DiMeo Crime Family
Encyclopedia
The DiMeo crime family, later referred to as the Soprano crime family, is a fictional Mafia
family
from the HBO series The Sopranos
. It is thought to be loosely based on the DeCavalcante crime family
, a real New Jersey
Mafia family.
The DiMeo crime family consists of an administration and six crews.
Ercole DiMeo is believed to have been the first official boss. Key members from the 1960s include brothers John Francis "Johnny Boy" Soprano and Corrado "Junior" Soprano
, as well as Michele "Feech" La Manna. The Sopranos were a key faction in the DiMeo crime family, running two separate crews led by Johnny Boy and Junior, and also had longstanding ties with the five New York Families (particularly the Lupertazzi crime family led by Carmine Lupertazzi
). Despite DiMeo's reign as Boss, it is implied throughout the series and stated in the finale by Tony Soprano that the two Soprano brothers unofficially ran North Jersey.
and Michele 'Feech' La Manna, sentenced to 17 and 20 years, respectively. When released in 2004, they were referred to in the media as the "Class of 2004".
It was during the Unrest of '83 that Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, a cat burglar and associate in the Johnny Boy Soprano crew, stood up for (i.e., carried out a killing on behalf of) Johnny Boy Soprano. Johnny Boy's son, Tony Soprano
would make his bones, as shown in the episode Remember When, by killing a small-time bookie and become a made man shortly thereafter.
in 1986. Before his death, he requested that his son become the capo of the Soprano crew. Tony, one of the fastest rising stars in the Family after holding up Feech La Manna's card game with Aprile crew chief Giacomo "Jackie" Aprile
, was a relatively young man to be a capo at the age of 27. Tony's transition into captain was aided by the loyalty of Bonpensiero, longtime Johnny Boy Soprano soldier Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri
, and childhood friend Silvio Dante
. Tony would also avoid a long stint in prison when he missed a failed hijacking involving his cousin, Tony Blundetto
. Caught by the police, Tony B. ended up getting charged under the RICO
law and spending 17 years in prison, while Tony became one of the top earners in the DiMeo Family. At first, Tony said he was robbed by two black men, but he later admitted to Dr. Melfi and to Tony B. that he had a panic attack after arguing with his mother and passed out, missing the hijack.
was named Acting Boss of the family by DiMeo, much to the chagrin of Junior Soprano. It was assumed that a Soprano would take over the reins when DiMeo died or went to prison, but DiMeo was impressed by Jackie Aprile's leadership abilities (the Aprile crew had been the top earner and best-run crew of the family for years). The years of Jackie's tenure as Boss (1995–1999) are generally considered to have been peaceful, prosperous years; Jackie was a well-respected and much beloved Boss who didn't "eat alone," much to the contentment of his Capos.
, his closest friend and Junior's nephew, basically took over Jackie's responsibilities, again to Junior's displeasure. Uncle Junior and Tony were, at that point, at each other's throats because Junior plotted to have a rival, Gennaro "Little Pussy" Malanga, killed in Malanga's favorite restaurant, Vesuvio, a restaurant owned by Tony's childhood friend Artie Bucco. Tony foiled Junior's plans by ordering Silvio Dante to set fire to Artie's restaurant to prevent the hit from happening. Also, Tony's nephew, Christopher Moltisanti
and his associate Brendan Filone
, were hijacking trucks from Comley Trucking, a business that paid protection to Junior. Junior's enforcer, Mikey Palmice
, killed Brendan, and hired Russian hitmen performed a mock execution
on Christopher under Junior's orders. When Jackie Aprile died in spring of 1999, and tensions between Junior and Tony were at an all-time high, it was assumed that the two would go to war over the top position. Tony instead deferred to Junior, giving him the official title as Boss. This was effectively in name only, as Tony still controlled the capos in the family and was the main conduit to the Lupertazzi Family, represented by underboss John "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni.
