before you go any further, you talk about his mom and his dad.

He was adopted.

- He was.

He was- - Was he abandoned as a child?

- I don't know the story.

I do know that Al and Mary adopted him when he was a baby, and they were, for all intents and purposes, just like his biological parents.

And then his sister Linda, terrific, terrific lady was also in that household.

And yes- - He was born and raised, born in Newark, by the way, just to be clear.

Pick it up from there, Steve.

- Yeah, born in Newark, but grew up in Union.

His formidable years I believe was in Union on Lancaster Road, right up right up the street from me.

Ray was the prototypical Union guy.

He was real, he was gonna tell it to you the way it was, you know, no airs about him.

And of course, as we know he was also an immense talent, a generational talent.

And I just always admired that combination of down to Earth, but just, you know immensely talented and entertained so many millions of people throughout the years.

He passed way too young, as you said.

We're gonna miss him.

- 67, I believe.

- I believe so, yes.

- So, Steve, put this in perspective as an obsessive fan of "GoodFellas" who watched it over and over again and watched Ray Liotta play Henry Hill.

How important was that role, that performance?

- Well, I think that role and probably "Field of Dreams," Two- - Oh.

- Two of his more- - Kevin Costner, yeah.

- Known films, no doubt about it.

But I mean, Ray had a prolific career.

If you look at his IMDb his database of films and TV shows.

I mean, he was always working really from the eighties on.

He started out in "Soups."

That's how he got his, got into the business.

- Right.

- And then from there, his career just took off.

- The film I think that put him on the map with a lot of people in Hollywood, my father actually always said when he saw this film, he said, "I knew this kid was gonna be a big talent."

It was "Something Wild."

- I think he got a Golden Globe nomination for that.

- Yeah, he was just this psycho character and that laugh that we came to know in "GoodFellas," and so many other films.

That was a role I think that was very important in his career.

- He also played Sinatra in a 1998 TV film, "The Rat Pack."

The Many Saints of Newark, people could judge for themselves about the movie, but Ray was in that as well.

And also fast forward, this is 2021 Ray Liotta appeared in "Cocaine Bear," a thriller film based on a true story of American Bear, Black Bear, that ingested a duffle bag full of cocaine in 1985.

That movie was dedicated to Ray Liotta's memory.

I mean, I haven't seen it and I will because of this, but he had, you know for those of us who are Italian-American who think, "Oh, yeah, Ray Liotta played Henry Hill and," but he, and he played Sinatra and he had range.

He had great range as an actor.

Fair, Steve?

- He was an incredible versatile actor.

He just, in every role, he gave you something different and he gave it to you so well, you know, and I think regarded in Hollywood is one of the best as well.

And that, of course, is the highest standard.

You know, they're tough on one another.

- The high standards of New Jersey Hall of Fame, and I've said this there's nothing to disclose because it is public.

We are partners that remember them as a by-product of a whole series of conversations, together with our Executive Producer and Co-anchor Jacqui Tricarico.

We started talking to, Steve.

We started talking to Steve about a collaboration, a partnership with the New Jersey Hall of Fame where we would feature many people who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

And they've provided extraordinary video footage, photos, it makes it come alive.

Steve, talk to folks about beyond Ray Liotta, why the Hall of Fame in New Jersey matters now more than ever, please, Steve.

- Well, you know, our mission's to celebrate the State and I think that's important.

New Jersey gets bashed a lot, but I think it's important as Governor Kean used to say, "When you feel good about where you come from, you feel anything's possible."

And he did those New Jersey in your "Perfect Together" commercials.

- Right.

- State pride is very important, I think, you know, to bring the best out in us but the mission that I'm most passionate about is inspiring children and really people of all ages.

We live in a world right now where we're just inundated with bad news on a daily basis.

I think now more than ever, we need to provide our citizens, our neighbors with heroes, with wisdom.

They all have shared wisdom.

And we'll continue to share wisdom through the Hall of Fame's Entertainment and Learning Center which we're opening next year in 2024.

It's important to inspire people to give them wisdom and then, of course, the rest is up to them.

We are taping this program mid-August that'll be seen later.

We are going to be there at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in late October for the New Jersey Hall of Fame ceremony.

We'll be on the red carpet interviewing a whole range of folks who are being inducted, or those who are survivors of those who are being inducted posthumously if you will.

And I'm honored to say that one of those being inducted into the Hall of Fame includes my dad, Steve Adubato Senior.

My mom will be there, she's...

It's first time she ever walked on a red carpet.

This is a heck of a class being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

I got a minute left, go ahead, Steve.

- Yeah, no, we're very excited.

It's our first time back since the pandemic.

We haven't had a live ceremony since 2018.

This is gonna be a terrific show with Danny DeVito, Mcing, and couple of dozen very high-profile personalities.

But congratulations to your dad.

I got a chance, I had the pleasure of meeting your dad many, many years ago, a number of times.

Your dad is quite deserving.

I'm sure he's laughing.

Edison Einstein, Steve Adubato but he is deserving.

You know, so many people become big celebrities and so many of them may move outta state.

- Sure.

- Your dad stayed behind.

He stayed in the trenches day by day and in the city of Newark and the North Ward, and he helped so many people.

I know, I saw that, great work over the years.

So if anyone deserves to be inducted, it's your dad.

He's the backbone of New Jersey.

- Very kind, and the rest of that class is a great class.

And I look forward to being on the red carpet with my colleague Jacqui Tricarico.

We'll be doing interviews and bringing that ceremony, that induction ceremony at NJPAC to life.

For those of you who can't be there.

- If you don't mind, we'll be getting back about- - Sure, real quick.

- Ray, I just wanna say, shout out to his sister Linda, to his fiance JC, to his daughter Karsen, and to Gene Legune and all his friends back in Union who he always stayed so close, in close touch with.

I know we lost Ray way too young, but you know, thank God, we have his work, his body of work that he left behind, and we'll cherish that.

- And again, 2000 Ray Liotta, I know we jumped to talk about the Hall of Fame overall, but 2016 inducting into the Hall of Fame, Ray Liotta.

The late great Ray Liotta who made such a difference, not just in the world of acting and theater, but just someone from New Jersey to be proud of including people like Steve Edwards.

Thank you, Steve, our partner at the Hall of Fame.

- Thank you.

- This is Steve Adubato.

That's Steve Edwards, see you next time on "Remember Them."

- [Narrator] One on One with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by Holy Name.

Choose New Jersey.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Newark Board of Education.

The North Ward Center.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

And by Seton Hall University.

Promotional support provided by NJ.Com.

And by ROI-NJ.

How do you create change?

By cultivating hope.

And we see that every day, in the eyes of our preschoolers, in the souls of the seniors in our adult day program, in the minds of the students at Robert Treat Academy, a national blue ribbon school of excellence, in the passion of children in our youth leadership development program, in our commitment to connections at the Center for Autism, and in the heart of our community, the North Ward Center, creating opportunities for equity, education, and growth.