Just started reading Made Men. The author states that Centanni's pork store was a built set in an abandoned building for the Sopranos pilot.

I remember watching a few years back (I think it was a special feature on one of the Sopranos sets) that Centanni's is an actual store in the area and that the owner let Chase use it for the pilot but couldn't continue for the whole series so Satriale's came into existence.

I'm thinking that the later is true but you never can tell....so....anyone know which is the correct story?

The exterior of the real Centanni's store, in Kearny, NJ, can be seen in the pilot; thereafter, during filming season, Chase and co. dressed the outside up and made it Satriale's.

The building was pulled down quite recently, within the last two years. This is the site a site looks now (or how it looked in August):



Both stories above are right. The building was abandoned, but they made a set for interiors, much like they did for Melfi's office and the Soprano home.

I noticed the Centanni's thing the other day!
Everytime I watch a series i pick up on things I have never noticed.