Tensions flared up between Junior and Tony after Tony's mother, Livia Soprano
, revealed that Tony was seeing a psychiatrist and had been meeting secretly with his capos in Livia's nursing home. An assassination attempt on Tony was made, but Tony luckily escaped with just an injury to the ear, leaving one hitman dead when the other accidentally shoots him while aiming at Tony. The FBI revealed to Tony that his mother's retirement home was bugged and let Tony listen to the tapes in a failed attempt to get him to flip. The tapes revealed that the assassination attempt was concocted by Junior and made it sound like his mother was in on it, too. In retaliation, Tony ordered the deaths of key members of Junior's crew: soldier Chucky Signore, consigliere Mikey "Grab Bag" Palmice, and acting capo (after Junior's arrest) Phillip "Philly Spoons" Parisi. Junior Soprano was spared when he was indicted by the federal government, along with underboss Joseph "Beppy" Sasso and capo Lawrence "Larry Boy" Barese, and because Tony wished to keep him as the lightning rod that took the hits for the Family. Tony then took over virtually all of Junior's business and became the Boss of the now renamed Soprano Crime Family. Former Junior Soprano soldiers Gigi Cestone and Pasquale "Patsy" Parisi defected over to various crews on Tony's side. Gigi Cestone went to the Aprile crew. Tony named Silvio Dante
as his consigliere, and promoted long-time soldier Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri
to captain of his old crew, renamed the Gualtieri crew. Patsy Parisi went to the Gualtieri crew.
Although Junior had been usurped of nearly all power and was under house arrest awaiting trial, he still retained the title of Boss, as Tony wanted the FBI to think they had indicted the head of the family, and acted as an adviser to Tony. Two of the factors that brought the two closer together was when Junior informed Tony of Richie Aprile's plot to kill Tony, and take over the family, and when Junior was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2001. However, Tony continued to punish Junior through business arrangements, and only allowed him to earn on a "subsistence level." Junior managed to beat the disease before the RICO trial against him started.
, which was tossed out when an eyewitness retracted his statement after finding out one of the shooters may have been Tony Soprano), the FBI arrested Tony in 2000 when it was discovered that he had been extorting Davey Scatino. While busting out Scatino's sporting goods store, Tony had been receiving stolen airline tickets, which was discovered due to information given by turncoat Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero and when Tony gave one of the stolen tickets to his mother, Livia. The case fell through when Big Pussy "disappeared" and when Livia died of a stroke. The FBI continued to build a case against Tony, but fell on difficult times when a wiretapping of his basement was compromised (when Tony's daughter Meadow Soprano
took the lamp they had bugged) and because of the deaths of several FBI informants.
In 2002, the RICO trial against Junior Soprano ended in a hung jury, but the government moved to schedule a re-trial, meaning Junior had to stay under house arrest. Due to his diminished position in the family because of the house arrest, longtime Junior Soprano loyalist Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri
was named acting Capo of the Junior Soprano crew, after it became clear that his elderly, senile Capo, Murf Lupo, wasn't up for it anymore.
, older brother of Jackie Aprile, taking over the previously defunct (due to the death of Jackie Sr.) Aprile crew after his release from prison in 2000. Richie became a threat to Tony's power, crippling associate Beansie Gaeta and disobeying Tony repeatedly when it came to selling cocaine on garbage routes. Richie also came to Junior about overthrowing Tony, but Junior decided that he would be better off with his nephew. Tony caught wind of Richie's plot and set the wheels in motion to have him killed, but he was spared the trouble when Richie was killed in the heat of an argument by his fiancée, who coincidentally happened to be Tony's sister Janice Soprano
.
When Gigi Cestone, a Soprano crew soldier set to take over and spy on the Aprile crew, died of a heart attack, Tony had no choice but to install rival Ralph Cifaretto as captain. Tony had longtime problems with Ralph, despite the fact that the two grew up together with Jackie Aprile and Silvio Dante. Tony, in a fit of rage, once hit Ralph after he murdered a Bada Bing dancer named Tracee. Ralph also took under his wing, Jackie Aprile, Jr.
, even though Tony and Jackie Sr. both wanted to keep Jackie Jr. out of the family business. When Jackie Jr. held up one of Ralph's underling's poker games and shot at made men Furio Giunta
and Christopher Moltisanti
in an attempt to emulate his father, Ralph had no choice but to order Jackie's death at the hands of Vito Spatafore
.
Despite disagreements with Tony, Ralph became the top earner in the family, running lucrative construction deals such as the Esplanade Construction site and HUD scams in Newark. Ralph also owned a racehorse named Pie-O-My that died due to a stable fire. Convinced that Ralph cruelly and intentionally killed the horse in order to pay for his disabled son's medical bills with the insurance money, Tony, in a fit of anger and outrage, attacked and killed Ralph. Christopher then helped Tony dispose of the body by dismembering it and placing the several body parts in different dump sites. Tony blamed the disappearance of Ralph on the New York family, particularly Johnny Sack, who had a problem with Ralph due to a typically tasteless joke that was made about his wife, Ginny and a part of her anatomy. Vito Spatafore was named captain of the Aprile crew in 2002.
