Carmela Soprano
Encyclopedia
Carmela Soprano née DeAngelis, played by Edie Falco
, is a fictional character
on the HBO TV
series The Sopranos
. She is the wife of Mafia
boss Tony Soprano
and the program's most prominent female character.
's high school sweetheart. The couple married at young age. Carmela attended Montclair State University
for an unspecified period of time before dropping out. Carmela acts as a homemaker
for the Soprano household, and works to create a semblance of legitimacy for her family. Tony trusts Carmela enough to confide in her, to a degree, about some of his Mafia dealings (notably the failed attempt on his life and the death of Richie Aprile
). Tony's work and constant infidelity
have put a serious strain on the marriage and cause a period of separation. Carmela is an observant Roman Catholic and has difficulty rationalizing her husband's profession and the flaws in their marriage.
Carmela has sometimes sacrificed her children's security for the sake of the luxuries Tony's career could provide, while defending her children when they did something wrong. She has shown herself willing to use her mob-wife status to intimidate others, as she did in "Full Leather Jacket", where she not-too-subtly manipulated her neighbor's Georgetown-alumna sister into writing a letter of recommendation for Meadow Soprano
to Georgetown, so that Meadow would not go to UC Berkeley but rather stay closer to home. Also, she discarded a letter from Berkeley to Meadow requesting transcripts, but later retrieved it from the trash in a moment of guilt. While she is very proud of Meadow's accomplishments and ambition, she also envies and resents her for achieving the independence she always wanted. She constantly frets over A.J.'s troubles and inactivity, yet tends to coddle him and is unwilling to impose any real restrictions on him. She has trouble with her husband's profession, considering him more a Robin Hood
-like character and just another "crook" rather than a brutal murderer. She still loves him anyway.
Carmela's resentment of her husband's infidelity has often driven her to the brink of breaking her marriage vows during some sexually charged moments with her priest, Father Phil Intintola (in "College"), and painter-decorator Vic Musto. During the fourth season, Carmela had a mutual romantic infatuation with Furio Giunta
, one of Tony's men. Carmela had reached a low point with Tony's constant string of affairs and the two had a romantically-tense but "arms-length" relationship for a period. Each confided to separate friends that they were falling for each other but Furio, fearing for his life if he loved the boss' wife, sold his house and moved back to Italy. This sent Carmela into depression.
By the end of the fourth season, Tony and Carmela separated after she learned of his latest indiscretion, although Tony continued to provide for her and the children. Carmela even began dating A.J.
's guidance counselor, Robert Wegler, and pursuing divorce proceedings against Tony, but was drawn back to her husband by financial concerns and difficulties in rearing A.J., as well as a difficult breakup with Wegler, who accused Carmela of manipulating him into special treatment for her son. At the end of the fifth season, Carmela agreed to reunite with Tony after he agreed to purchase a $600,000 investment property in Montville
, under Carmela's name, so she could build a spec house. Despite some initial awkwardness, the two were firmly reunited after Tony was shot by his uncle, Junior Soprano
, both during his coma and after his hospital release. The crisis seems to have strengthened their bond.
Carmela's materialistic nature, however, is never far from the surface. After Tony surprised his delighted wife with a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Carmela proceeded to flaunt her new car in front of Ginny Sacrimoni and Angie Bonpensiero, both of whom were reported to be having serious financial problems. Carmela was somewhat embarrassed when Angie admired Carmela's car and told her that she recently purchased a Corvette
with her own money, showing that Angie had significantly turned her money problems around through inheriting
her late husband's body shop and making it profitable.
Carmela's own efforts to become financially independent have been less successful, as Tony neglected to intervene for a long period when an inspector determined that materials used on her spec house were not up to code, thereby halting construction and straining her relationship with her father, who was building the house with her. Tony later recanted, however, and ordered Silvio Dante
to lean on the inspector to change his mind. Around this time, Carmela was concerned for the whereabouts of Adriana La Cerva
, who seemingly had disappeared. When she questions Tony about this, he tells her that Adriana had broken up with Christopher Moltisanti
and ran off with another man. Carmela's concern intensified when she encountered Adriana's mother, Liz La Cerva, at the Feast of St. Elzear (Episode 74, "The Ride
"). Liz, who has stopped taking care of herself, tells Carmela that in fact Adriana is dead and Christopher is responsible, going on to say the FBI told her so. The next day, Carmela confronts Tony, who dismisses her: "Let me school you on domestic violence," he says. "First and foremost, there is always a body."
