Final bada-byes are hard to say

[Brian Damage]

Dominic Chianese knew he had to wear a dark outfit to say goodbye to "The Sopranos" last night if he wanted to do right by Uncle Junior.

"The characters have had a life," said Chianese, who played Corrado (Uncle Junior) Soprano for eight years. "And their journey is coming to an end."

He was among several stars of the HBO mob drama who came out one last time for a series finale cast party in midtown last night.

Asked if he had any final comment on his mercurial and murderous character, he said: "I love everything Uncle Junior."

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who plays Meadow Soprano, said she's going to miss co-workers - "my friends."

"I still see the cast and crew, but it's hard to get everyone together in the same room. But it went on for [eight years], so I can't be a baby about it," Sigler said.

Huge platters of pasta and Italian cheeses were laid out, Sicilian-style, for the actors and their guests for the screening in HBO's offices on the 15th floor of a building overlooking Bryant Park.

Among the other stars who showed up at the New York event were Dan Grimaldi, who plays Patsy Parisi, and Sharon Angela, who plays Rosalie Aprile.

The show's biggest names, including James Gandolfini and Lorraine Bracco, were expected to attend another cast party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Gandolfini alone was paid a reported $250,000 to rub elbows with big-spending fans at the hotel.

Even the stars had to take a vow of silence about the much-anticipated outcome of the final episode.

Moments before the show started, Jane Chianese confessed she had "no idea what's going to happen" - and her hubby wasn't about to spill the beans.

"I tried to get him to tell me once if he was going to get killed," she said. "But he wouldn't tell me, so I gave up."


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