A closer look
You would think a prestige HBO show about brutal mobsters would just build a sterile soundstage, but they opted for the raw authenticity of a thriving adult entertainment venue. The Bada Bing club from The Sopranos was actually Satin Dolls, a completely real, operational strip club in New Jersey. They would film the mob scenes during the day while the club remained open for actual business in the adjacent rooms. It must have been incredibly confusing for patrons stopping in for a lunchtime drink only to find James Gandolfini glaring at them from a booth.