Carmela was not aware that Adriana was a low-level informant for the FBI and that Christopher, who had learned this truth from Adriana herself, informed Tony, who in turn had her executed by Silvio (in "Long Term Parking"). She is also unaware that Tony murdered Christopher after Chris had flipped off the highway the SUV in which both were traveling (in "Kennedy and Heidi
"). Her grief for her cousin, however, is soon eclipsed by her concern for A.J. after he tries to commit suicide and is subsequently placed in the psychiatric ward at Mountainside Hospital. Carmela, along with Tony, encourages AJ to become part of the production team for a film written by Daniel Baldwin
and financed by Little Carmine, rather than enlist in the Army. She is shown considering building plans for a beach house, and in the final scene of the series, she meets Tony at a diner for a family meal.
Throughout Seasons 1-5 Carmela drives a silver Mercedes-Benz E320
Estate. In early episodes, it is actually a Mercedes-Benz W124
, then it changes to a current model W210 E-Class (1995–2002). In "Members Only
", Tony buys her a new Porsche Cayenne Turbo, which she drives for the remainder of the show.
Edie Falco
Edith "Edie" Falco is an American television, film and stage actress, known for her roles in Oz as Diane Wittlesey, as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos, and as the titular character on the Showtime series Nurse Jackie...
, is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the HBO TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
. She is the wife of Mafia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
boss Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
and the program's most prominent female character.
Character biography
Carmela is Tony SopranoTony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
's high school sweetheart. The couple married at young age. Carmela attended Montclair State University
Montclair State University
Montclair State University is a public research university located in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, the Great Notch area of Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of October 2009, there were 18,171 total enrolled students: 14,139 undergraduate students and 4,032 graduate students...
for an unspecified period of time before dropping out. Carmela acts as a homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
for the Soprano household, and works to create a semblance of legitimacy for her family. Tony trusts Carmela enough to confide in her, to a degree, about some of his Mafia dealings (notably the failed attempt on his life and the death of Richie Aprile
Richie Aprile
Richard 'Richie' Aprile, Sr., played by David Proval, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Richie was a capo and the older brother of former DiMeo crime family acting boss Jackie Aprile, Sr...
). Tony's work and constant infidelity
Infidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
have put a serious strain on the marriage and cause a period of separation. Carmela is an observant Roman Catholic and has difficulty rationalizing her husband's profession and the flaws in their marriage.
Carmela has sometimes sacrificed her children's security for the sake of the luxuries Tony's career could provide, while defending her children when they did something wrong. She has shown herself willing to use her mob-wife status to intimidate others, as she did in "Full Leather Jacket", where she not-too-subtly manipulated her neighbor's Georgetown-alumna sister into writing a letter of recommendation for Meadow Soprano
Meadow Soprano
Meadow Mariangela Soprano , played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Character:Meadow is the first-born child of Tony and Carmela Soprano...
to Georgetown, so that Meadow would not go to UC Berkeley but rather stay closer to home. Also, she discarded a letter from Berkeley to Meadow requesting transcripts, but later retrieved it from the trash in a moment of guilt. While she is very proud of Meadow's accomplishments and ambition, she also envies and resents her for achieving the independence she always wanted. She constantly frets over A.J.'s troubles and inactivity, yet tends to coddle him and is unwilling to impose any real restrictions on him. She has trouble with her husband's profession, considering him more a Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
-like character and just another "crook" rather than a brutal murderer. She still loves him anyway.
Carmela's resentment of her husband's infidelity has often driven her to the brink of breaking her marriage vows during some sexually charged moments with her priest, Father Phil Intintola (in "College"), and painter-decorator Vic Musto. During the fourth season, Carmela had a mutual romantic infatuation with Furio Giunta
Furio Giunta
Furio Giunta, played by Federico Castelluccio, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was an Italian mobster working for Tony Soprano.-Biography:...
, one of Tony's men. Carmela had reached a low point with Tony's constant string of affairs and the two had a romantically-tense but "arms-length" relationship for a period. Each confided to separate friends that they were falling for each other but Furio, fearing for his life if he loved the boss' wife, sold his house and moved back to Italy. This sent Carmela into depression.
By the end of the fourth season, Tony and Carmela separated after she learned of his latest indiscretion, although Tony continued to provide for her and the children. Carmela even began dating A.J.
Anthony Soprano, Jr.
Anthony John "A.J." Soprano, Jr. , played by Robert Iler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually just called "A.J.", he is the son of Carmela and Tony Soprano. He is a prototypical underachiever and is a constant source of stress and anxiety for his parents...
's guidance counselor, Robert Wegler, and pursuing divorce proceedings against Tony, but was drawn back to her husband by financial concerns and difficulties in rearing A.J., as well as a difficult breakup with Wegler, who accused Carmela of manipulating him into special treatment for her son. At the end of the fifth season, Carmela agreed to reunite with Tony after he agreed to purchase a $600,000 investment property in Montville
Montville Township, New Jersey
Montville is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 21,528....
