Soap Watch: 'Sopranos' star headed to GH

A few years ago we noted the similarities between the mob world on General Hospital and the one on The Sopranos. The HBO show has since ended its run, of course, but the similarities seem to keep coming: EW.com has learned that Vincent ”Big Pussy” Pastore is set to appear on GH this October as Maximus Giambetti, a big-time mobster who comes to Port Charles to deal with his two sons, Sonny’s bodyguards Max (Derk Cheetwood) and Milo (Drew Cheetwood). (And yes, they’re brothers in real life.) Pastore’s Max hits town thinking his eldest is actually the local mob boss — an idea that his son may have helped foster — and is none too happy to find out about his sons’ lowly status in the biz. You can definitely expect the storyline to have some humor mixed in, sources tell us.

Pastore?s guest turn came about after he taped some promos (which start airing later this week) for GH, ABC, and SOAPnet as part of a campaign that jokingly gives people ”permission” to watch soaps. Other stars in the campaign include Spice Girl Mel B. and actress Elizabeth Berkley.

Pastore recently appeared on Celebrity Family Feud and hosts ”The Wiseguy Show” on Sirius Satellite Radio.

KEEPING IT IN THE ”FAMILY”
He was the responsible dad at the heart of the lovable Keaton family on Family Ties, but now Michael Gross will play an irresponsible father in a quirky, not-always-so-loveable family when he joins the cast of The Young and the Restless as Lowell Baldwin, now known as River, the long-lost father of Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc). Michael has been using his grandmother’s journal to help track down his draft-dodging pop.