The Sopranos has long been over, but in the years since its final episode aired in 2007, fans could still relive its glory by visiting the real-life location of Tony’s favorite strip club in Lodi, New Jersey. Now that too may be coming to an end.
Satin Dolls which served as the location for the Bada Bing club on The Sopranos—is the target of a law enforcement crackdown, according to Thusday release from the office of New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino.
The owners of Satin Dolls have been under investigation for more than six years, the AG says, since they’ve “failed to account for large amounts of cash flowing in and out of the businesses.” One of the owners, Anthony Cardinalle, continued to run the clubs despite being “criminally disqualified from maintaining involvement with the clubs’ operations” after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges in 1995. Cardinalle also pleaded guilty to “racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit extortion” in 2013.
Amidst the investigation, Porrino has ordered that Satin Dolls’ liquor license be sold or transferred to a third party by January 3. The club has also been ordered to stop providing live entertainment by December 17. If it doesn’t comply, its license will be suspended and the owners will be “subject to potential disciplinary charges.”
Porrino said, “Illegal activity was glorified at the ‘Bada Bing’ in the fictional world of Tony Soprano, but it has no place in modern-day New Jersey. It’s time to shut it down.”