, under Carmela's name, so she could build a spec house. Despite some initial awkwardness, the two were firmly reunited after Tony was shot by his uncle, Junior Soprano
Junior Soprano
Corrado John Soprano, Jr., played by Dominic Chianese, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually referred to as "Junior" or "Uncle Jun", he is the mentor and surrogate father for capo Tony Soprano. A younger Corrado sometimes appears in flashbacks and is played by Rocco...
, both during his coma and after his hospital release. The crisis seems to have strengthened their bond.
Carmela's materialistic nature, however, is never far from the surface. After Tony surprised his delighted wife with a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Carmela proceeded to flaunt her new car in front of Ginny Sacrimoni and Angie Bonpensiero, both of whom were reported to be having serious financial problems. Carmela was somewhat embarrassed when Angie admired Carmela's car and told her that she recently purchased a Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
with her own money, showing that Angie had significantly turned her money problems around through inheriting
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
her late husband's body shop and making it profitable.
Carmela's own efforts to become financially independent have been less successful, as Tony neglected to intervene for a long period when an inspector determined that materials used on her spec house were not up to code, thereby halting construction and straining her relationship with her father, who was building the house with her. Tony later recanted, however, and ordered Silvio Dante
Silvio Dante
Silvio Manfred Dante, often referred to as "Sil", played by Steven Van Zandt, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is the consigliere to Tony Soprano in the Soprano crime family. Silvio has one of the lowest profiles on the show. He is usually a behind the scenes figure...
to lean on the inspector to change his mind. Around this time, Carmela was concerned for the whereabouts of Adriana La Cerva
Adriana La Cerva
Adriana La Cerva played by Drea de Matteo, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti.-Character history:...
, who seemingly had disappeared. When she questions Tony about this, he tells her that Adriana had broken up with Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
and ran off with another man. Carmela's concern intensified when she encountered Adriana's mother, Liz La Cerva, at the Feast of St. Elzear (Episode 74, "The Ride
The Ride
The Ride is the 11th album by Los Lobos. It features numerous guest musicians. The album contains new material and also new versions of earlier Los Lobos songs.-Track listing:#"La Venganza de Los Pelados" – 4:51 #"Rita" – 5:20...
"). Liz, who has stopped taking care of herself, tells Carmela that in fact Adriana is dead and Christopher is responsible, going on to say the FBI told her so. The next day, Carmela confronts Tony, who dismisses her: "Let me school you on domestic violence," he says. "First and foremost, there is always a body."
Carmela was not aware that Adriana was a low-level informant for the FBI and that Christopher, who had learned this truth from Adriana herself, informed Tony, who in turn had her executed by Silvio (in "Long Term Parking"). She is also unaware that Tony murdered Christopher after Chris had flipped off the highway the SUV in which both were traveling (in "Kennedy and Heidi
Kennedy and Heidi
"Kennedy and Heidi" is the eighteenth episode of the two-part sixth season—the sixth episode of the second part—of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos and the show's eighty-third overall episode. It was written by Matthew Weiner and series creator and showrunner David Chase,...
"). Her grief for her cousin, however, is soon eclipsed by her concern for A.J. after he tries to commit suicide and is subsequently placed in the psychiatric ward at Mountainside Hospital. Carmela, along with Tony, encourages AJ to become part of the production team for a film written by Daniel Baldwin
Daniel Baldwin
Daniel Leroy Baldwin is an American actor, producer and director. He is the second oldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all of whom are actors. Daniel Baldwin is known for his role as Detective Beau Felton in the popular NBC TV series Homicide: Life on the Street...
and financed by Little Carmine, rather than enlist in the Army. She is shown considering building plans for a beach house, and in the final scene of the series, she meets Tony at a diner for a family meal.
Throughout Seasons 1-5 Carmela drives a silver Mercedes-Benz E320
Mercedes-Benz W210
The Mercedes-Benz W210 is a mid-size luxury car–executive car which was produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz from 1995 through 2002 . The W210 replaced the W124 model. They were sold under the E-Class model names in both sedan and station wagon body types...
Estate. In early episodes, it is actually a Mercedes-Benz W124
Mercedes-Benz W124
W124 is the Mercedes-Benz internal chassis-designation for the 1985 to 1995 version of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The W124 models replaced the W123 models after 1985 and were superseded by the W210 E-Class after 1995.-History:...
, then it changes to a current model W210 E-Class (1995–2002). In "Members Only
Members Only (The Sopranos episode)
"Members Only" is the sixty-sixth episode of the HBO series The Sopranos, and the first of the show's sixth season. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Tim Van Patten, it aired originally on Sunday March 12, 2006.-Guest starring:...
", Tony buys her a new Porsche Cayenne Turbo, which she drives for the remainder of the show.