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Judge Raps "Sopranos" Creator
A New Jersey judge is seeking to whack the Sopranos godfather in court, filing a federal lawsuit this week accusing Chase of cheating the jurist out of credit for--and more importantly profits from--the Emmy-winning HBO hit.
In his lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Newark, Judge Robert Baer claims that he was the one who dreamed up the idea of Mafia-based TV series and made the suggestion to Chase over a three-hour lunch in 1995. Chase was, according to suit, intrigued with the premise, even asking Baer to critique the pilot script, which was eventually sold to HBO.
Baer, who serves as a municipal court judge in Prospect Park after years of prosecuting real mobsters in northern New Jersey, claims the two had an oral agreement: If The Sopranos made it, Baer would be "appropriately compensated."
But Baer's lawyers says Chase refused to honor the deal and is suing to make the producer pony up.
"My client is responsible for the concept of The Sopranos," Baer's attorney, Harley Breite tells the Associated Press. "But for his invaluable contributions, there would be no Sopranos."
Baer and Chase (then a journeyman TV writer whose credits included The Rockford Files) were introduced to each other in 1995 by a mutual friend, Joseph Urbanczyk, a Hollywood cameraman who was one of Baer's kindergarten playmates. During a three-hour luncheon in Santa Monica, California, the suit asserts, Baer recounted his exploits as a Mob-hunting assistant D.A. and the colorful bad guys who populate Jersey.
According to court documents, Chase kept in touch and, in subsequent phone conversations, pumped Baer for all kinds of information on organized crime--all of which allegedly formed the basis of The Soprano. The judge claims he even suggested the show be set in Elizabeth and even showed Chase around the area when the producer visited Jersey for a primer on the local goodfellas.
"That's the reason why on the opening credits, you see the turnpike sign for the Elizabeth exit," says Breite, noting that the show often shoots on location in Elizabeth's Italian section, known as Peterstown.
Baer also says Chase sent him a rough draft of the first episode to look over. (Baer claims to have retained a copy of the script.)
However, when Chase hit the big time, his relationship with Baer developed into what Urbanczyk calls "a very ugly situation." When Chase refused to return the judge's repeated phone calls about the promised remuneration, says Breite, Baer decided to bring down the gavel.
Reps for HBO refused to comment on the suit, but Chase's lawyer, Michael Gendler, tells AP, "We make it a policy not to comment on frivolous or meritless claims."
There's no word on exactly how big a slice of The Sopranos' profits Baer wants (calls to his office were not returned Friday). But Chase recently signed a deal estimated between $15 million and $20 million to stick with The Sopranos through a fifth season. Chase is currently overseeing the show's long-coming fourth season, which is set to debut in September.
One person who won't be watching is Baer. His lawyer says the judge is so sickened by the whole mess that he can't even bring himself to tune in anymore.
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