Vadim Imperioli: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Vadim Imperioli

Vadim Imperioli pictured on his YouTube channel.

The son of The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli has been accused of spray-painting a swastika on a college campus. The Journal News reports that Vadim Imperioli, 19, was arrested on December 6. New York State Police Captain Doug Larkin told the Journal News, “We assisted SUNY Purchase police. He was arrested for the swastika incident.” The newspaper adds that Imperioli will face a charge of criminal mischief when he appears in court on January 17. The vile symbol was painted on a bulletin board in a Purchase College dorm room on November 21.

Here’s what you need to know:


1. He’s an Aspiring Stand-Up Comedian

According to videos on his YouTube channel, Imperioli is an aspiring stand-up comedy. In April 2016, Imperioli started a joking Go Fund Me page that was designed to help him get cigarettes, cheese, bread and butter.

Imperioli is a graduate of Santa Barbara High School. In the above video you’ll see Imperioli joke, “They say you are what you eat. I don’t remember eating a huge letdown to my parents.”


2. Imperioli Was in Court Earlier This Week on a Separate Charge of Criminal Mischief

The Journal News reports that prior to the swastika incident, Imperioli had been in court on separate petty larceny charges involving a car on October 13. During that appearance, where the comedian was flanked by his grandparents, the incident involving the swastika was raised by prosecutors. Those prosecutors said that while in California, Imperioli had served three years probation for vandalism, reports the Journal News.

Around the same time of the swastika issue, a message reading “Black Lives Don’t Matter” was found on the Purchase College campus. That vandalism is still under investigation.


3. Since His Arrest, Imperioli Has Deleted His Facebook Page

After being arrested, Imperioli deleted his Facebook page. A cached version says that Imperioli was from Santa Barbara, California, and was a film student at Purchase College in Westchester, New York. His lawyer, Russell Smith, told the Journal News that he doesn’t “believe” Imperioli is still attending the school. The circumstances were not made clear. He was a freshman at the school.


4. He Made His Movie Debut in 2007 Alongside His Father in an Oprah Winfrey Produced Movie

Imperioli’s IMDb page shows that he’s appeared in two movies. One, 2007’s Mitch Albom’s For One More Day, was produced by Oprah Winfrey. He co-starred with his father and famed actress Ellen Burstyn in the film. His other roles were 2013’s Joy De V. and a recurring role in ABC’s TV series Detroit 1-8-7 which ended in 2011.

A 2007 Associated Press feature reported that Imperioli had been studying martial arts since age 5.


5. He’s the Oldest Son of Michael Imperioli & His Wife Victoria

Michael Imperioli Victoria

Michael Imperioli and wife Victoria pictured in 2005. (Getty)

Imperioli is the oldest child of actor Michael Imperioli and his wife Victoria Chlebowski. The couple married in 1995. She has a child from a previous relationship. The couple lives in Santa Barbara. A 2002 New York Times feature on the family details that they have two sons, Vadim and David, 14. Victoria Imperioli has a daughter, Isabella, 26, from a previous relationship. In a 2000 interview, Michael Imperioli described fatherhood saying, “I love my wife and children … they’re so much more important than acting. No longer Number One as a self-absorbed and driven actor, I’m now Number Four and fading.”