I also agree that the show stretched the realism to the hilt many times.

As far as AJ's height?

Well, Robert Iler was only 12 years old when he was cast in the role. I'm willing to give Chase the benefit of the doubt on that one. How could he have predicted whether or not the kid would be as tall as Edie Falco or James Gandolfini?

If you want to get nitpicky about physical appearance, both Falco and Gandolfini are fair skinned Italian Americans, while Jamie Lynn Sigler is darker complected (I think she's half Cuban, half Jewish). She doesn't resemble either of them. But her portrayal of a spoiled suburban kid was so spot on, you'd never think to go there. Both kids did a GREAT job in the roles.

I think we all agree that the biggest stretch was the ongoing storyline about the Jersey family waging an even halfway successful war on New York. Tony getting up and walking out of Carmine's club in season 4 was so ridiculous that I usually fast forward it. I don't care if the Esplenade was in Jersey or not, Tony should have considered himself lucky to get in for even a small percentage.

They should have based the Soprano family on either the Genovese of Lucchese Jersey crew. That way the whole New York thing might have been more believeable.