Town bans Sopranos film crews

A US town has banned the mafia TV series Sopranos from filming because the hit drama negatively depicts Italian-Americans.

The mayor and city councillors in Bloomfield originally agreed to give producers a permit to film in the North New Jersey town, but after complaints the council voted again on Monday and this time rejected the move.

Producers had wanted to use an old-fashioned ice cream parlour to film the series’ final scene.

Officials have agreed to reconsider the issue for a third time next week.

Mayor Raymond McCarthy, whose wife is Italian, said: “I don’t think the Sopranos depicts the life of a typical Italian-American in a positive way and I still don’t like the way people see New Jersey based upon the Sopranos series.”

He added that he plans to oppose filming again on Monday.

“What the rest of the council does, that’s their choice. I stand by my convictions.”