Born in Brooklyn, New York, Steven Schirripa is an actor playing mostly roles that fit in the mob stereotype best known for his role as Bobby Baccalieri on the hit HBO series The Sopranos. His foray into acting started with graduating from Brooklyn College and working at a hotel on the Las Vegas strip.
As the entertainment director of The Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, Schirripa worked with comedians Drew Carry, Kevin Pollack, and Bruce Baum. This led to cameo roles in their comedy specials which then led to appearing on episodes of television series and movies. He has starred on Joey, Enterprise, Law and Jorder, My Wife and Kids, Ed, and The King of Queens.
Schirripa then became a regular on the talk show circuit. He then received an offer from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to be a special correspondent. He also became a regular film critic on the Showbiz Show. His other talk show appearances were on the following, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The View, Good Day Live, Fox and Friends Best Damn Sports Show Period, Last Call with Carson Daly, and Jimmy Kimmel.
Schirripa’s big break came with the role of Bobby Bacala in What are the Odds, where he won best supporting actor in the New York Independent Film Festival. He was also in Duane Hopwood, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His other credits include Detroit Rock City, Flintstones Viva Rock Vegas, Casino by Martin Scorsese, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
In addition, he also became a national best seller with A Goomba’s Guide to Life, a series of three Gomba guidebooks.