During that time, Tony Soprano began to groom his cousin/nephew, Christopher Moltisanti
, into a leadership role. Christopher, already a young made man, was named acting Capo of the Gualtieri crew when Paulie Walnuts was jailed on a gun charge (which was later dropped). Patsy Parisi was dissatisfied with this choice, as was Silvio Dante
who wanted to see Patsy as Capo. Christopher was also named by Tony as his successor, but that was compromised when Christopher was found out to have a serious heroin addiction and was sent to rehab. Christopher temporarily cleaned up and proved his loyalty to Tony by giving up his fiancée, Adriana La Cerva
, for execution when it was discovered that she had been cooperating with the FBI. As a reward for putting the Family above his own fiancée, Chris was made captain of the Gualtieri crew (with Paulie Gualtieri being promoted to Underboss
.)
It was also during this period that the working relationship between the Lupertazzi Crime Family and the Sopranos reached a rocky point in 2002, when the two families joined together to control the Esplanade construction site in Newark, New Jersey
. Disagreements over the split of the money of the Esplanade, plus the HUD projects that Tony was keeping secret from Lupertazzi and the displeasure of Johnny Sack with Ralph Cifaretto, nearly caused the two families to go to war. Both Johnny Sack and boss Carmine Lupertazzi blamed one another for the conflict, and reached out to Tony to whack the other as a means of ending the conflict. In both cases, cooler heads prevailed and the two families worked out a deal.
) along with the death of Carmine Lupertazzi set off another series of conflicts. "Little" Carmine Lupertazzi and Johnny Sack
went to war over the position of Boss in New York, and Tony had to deal with the insubordination of Feech La Manna and his cousin, Tony Blundetto. One problem in his family was solved when Feech La Manna was sent back to prison after stolen flat-screen televisions were found in his garage by a probation officer called on the orders of Tony Soprano. The other problem was complicated when Tony B. killed Lupertazzi associate Joe Peeps on the orders of Lupertazzi Capo Rusty Millio and consigliere Angelo Garepe. When Angelo was killed in retaliation, Tony B. went after Phil Leotardo and killed his brother, Billy Leotardo, in an unsanctioned hit. Faced with threats of war and torture from Johnny Sack and Phil Leotardo plus unease in his own family, Tony Soprano was left with no choice but to kill Tony B. himself.
The relationship between New York and New Jersey families was further complicated when Johnny Sack was busted by the FBI and sent to prison to await trial, and Phil Leotardo, still nursing hard feelings about Blundetto, was named Acting Boss of the Lupertazzi Family.
The shooting of Tony Soprano set off a media frenzy, with reporters stalking the Soprano house and outside the hospital where Tony lay in a coma. Junior Soprano was arrested and questioned about the shooting, which he insisted must have been a self-inflicted gunshot by Tony, whom he labeled as a "depression case". The captains of the Family agreed to cut all ties to Junior and allow Tony to decide what happens to him. Junior was judged to be mentally unstable and was sent to a mental rehabilitation facility.
With Tony incapacitated, his consigliere Silvio Dante took over as Acting Boss of the Soprano Crime Family; however, Silvio was unable to handle the pressure of being boss, and suffered an asthma attack that put him in the hospital. Tony, after a near-death experience, would awake from his coma soon after, just in time to settle a dispute over the future of Barone Sanitation with Johnny Sack and Phil Leotardo.
More complications occurred in the organization when Vito Spatafore
, the top earning captain of the Aprile crew and cousin-in-law to Phil Leotardo, fled New Jersey after his homosexuality was revealed. Carlo Gervasi was named by Tony as the replacement point man for the Family's construction interests. After hiding in New Hampshire for months, Vito returned to New Jersey, approaching Tony about starting up a separate operation in Atlantic City involving prostitution. Tony considered the request, but ultimately decided that Vito needed to be taken out in order to placate Phil Leotardo, who was incensed about Vito's lifestyle. However, Phil got to Vito first, breaking into his hotel room and watched while soldiers Dominic "Fat Dom" Gamiello and Gerry Torciano beat his cousin-in-law to death. Tony, realizing that Phil was sending the message that New York can do whatever they want, decided to hurt Phil financially as payback for Vito. Tony reasoned that a war with New York would prevent his family from earning. However, when Fat Dom went to Satriale's on a delivery stop and made jokes about Vito's death and implied Carlo was a homosexual, Silvio and Carlo killed the New York soldier.
