Michael Imperioli‘s first restaurant job was a case of art imitating his life.

Nearly 15 years before “The Sopranos” star played Spider in the 1990 mob classic “Goodfellas,” he was an 18-year-old busboy at Forlini’s, the iconic Italian joint just south of Canal. He landed the gig because his aunt grew up with Derek Forlini, whose family owned it.

“At the time, ‘The Pope of Greenwich Village’ had just come out and it was kind of like being in that movie,” he told The Post from Sicily, where he’s filming Season 2 of “The White Lotus.”

“The Forlinis owned the building and a guy they called DiDi Baxter lived above the apartment. That wasn’t his real name, he just grew up on Baxter Street. He would have a card game there on the weekend and sometimes I would have to run food and drinks up. There was an eclectic cast of characters. I was very much like the character I played in ‘Goodfellas’ [serving drinks during the crew’s card games] but it was for real back in those days,” said Imperioli, 56.

Forlini’s — given its location across the street from the Tombs and its proximity to the courthouses and police headquarters — drew a slew of legal eagles, grizzled detectives and reporters, providing a fertile ground of study for the then-aspiring actor.

“They had stories to tell. You’d see how these people behaved and carried themselves, especially the detectives. There were restaurants in Little Italy where the gangsters would go. Forlini’s didn’t have the gangsters, but the odd thing was, it’s not always easy to tell those people apart,” Imperioli said.

On April 1, the family-owned and -run restaurant abruptly announced on Instagram that it was shutting for good after 79 years. Eater reported that the building 93 Baxter had been sold; its asking price was $9.75 million. But the sudden closure of the old school establishment, which boasted tufted pink banquettes and served its Northern Italian and red sauce fare on crisp white tablecloths, left its regulars bereft and mourning the loss of an ever-disappearing New York City.

“It’s depressing. It’s another New York institution that is very beloved,” said Imperioli, whose favorite dishes were the lasagna and the tripe (back before he became a vegetarian).

Opened in 1943 by Joe Forlini, an immigrant from Northern Italy, the restaurant was taken over by his sons Frank, Freddie and Hugo. Before it closed, it was run by third-generation cousins Derek and Joe Forlini. Derek told Eater that it was time to close.

“My cousin and I are in our 60s now,” he said.

Steve Schirripa, who played Bobby Baccalieri on “The Sopranos,” recalled his first trip to the Chinatown mainstay. He was a newly minted member of the HBO mob family and the meal served as an initiation into Tony’s crew and celebrity.

“I had just become a series regular and we did a photo shoot on a Sunday morning. We each had our own black cars and Michael said, ‘Let’s go to Forlini’s.’”

They were joined by Tony Sirico, Steven Van Zandt and Federico Castelluccio, and as seven hours went by, Schirripa worried aloud that he was taking advantage of his new employer by keeping a car all day. Imperioli told him not to worry.

“I said, ‘HBO is gonna fire me,’ but nobody ever said a word,” said Schirripa, 64.

He would return numerous times to break bread, but, also like many in his trade, for work. Over the years, Forlini’s regularly doubled as a filming location for numerous productions, including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Blue Bloods” and “The Bourne Legacy.”

Even longtime waiter and actor Jack Dimich, who had been on “Law & Order: SVU,” would regale customers with his acting résumé, making the place feel more like a movie set that happened to serve food.

“I shot ‘Blue Bloods’ there two or three seasons ago with Bridget Moynahan and Donnie Wahlberg. I like to eat for real in my scenes. I try to be authentic. When you go into a good restaurant [like Forlini’s], you go, ‘This is going to be great,’” said Schirripa, who had the rigatoni during his takes.

The allure to filmmakers? Its authenticity, said Schirripa. “I am not saying they can’t replicate it — of course, they can — but it’s the real deal. The real pictures. They’re not faking it.”

The dark wood walls were adorned with paintings of scenic views, portraits and plaques honoring longtime customers, such as renowned judges and reporters, and old chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The fussy decor made it feel more like a grandmother’s Bensonhurst living room than a nexus for downtown power players.

Late Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, who was in office for more than three decades, regularly dined there and was referred to as “the Boss.” Imperioli noted that Michael Bloomberg, Rudy Giuliani and Eliot Spitzer often hung out there as well. And for reporters seeking scoops, there was no better place to get sources to spill the sauce.

Mike Pearl, the legendary New York Post reporter who covered the Manhattan Criminal Court, ate lunch there at least twice a week. At Forlini’s, he met John F. Kennedy Jr., who had gone to work for the Manhattan DA in 1989.

“When he came to work for the DA, I was at Forlini’s and he was at the table with a few assistant DAs and they called me over,” said Pearl, who retired in 1998. “The first thing I did was I apologized to him. He said what for and I said, ‘Nothing yet, but I am going to be a pest.’”

The pair went on to have a pleasant working relationship.

And according to Giuliani, who would dine there as an assistant US attorney, truth serum might have been the sauce’s secret ingredient.

“An FBI agent suggested we take two businessmen to dinner there who were going to be witnesses against a loan shark, so we could schmooze them,” Giuliani told The Post. “In the middle of dinner, one of them, who was in the garment business, started crying and suddenly admitted to killing two people. The agent was cool and said, ‘That happens,’ but it was the first time someone had admitted to murder in front of me.”

Giuliani added, “He used the term ‘whacked,’ and I almost dropped my spaghetti!”

In 2018, the old-school joint had a high-fashion renaissance. Vogue held its pre-Met Gala party there, drawing in fashionistas — including Hailey Bieber, Alexa Chung and Teyana Taylor — who posted photos of the soiree using the hashtag #SpaghettiandMetballs. That evening turned Forlini’s into a magnet for scenesters who were more interested in the perfect Instagram shot than a perfectly cooked veal scalloppini.

“It became so old, it was new again,” said Schirripa.

The influx of beautiful people vexed some regulars but pumped more green into the red sauce joint; however, the restaurant remained tethered to its longtime clientele, a commitment passed down through generations.

“They were so loyal to their customers,” said Imperioli. “I think it was Frank, Derek’s uncle who said this. One Saturday night, a limo driver walked in and said, ‘I’ve got Frank Sinatra and he wants to come in and have dinner.’ [Frank] said, ‘We don’t have a table. I’m packed. I’ve got all my regulars here.’ That’s how they were,” he said, adding that more recent trips to Forlini’s were a reminder of how far he had come from clearing plates and glasses in the smoky dining room.

“We are still friends,” he said of the family. “And I think they were proud that I was there working as a kid. It gave them a sense of pride.”

Regular Judge Ruth Pickholz, who had her first meal there as a young lawyer in 1976, echoed the sentiment.

“Everyone in the courtroom filled it at lunchtime. Joe and Derek treated them all like family … I went to say goodbye to them. It was a piece of NY history,” she said. “And I am heartbroken.”