Who knows what Christopher Moltisanti does with all the dough he shakes down as Tony Soprano's mobster nephew?

In real life, actor-writer Michael Imperioli has been investing a lot of his own loot from "The Sopranos" into a fresh off-off-Broadway venture.

Teaming with his wife, Victoria, and spending more than $1 million, Imperioli purchased an old four-story brick building on the fringe of Midtown's Fur District. They have just converted its storefront floor into Studio Dante, a 65-seat theater of surprising jewelbox-style luxury.

The theater is open for business with "Baptism by Fire," a new play directed by Imperioli that stars Vince Curatola -- New York mob boss Johnny Sack of "The Sopranos" -- as an ex-convict who reveals a dark family secret to his troubled son.

Playwright John Dapolito's blue-collar drama is the inaugural attraction for the new company -- also called Studio Dante -- that Imperioli heads with his wife. The couple plan to mount four productions over the next year along with workshops, staged readings and other developmental activities.

"Our focus is on new plays that either haven't been produced before or haven't been produced in New York," says Imperioli. They are open to works crafted in a variety of subjects and styles.

"We're concentrating more on intimate, psychological plays," adds Victoria Imperioli. "We're not going to have people swinging on ropes or anything like that."

"Well, you never know," mutters Imperioli.

When he read "Baptism by Fire," the drama "really popped" in Imperioli's mind as something he wanted to stage. "I like plays that pay off," he explains. "Meaning, there's a setup, there's a problem, then you see the problem try to be solved and then -- something punches you in the gut at the end."

Making no excuses for the drama's "rough, coarse language," Imperioli says "there's a lot of philosophical arguments, and they're worked out in an entertaining way.

"The story is a tragedy, but it's also really, really funny," he asserts. "I think people walk away satisfied."

People will certainly walk away from Studio Dante marveling at the tiny theater's plush appointments. The Russian-born Victoria, who designed the space, said she was partly inspired by the private theaters czarist bluebloods built in their palaces and also by the ornate looks of early 1900s Broadway playhouses.

Conducting a tour of the bijou premises, the designer characterizes the environment as "a mixed d??cor with a lot of Regency elements."

The lobby-reception area is elegantly turned out with olive-black patterned walls, red velvet banquettes, gold-framed mirrors and a gleaming oak floor. Ceiling, moldings and trim were gilded by hand. A semi-circular bar along one side -- the Imperiolis have already secured a liquor license -- is dominated by a massive Victorian-era bust of the Italian poet Dante.

Double doors give way to a long, narrow auditorium lavishly decorated in gold and cream with crimson carpets and accents. Viewers sit upon gilt and brocade replicas of Louis XVI side chairs.

"I feel that if you're coming into a theater experience, you should enjoy every little aspect of it," says Victoria Imperioli. "When the lights go down, you find yourself in a beautiful room in a comfortable chair, and then you can just sit and concentrate on the play."

She also designed the realistic setting for "Baptism by Fire," which happens to be a dank, grubby basement apartment in Bayonne. "Creating the set was the most difficult thing of all," she says, laughing. "For me it's much easier to do things which are beautiful."

Although the compact stage has virtually no wing space and no grid area above to fly or hang scenery, the sound and lighting systems are state of the art. Actors dress in a large white-washed room below the stage, where there is also a workroom for tools and props.

Imperioli gives full credit to his wife and his father-in-law, Ryczard Chlebowski, a contractor, for designing and building Studio Dante in less than 18 months. "I came into the picture when the construction was done and we needed to find plays to do," he says.

Although its first premiere is up and running through May 29, the non-profit company is still in a formative phase. It has a literary manager and a lawyer, but no press agent. "The office is in a box over there," says Imperioli, pointing toward the bar.

During his pre-"Sopranos" years, Imperioli helped establish two fringe companies that flickered out due to finances and artistic differences. "I have found through trial and error that in the theater a benevolent dictatorship works best," observes Imperioli. "You can get stymied by 12 different opinions and never come to an agreement."

The Imperiolis bought the entire building to avoid possible landlord disputes. "A big part of a company's budget goes towards rent, and that can become exorbitant," says Imperioli. "If you're going to invest time and effort into making a beautiful space, it helps to be independent."

The couple is considering several scripts for their next full-scale production, which will probably begin in September. As is the case with "Baptism by Fire," which co-stars Sharon ("Rosalie Aprile") Angela with Curatola, Imperioli hopes to bring favorite colleagues into Studio Dante's future plans.

"Like the actors in this play, there's a pool of people I've worked with over the years that I know and love who I am going to gravitate towards," says Imperioli. He wants to encourage a few actor friends to direct, too.

The author of the "Sopranos" episode shown on April 25, Imperioli has no plans at the moment to write for his own stage. "Hopefully," he says with a shrug. "I don't have anything right now."