Tony's response to Vito's murder was to blow up a wire room held by Phil in Sheepshead Bay — Benny Fazio was on the scene for the explosion. After a sit-down between the New Jersey and New York Families, a truce was nearly reached before a reference from Little Carmine to the death of Billy Leotardo resulted in Phil Leotardo storming out. At a conference with Gerry Torciano, Albie Cianfiore, and Butch DeConcini, a decision was reached to take out a high ranking member of the Soprano crime family. Butch was particularly vocal in his desire to kill Tony, but Phil had more sense than that, and decided against it. Phil suffered a massive coronary soon afterwards and FBI Agent Harris informed Tony that someone on his crew could be in danger. In an attempt to clear the air between them, Tony paid a visit to Phil's hospital bed, telling him of his own near-death experience. During his disagreement with Phil about an asbestos removal project, Tony reminds him of their discussion in the hospital but Phil snubs him. Tony retaliates by taking two members of Phil's crew off a project payroll, after which after one of them threatens Tony's daughter Meadow. Tony retaliates by curb-stomping him on a wooden step in a restaurant in front of Butch DeConcini, shattering all of the threatener's teeth. Phil refuses to meet with Tony after this incident and war between the two families seems imminent.
mistress and her father were mistaken for Phil and were mistakenly killed by the non-English speaking Italians who were brought over from "the other side" specifically to perform this contract.
The hits on the Sopranos in New Jersey took place with more finesse, however. Bacala is killed at a model train shop when two assassins ambush him. Word comes down that Leotardo has vanished, and the Soprano Family decides to do the same. However, as Patsy Parisi and Silvio Dante
attempt to go on the lam, they are ambushed by a pair of New York hitmen outside the Bada Bing. In the ensuing carnage, Silvio Dante is shot multiple times but Parisi escapes. Silvio is rushed to a hospital where he is left in a coma. Tony and some soldiers head to a safe house to hide, as the search for Phil continued. Tony, surrounded by bodyguards, attempts to sleep while holding an AR-10
rifle in his arms, which Bobby gave to him on his 47th birthday,
Tony came out of hiding shortly after and arranged a sit down with Butch DeConcini and Albie Cianflone through "Little" Carmine Lupertazzi and retired Five Families Boss, George Paglieri. During this meeting the New York Family agreed that Phil Leotardo's decision to go to war with North Jersey was a bad one, has gone much too far and that consequently the New York leadership would back off. Tony also demanded that they give him a location on Phil, but Butch refused to tell of Phil's whereabouts (either because he didn’t know or still felt loyal to his boss). Butch did, however, give Tony implicit permission to take Phil out should he find him, without retaliation from Butch and New York. Butch also agrees to financially compensate Bobby’s widow. Since Tony had previously given FBI Agent Harris
information on two Pakistani men that used to be small time associates of the family, he eventually told Tony that Phil had been making calls from a pay phone at a gas station in Oyster Bay
. The Soprano family began patrolling the area's gas stations looking for Phil. It wasn't long before Walden Belfiore, a soldier in the Gervasi crew, caught up with Phil at the gas station. Phil was shot in the head and chest in front of his wife and grandchildren, then, his car being in gear while Phil was on the ground, the car ran over his head, thus ending the New York/New Jersey War and bringing the conflict to its final conclusion.
, a name given to a top ranking person of the Mafia. A capo basically refers to the leader of a team of soldiers who works as the intermediate between the Mafioso Boss and his crew. Also known as a captain.
The crew is formely known as the Junior Soprano crew. Then became the Baccalieri crew. It is unknown who became the capo of the crew after the shooting of Bobby Baccalieri.
In 2007, the Crew is merged back into the Soprano/Gualtieri Crew under Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri
Formerly known as the Aprile crew, the Cifaretto crew or the Spatafore crew.
In 2006, the Aprile crew merged with the Altieri crew under capo Carlo Gervasi.
In 2007, the crew is merged with the Soprano/Gualtieri crew under capo Paulie Gualtieri
.
