Michael Imperioli, now in 'The Lovely Bones,' is more hometown NYC than Hollywood

BY MARK ELLWOOD DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Born in Westchester, Michael Imperioli, 43, trained and worked in the city as a teen before nabbing his first major role, in "Goodfellas," at only 23. He went on to star in (and sometimes write) a slew of Spike Lee joints and played doomed junkie Christopher on "The Sopranos." His latest role is in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of the blockbuster novel "The Lovely Bones."

But don't look for him in Hollywood. For Imperioli, who lives in Tribeca with his wife, Victoria, and their two sons,New York is the only place he'd call home. Here's why:

1. He's still tight with his childhood friends from Mount Vernon. "My neighborhood was a very close-knit community, where all the families knew each other. We played sports in the street and walked to school at 5 years old. I still have very close friends from that neighborhood."

2. He trained with New York actors at just 17. "John Ventimiglia, who was on 'The Sopranos,' was in my first acting class, and we have been friends since that time.Alec Baldwin was in my class back then, Sean Young andAndrew McCarthy. To be at acting school, it was kind of the first time you felt the freedom to be as much of yourself as you wanted. People weren't going to judge you."

3. His post-punk band, La Dolce Vita, plays at Don Hill's and the Bowery Electric. "I played guitar in a band from when I was about 20 for three years. Then I sang a little. Then I started getting really busy as an actor and forgot about it. Some of the songs we play were written in the mid-'80s but were never performed before. The goal originally was to write a bunch of material, start playing gigs. The next goal would be to record and open for some cool bands."

4. He's one local icon's biggest fan."I'd like to open for Lou Reed — that would be ideal. He's my hero."

5. He'll never forget the first time he set foot in CBGB. "I was, like, shaking when I walked in there first, when I was 17. It seemed so forbidden, I'd heard so many stories over the years about it. I remember being thrilled just walking into that place. I don't even remember who it was I saw."

6. He'll take his old musical haunt over the swank John Varvatos boutique that replaced it. "I went in there once. For what he's done, it's a really good job. But there is something very depressing, no matter what, that CBGB is not there, in that space."

7. He watches the classicNYCfilm "Midnight Cowboy" every Christmas with his family."I told that toJon Voightwhen I was working with him, and he said, 'That's very touching, very sick but very touching.' It was something we watched when we were teenagers and was a family favorite, so once I had my own house, we put it on and decided we'd watch it every year, my father, my brother and I."