 Stevie Van Zandt says he was a friend and confidant to Bruce Springsteen, and one of the few who was honest with him, even when they had artistic differences. And he tells the Associated Press that helped him play Silvio Dante, who became the underboss and conciliary to Bob Boss. Bob Mob Boss, he tried to say. Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. Once that role became the obvious role, and it started to be written that way,