The Sopranos star Joseph R. Gannascoli is being sued by the manufacturer of a diet drug, claiming that the actor is not doing enough to promote its product.

Gannascoli, who played a closet gay mobster in the series, received about $316,000 from the company over the last two and half years.

The actor, better known as Vito Spatafore, disputes the claim stating that he tried to do things with the company but they didn't approve of his character being gay.

"I begged them to do things but they wouldn't," he said. "They didn't like I was doing the gay thing," he added.