'Sopranos' actor to sign parenting book on Long Island

Actor Steve Schirripa played a mobster on TV's "The Sopranos," and he knows how to intimidate in his role as a real-world dad as well. He's penned a new book about his old-school way of parenting called "Big Daddy's Rules: Raising Daughters Is Tougher Than I Look" (Touchstone, $25).

Schirripa will be on Long Island this week to sign the book, which he says is part comedy, part advice and part love letter to his two daughters, Bria, 21, a junior at the University of Delaware, and Ciara, 17, a junior in high school. Unlike most parenting books, Schirripa's is filled with salty language and unusual parenting missives such as, "Staying calm is overrated." It's co-written with Philip Lerman.

"Big Daddy's got a big mouth, a big temper and a big heart," says Schirripa, 55. "I live in downtown Manhattan. I see a lot of stuff that just drives me insane. It's all in the book, my pet peeves, parents who need to be slapped, the new parenting style, parents trying a little too hard. I'm not a parenting expert, but this is how I've done it. Knock on wood, I've done pretty good."

Sometimes that's the only way to get somebody's attention. I'm kind of a loud, boisterous guy to begin with. If I have something to say, I don't need to speak calmly and philosophize and worry so much about her feelings. You did something wrong, you're arguing with your mother, you're negotiating, STOP IT. That gets their attention in a hurry.

On TV shows, movies, Chevy Chase, the "Vacation" movies, Ray Romano, who I love to death, his show -- the dad's always the bumbling idiot. He makes all the bad moves. I want to take charge, I want to be involved. That is one of Big Daddy's rules. One of the rules is, "I make the rules." Another rule is, "I'm not an idiot." This is not a TV show.

That's a bonding thing. They always say to do that with your son. Do it with your daughter also. We had a lot of good moments throwing the ball around in the backyard. I can't do gymnastics with her. I can't do a cartwheel. But I can throw a ball.

Absolutely. "Why can't I get a tattoo?" "Because I said so." "Why can't I get 14 piercings?" "Because I don't want you to." I'm not above threatening them. When I say threaten, of course, not physically. They have nice vacations, they do nice things, they go to concerts. I tell them, "It will all stop. You will live a miserable life because you will get nothing." It's going to be my way. We have rules here, and I know best.