The mafia is a big hit around the world, no pun intended. And perhaps no mafia rendition in history drew the fanfare that HBO's The Sopranos did. Beginning in 1999, the Soprano family drama followed the life of north Jersey crime boss Tony Soprano and his many problems with his own emotions, family (both families) and law enforcement.

The show ran for eight successful years, and after the disappointing 2007 series finale, talks of a spinoff show or even a big-budget movie were in the works. However, nothing ever panned out, and the original cast hasn't been back. This didn't stop Las Vegas from picking up on the theme, though, with their version of the hit show, The Soprano's Last Supper.

The Soprano's Last Supper is currently playing at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, but this is the show's third home. While the real show was still fresh on everyone's mind, the Vegas spoof version wasn't doing nearly as well.

The strange homage to New Jersey gangsters failed in previous venues in the Krave nightclub and the Empire Ballroom. However, after changing venues again and settling down a bit in terms of what the show “is,” it's been doing a lot better in recent months.

The spoofing of the real show becomes very strange during the Last Supper show. Of course, one look at the characters and you'll know that it's certainly not a tribute to the HBO program. You can tell it's a comedy. From the guy playing Christopher with an enormous unibrow to the 26-year-old Paulie Walnuts, it's evident that this is meant to be a comical take on the premise.

The show starts out serious enough, and you begin to learn a little about the characters as they keep things at a low tone. Eventually, however, Dr. Melfi is stripping and chugging liquor and the rest of the cast breaks out into sporadic song-and-dance routines.

You'll find many of the real show's recurring themes while watching The Soprano's Last Supper, including the gang in front of the pork store, Tony's mailbox and bathrobe, and plenty of visits to the shrink.

The plot starts dealing with Soprano life, basically, but then leaps from the brink of sanity when Tony finds out there's a rat that has infiltrated the crew. Things get a little hectic as Tony and crew work to find out exactly who the rat is.

Overall, the show is funny enough considering that most of the actors aren't actual comedians and aren't really the most well-respected actors, either. They do the job well enough. There's also some audience interaction to keep everyone on their toes. You could be the one picked out to dance in a three-way during an old tarantella. Everybody else will have to sleep with the fishes.

The tickets are a little pricy, going upwards of 100 bucks, but the show is fun and whimsical and, in some small way, gives diehard Sopranos fans a bit of closure after the wildly disappointing series finale left everyone mad enough to whack somebody.