Mean Streak

MOVING VIOLATION Bracco's Dr. Melfi injured her arm filming the controversial rape scene

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''The violence is hard,'' adds Aida Turturro, whose character, Janice, was roughed up by Russian gangsters in the March 18 episode. ''Do I feel it's an accurate portrayal of a Mob family? Yes, I do.''

But students of the real life Mafia aren't so sure. While generally praising the show for its accuracy, wiseguys say the recent outbreak of violence toward women stretches the bounds of plausibility. ''The creed that was always passed down to me was that you don't lay your hands on females -- it's not manly or macho,'' says Joe Pistone, author of ''Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia'' (which was adapted into a 1997 movie starring Johnny Depp). ''I hung around with guys who had 20, 28 kills and never once in my presence did anybody raise their voice, let alone their hand, at a female no matter how mad they got.''

Still, Chase takes a whack at his critics with a swagger Tony Soprano might envy. ''In a show that deals with the underworld, this is the first time a woman has been manhandled,'' he says. ''The evening news will give you more than that.'' Badda bing.