The idea for the album originated from Pesci's character Vincent LaGuardia Gambini, from his 1992 movie
My Cousin Vinny. In the movie, Pesci starred as Vinny, an inexperienced lawyer who comes to the rescue of his wrongly accused cousin Billy Gambini, played by
Ralph Macchio. Before becoming a professional actor, Pesci was a
lounge singer. When he announced his retirement from acting in 1999, he pursued a further career in singing. Pesci remained retired until his return to acting in
Robert De Niro's 2006 film
The Good Shepherd, where he played Joseph Palmi. The album was released on October 13, 1998, on
Columbia Records. It is stamped with a
parental advisory sticker for explicit content. A music video was produced for the song "Wise Guy," featuring Pesci reciting his lyrics in various mob-themed settings. "Wise Guy" recreates elements from the
Blondie song "
Rapture" and features a chorus lyrically similar to that of
Fred Rogers' "Won't You Be My Neighbor?". ==Track listing==