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"...
family
Crime family
A crime family is a term used to describe a unit of an organized crime syndicate, often operating within a specific geographic territory. The term is used almost exclusively to refer to units of the Mafia, both in Sicily and in the United States, although it is occasionally used to refer to other...
from the HBO 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...
. It is thought to be loosely based on the DeCavalcante crime family
DeCavalcante crime family
The DeCavalcante crime family is an organized crime family that controls organized crime activities in Elizabeth, New Jersey and surrounding areas in the state, despite operating on the other side of the Hudson River in New York, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia...
, a real New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Mafia family.
The DiMeo crime family consists of an administration and six crews.
Formation
In the series, the DiMeo crime family is believed to have been formed in Northern New Jersey in the 1950s.Ercole DiMeo is believed to have been the first official boss. Key members from the 1960s include brothers John Francis "Johnny Boy" Soprano and Corrado "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...
, as well as Michele "Feech" La Manna. The Sopranos were a key faction in the DiMeo crime family, running two separate crews led by Johnny Boy and Junior, and also had longstanding ties with the five New York Families (particularly the Lupertazzi crime family led by Carmine Lupertazzi
Carmine Lupertazzi
Carmine Lupertazzi, Sr., played by Tony Lip, was the fictional Boss of the Brooklyn-based Lupertazzi crime family on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos.-Biography:...
). Despite DiMeo's reign as Boss, it is implied throughout the series and stated in the finale by Tony Soprano that the two Soprano brothers unofficially ran North Jersey.
Unrest of '83
During the early and mid-1980s many DiMeo crime family members and associates were arrested, causing the biggest blow to the family since its formation. Among those arrested were Tony BlundettoTony Blundetto
Anthony "Tony" Blundetto, played by Steve Buscemi, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is Tony Soprano's cousin who is released from prison at the beginning of the show's fifth season. Tony Blundetto first appears as a calm, composed, and reformed criminal ready to pursue...
and Michele 'Feech' La Manna, sentenced to 17 and 20 years, respectively. When released in 2004, they were referred to in the media as the "Class of 2004".
It was during the Unrest of '83 that Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, a cat burglar and associate in the Johnny Boy Soprano crew, stood up for (i.e., carried out a killing on behalf of) Johnny Boy Soprano. Johnny Boy's son, 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...
would make his bones, as shown in the episode Remember When, by killing a small-time bookie and become a made man shortly thereafter.
Rise of Tony Soprano
Johnny Boy Soprano died of emphysemaEmphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
in 1986. Before his death, he requested that his son become the capo of the Soprano crew. Tony, one of the fastest rising stars in the Family after holding up Feech La Manna's card game with Aprile crew chief Giacomo "Jackie" Aprile
Jackie Aprile, Sr
Giacomo Michael "Jackie" Aprile, Sr., played by Michael Rispoli, was a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He was the first Acting Boss of the DiMeo Crime Family, after longtime reputed Boss Ercole 'Eckley' DiMeo was sent to prison in 1995...
, was a relatively young man to be a capo at the age of 27. Tony's transition into captain was aided by the loyalty of Bonpensiero, longtime Johnny Boy Soprano soldier Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri
Paulie Gualtieri
Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri played by Tony Sirico, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is a caporegime and later underboss in the Soprano crime family.-Plot details:...
, and childhood friend 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...
. Tony would also avoid a long stint in prison when he missed a failed hijacking involving his cousin, Tony Blundetto
Tony Blundetto
Anthony "Tony" Blundetto, played by Steve Buscemi, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is Tony Soprano's cousin who is released from prison at the beginning of the show's fifth season. Tony Blundetto first appears as a calm, composed, and reformed criminal ready to pursue...
. Caught by the police, Tony B. ended up getting charged under the RICO
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization...
law and spending 17 years in prison, while Tony became one of the top earners in the DiMeo Family. At first, Tony said he was robbed by two black men, but he later admitted to Dr. Melfi and to Tony B. that he had a panic attack after arguing with his mother and passed out, missing the hijack.
