Rescue Me Star Talks Real-Life TV Band

Rescue Me fans have become all too familiar with Mike "Probie" Silletti's hard-rock band — and 62 Truck's favorite subject of mockery — Apache Stone. But what you may not realize is the group is actually a real-life band fronted by actor Michael Lombardi.

"[Denis Leary and the writing partners] found out I had a band and were like, 'We have to write this into the show'," Lombardi, told TVGuide.com at an Apache Stone gig New York City. "It's like many of the other story lines where real details are pulled from a lot of the actors' real lives and they Hollywoodize them with a dramatic or comedic element."

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Apache Stone has appeared in several episodes of the FX drama, often serving as a target of ridicule from several members of the firehouse. But Lombardi looks at the scripted taunts as a badge of honor.

"They say in the firehouse if they don't bust your balls, they don't like you," said Lombardi, sporting a rocker goatee and tussled 'do. "And it's been great because all [the band members] have been on with lines and original music's been on, so it's been fun ... and really wild."

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It may be hard to picture our naïve little Probie as a rock star, but you're not done hearing the songbird perform on Rescue Me just yet.

"The full band will be on [Tuesday's episode] with speaking parts, and we rock again. But it's really funny what happens to me in that episode," Lombardi teased about the outcome of a very important performance.

All we can say is it involves Apache Stone, Garrity and a VW Routan minivan.