NJ Restaurant Sells Famous Booth From ‘The Sopranos’ For Big Bucks

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — When the eBay bidding ended Monday night, the total stood at $82,600. That’s how much moolah a piece of iconic memorabilia associated with beloved television show “The Sopranos” scored for a restaurant in New Jersey.

Holsten's Ice Cream, Chocolate & Restaurant in Bloomfield recently created an online feeding frenzy when it put a unique auction item up for sale: the booth where Tony Soprano could have been killed.

The popular local eatery – which has been in business for more than eight decades – has taken full advantage of the notoriety of Tony’s “cut to black” death scene, keeping the booth intact and installing a plaque that reads: “This Booth Reserved For The Soprano Family” (see photos of it here).

Last week, Holsten’s announced that it is auctioning the booth on eBay, including both seats, the table and the divider wall with the plaque. It was a “once in a lifetime” chance for a Sopranos superfan, the restaurant said. Read More: Iconic Piece Of 'Sopranos' Memorabilia For Sale In Bloomfield

According to Holsten’s – while they didn’t want to part ways with their beloved piece of television history – it was a practical decision, as the booth had become “compromised” after years of display.

“They have been repaired many times and this furniture is over 60-years-old,” the restaurant reported. “Obviously, we do not want to do this, however it has come to a point where they are structurally not safe anymore as a whole and we need to think about the safety of our patrons first.”

The restaurant, which has let its customers sit in the booth over the years, gave fans a final chance to take photos last weekend.

As the eBay sale proceeded, Holsten’s kicked off its renovation work, temporarily shutting down for the effort, which concluded Monday (see photos of the installation here).

Meanwhile, the eBay auction kept climbing higher, eventually hitting a total of 238 bids and a final sale price of $82,600.

The auction apparently stirred up emotions in the hearts of some fans, who suggested that the restaurant donate the booth to a museum or put it up for display in a public area.

“Are you guys kidding me?” one person complained. “You’re selling a piece of American history.”

“Big mistake removing that original booth,” another fan commented. “You should’ve left just that one alone and remodeled around it. Sooooo many people come there just for that booth.”

But other customers said they understood the move – and that the renovation looks great.

“I’m sure this will be fine,” a social media commenter wrote Sunday. “They will do it right. A small business has to do what’s good for them these days!”

• See Related: Booth Where 'Sopranos' Cut To Black Reserved in Memory of Gandolfini
• See Related: Holsten's Tribute to Gandolfini Grows as Fans Reflect on His 'Legacy'

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