New Jersey prepares for life after ‘Sopranos’

Scouts looked at 25 houses before they found Janet Cole’s 121-year-old home, which was used for an episode in which Tony dreams he’s gone to heaven and is visited by his dead cousin, played by Steve Buscemi.

“We weren’t really sure if we wanted to do it, and it would depend on the content of that particular episode,” said Cole, who hadn’t seen the show and watched DVDs to get a better sense of it. The family agreed, and had a great time watching the overnight shoot.

Other locations weren’t as hard to find, such as a retirement community in West Orange called Green Hill. It became the setting for Green Grove, a fictional retirement community where Tony’s mother, Livia, lived early on in the series and emerged again last season.

“I think the inspiration for Green Grove came because David Chase had his mom at Green Hill a while ago when it first started,” said Toni Davis, Green Hill’s executive director.

When the scouts needed a conference room with a view of downtown Newark for an office scene, they eventually found attorney Kevin Marino, who was thrilled.

“They shot one scene, and so much effort went into it,” he said. “You really get a sense that a lot of hours go into just a few minutes.”

There’s a familiar aftermath at a half-dozen other sites around northern New Jersey where the show has filmed: photos of the actors and tales of invasion by dozens of cast and crew members.

They spent a day at Clear Eyes RX in Wayne, which fronted as an optical store owned by Ginny Sack’s brother. Co-owner Fred Siwiec was surprised at how many technicians came in to change all the light bulbs, take measurements and hang their own posters for the merchandise.

“It was amazing to watch,” he said, standing in front of photos of himself and Paulie. The business was compensated $6,000, he said.

The scouts eventually found Nori Sushi in Wayne for a scene where Carmela and Tony dine. Heyman said the script called for a specific look, and the restaurant also had to hold 75 people.

“There were plenty that didn’t fit the bill of being in a strip mall,” she said. “Once you find (the right place), the layout doesn’t always work. A lot of sushi restaurants are small.”

The show’s work on location also has led to friendship and hospitality. Members of the Irish-American Association, the building next to the pork store in Kearny, have shared drinks with the cast and crew. But Dunleavy has yet to score an autograph from James Gandolfini, who plays Tony.

“Getting to Tony is like getting a meeting with the pope,” he said. “So I just left him alone and hope to get my picture with him before he finishes up this job.”