The outcome of the final scene of HBO's hit six-season show, “The Sopranos,” has long been debated by fans who were left wondering what exactly happened to Tony Soprano when he looked up from his infamous dinner stool and screen clipping. in black.
The restaurant scene has been the catalyst for hundreds conspiracy theories and assumptions about the fate of the Sopranos and the surrounding universe.
Now, fans of the show have their chance to own a piece of television history.
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Holsten's Ice Cream, Chocolate & Restaurant in Bloomfield, New Jersey, where the iconic scene was filmed, announced on Instagram that it's up for auction outside the iconic stand while the establishment undergoes renovations and improvements.
“The time has come. All good things sometimes need an upgrade. The famous Sopranos booth is getting a much-needed facelift,” the company wrote of the nearly 60-year-old stand. “It's come to a point where (cabins) are no longer structurally safe as a whole, and we have to think about the safety of our customers first.”
The cabin is decorated with a sign that reads: “This cabin is reserved for the Soprano family.”
As of Monday afternoon, the booth had already won one high bid on eBay of $82,200.
“I don't want to change it, but I'm forced to change it. I'm forced to make things stay somewhat modern,” Holsten co-owner Chris Carley said in an interview with. NJ Advance Media last week. “People will either get used to it, or they won't. But I think they will… hopefully the answer will be when the new one is in what everyone will like.”
Carley added that the sites have faded progressively over the years, especially since the finale aired in the summer of 2007, making Holsten's a tourist attraction and the cabin a once-in-a-lifetime photo opp.
However, despite the damage, fans of the show are pleading with the venue on social media to keep the stand as it is, with some declaring the remodel a “terrible” decision.
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“I can't understand this from a business perspective,” wrote one person. “Even if it's no longer safe and beyond repair, it makes more sense to build a plexiglass around it. I know so many people who have visited NJ and made Holsten's a priority stop.”
“What makes you great is your quality product and nostalgia! You do NOT need to upgrade, you need to let future generations enjoy what older generations already know,” said another.
Carley said NJ Advance Media that the institution is not entirely sure what it will do with the money from the auction.
Bidding will end at 10:02 PM ET on Monday.