In one episode of HBO’s series The Sopranos, mob boss Tony Soprano takes his teenage son Anthony Jr. (“AJ”) to what is apparently inner-city Newark, New Jersey to show him that when the Italians came to New Jersey, one of the first things they did was build a beautiful church with their own hands, and very limited resources.
While Tony walks and talks about the beauty of the church, and his son is dutifully bored, Tony becomes more and more frustrated that A.J. is not impressed with this stunning church built by their forebears. After nearly losing his temper—in the church—with Anthony Jr., the latter responds laconically, “If it’s such an important church why don’t we come here for Mass?”
