Steve Buscemi's brother Michael Buscemi and son Lucian Buscemi appear in the film. Buscemi's father also appears as well, although he is only in the background.
Steve Buscemi actually used to be an ice cream truck driver on the same streets his character works in the film.
Trees Lounge is the same bar as the one used in Jim Jarmusch's film Paterson (2016), where it was called 'Shades Bar'.
After the original Trees Lounge shut down, Steve Buscemi bought the sign and restored it to use for his movie, although he ultimately couldn't. He later gave it to a woman who had worked at Trees Lounge for forty years.
David Chase used the same casting directors, Georgianne Walken and Sheila Jaffe, in The Sopranos (1999) after seeing this film. Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti), John Ventimiglia (Artie Bucco), Suzanne Shepherd (Mary De Angelis), and Elizabeth Bracco (Marie Spatafore) appeared on The Sopranos (1999).