in the mafia TV show The Sopranos. Ramis said the article "raised questions about human nature and morality...Can the criminal mind be turned?" and he became interested in what would happen if "Paul Vitti got out of jail and committed himself to going straight." The production arranged for Dr. Stephen A. Sands, a psychiatrist and faculty member of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons to be a technical adviser for the film, and he remained on set during the filming of scenes that involved psychiatric issues. Sands was very familiar with the details of mobster Vincent "The Chin" Gigante's alleged mental illness, after studying the case during his post-doctoral training. Sands also arranged for De Niro to visit Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric unit to meet patients and psychiatrists to discuss the character's symptoms, and De Niro sometimes participated in group therapy sessions during these visits. Filming Filming began in April 2002, and most of the scenes were shot in and around New York City, 7 months after the 9-11 attacks. Producer Jane Rosenthal said they decided to shoot the film there because "[i]t would have been unpatriotic not to shoot the picture in New York... As a New Yorker it was extremely important for me to get back to work and business as usual after 9-11." Filming locations for Vitti's attempts at lawful employment include an Audi dealership on Park Avenue in Manhattan, a jewelry store in the Diamond District on West 47th Street, and Gallagher's Steak House on West 52nd Street. The prison scenes were filmed at the Riker's Island prison in Queens, with the prison release scene shot outside the entrance to Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. The funeral for Ben's father was filmed at Riverside Memorial Chapel on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and the Sobel household scenes shot in Montclair, New Jersey. The dinner at Nogo restaurant was filmed at West 13th Street in a restaurant that had closed down, and been refurbished by the film's art department. The scenes of Patty LoPresti's home were filmed in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and the Little Caesar set in Washington Square Park, Manhattan. Car chases were filmed on New Jersey Turnpike service roads in Kearney. The heist-planning scenes were shot in two locations: a derelict building in the meat packing district near West 14th Street, and a club called Exit on West 56th Street. The majority of the