Were you inspired by old-school true-crime books like Helter Skelter and The Executioners Song?
I was very inspired by Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. I read everything. I love Dashiell Hammett and James Cain and Raymond Chandler, but all that’s fiction. But it’s fiction in a very realistic way. It’s almost more real than real life. I kind of meandered into writing true stories, stories that actually took place. Q: What do you think of The Sopranos? A: Overall, I liked the show. I thought some of the characters were brilliant, but some of it was not realistic, and I’ll give you an example. When the son [Anthony Jr.] was at the dinner table saying the F-word. . . . If that happened in an Italian home, especially a Mob guy, he would have knocked the son’s teeth out, talking in front of the mother like that. I mean, it’s the little things, but I thought the character of Tony Soprano was excellent — shockingly realistic. I liked his crew. Overall, on a 1 to 10, I’d give it a 7 ½, 8. Q: How’s the film version of The Iceman going? A: We should start shooting in about four or five month
