Imperioli to Appear on ‘Law & Order’

LOS ANGELES – A mobster will be taking over for a cop on “Law & Order.” Michael Imperioli of “The Sopranos” will appear in the NBC drama while series star Jesse L. Martin, who plays New York police Detective Ed Green, films the musical “Rent,” NBC said Thursday.

Imperioli will play a police detective who teams up with his uncle, Detective Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina), in the final episodes of this season.

“I’m glad to be on the right side of the law,” Imperioli said in a statement. He won an Emmy this year for his portrayal of mob boss Tony Soprano’s hard-luck nephew, Christopher Moltisanti, on HBO’s “The Sopranos.”

Martin, in his sixth season on “Law & Order,” was an original cast member of the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning “Rent,” playing the role of Tom Collins.

He’ll return to the TV series next season, Martin and “Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf said in a statement.