New acting boss
Ercole DiMeo was convicted and given a life sentence in prison in 1995. Jackie AprileJackie Aprile, Sr
Giacomo Michael "Jackie" Aprile, Sr., played by Michael Rispoli, was a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He was the first Acting Boss of the DiMeo Crime Family, after longtime reputed Boss Ercole 'Eckley' DiMeo was sent to prison in 1995...
was named Acting Boss of the family by DiMeo, much to the chagrin of Junior Soprano. It was assumed that a Soprano would take over the reins when DiMeo died or went to prison, but DiMeo was impressed by Jackie Aprile's leadership abilities (the Aprile crew had been the top earner and best-run crew of the family for years). The years of Jackie's tenure as Boss (1995–1999) are generally considered to have been peaceful, prosperous years; Jackie was a well-respected and much beloved Boss who didn't "eat alone," much to the contentment of his Capos.
War of '99
When Jackie Aprile was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1998, 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...
, his closest friend and Junior's nephew, basically took over Jackie's responsibilities, again to Junior's displeasure. Uncle Junior and Tony were, at that point, at each other's throats because Junior plotted to have a rival, Gennaro "Little Pussy" Malanga, killed in Malanga's favorite restaurant, Vesuvio, a restaurant owned by Tony's childhood friend Artie Bucco. Tony foiled Junior's plans by ordering Silvio Dante to set fire to Artie's restaurant to prevent the hit from happening. Also, Tony's nephew, 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 his associate Brendan Filone
Brendan Filone
Brendan Filone, played by Anthony DeSando, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Background:On The Sopranos, Brendan Filone was Christopher Moltisanti's friend and partner in crime and an associate of Tony Soprano. Brendan was addicted to crystal meth, and often used it with...
, were hijacking trucks from Comley Trucking, a business that paid protection to Junior. Junior's enforcer, Mikey Palmice
Mikey Palmice
Michael "Mikey Grab Bag" Palmice , played by Al Sapienza, was a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Plot details:Palmice starts out as a soldier in Corrado "Junior" Soprano's crew as his driver and bodyguard. After Jackie Aprile dies, Junior becomes boss, and Palmice is promoted...
, killed Brendan, and hired Russian hitmen performed a mock execution
Mock execution
A mock execution is a stratagem in which a victim is deliberately but falsely made to feel that his execution or that of another person is imminent or is taking place. It may be staged for an audience or a subject who is made to believe that he is being led to his own execution...
on Christopher under Junior's orders. When Jackie Aprile died in spring of 1999, and tensions between Junior and Tony were at an all-time high, it was assumed that the two would go to war over the top position. Tony instead deferred to Junior, giving him the official title as Boss. This was effectively in name only, as Tony still controlled the capos in the family and was the main conduit to the Lupertazzi Family, represented by underboss John "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni.
Tensions flared up between Junior and Tony after Tony's mother, Livia Soprano
Livia Soprano
Livia Soprano , played by Nancy Marchand, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the mother of Tony Soprano. A young Livia, played by Laila Robins and later by Laurie J. Williams is sometimes seen in flashbacks...
, revealed that Tony was seeing a psychiatrist and had been meeting secretly with his capos in Livia's nursing home. An assassination attempt on Tony was made, but Tony luckily escaped with just an injury to the ear, leaving one hitman dead when the other accidentally shoots him while aiming at Tony. The FBI revealed to Tony that his mother's retirement home was bugged and let Tony listen to the tapes in a failed attempt to get him to flip. The tapes revealed that the assassination attempt was concocted by Junior and made it sound like his mother was in on it, too. In retaliation, Tony ordered the deaths of key members of Junior's crew: soldier Chucky Signore, consigliere Mikey "Grab Bag" Palmice, and acting capo (after Junior's arrest) Phillip "Philly Spoons" Parisi. Junior Soprano was spared when he was indicted by the federal government, along with underboss Joseph "Beppy" Sasso and capo Lawrence "Larry Boy" Barese, and because Tony wished to keep him as the lightning rod that took the hits for the Family. Tony then took over virtually all of Junior's business and became the Boss of the now renamed Soprano Crime Family. Former Junior Soprano soldiers Gigi Cestone and Pasquale "Patsy" Parisi defected over to various crews on Tony's side. Gigi Cestone went to the Aprile crew. Tony named 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...
as his consigliere, and promoted long-time soldier Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri
Paulie Gualtieri
Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri played by Tony Sirico, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is a caporegime and later underboss in the Soprano crime family.-Plot details:...
to captain of his old crew, renamed the Gualtieri crew. Patsy Parisi went to the Gualtieri crew.
Although Junior had been usurped of nearly all power and was under house arrest awaiting trial, he still retained the title of Boss, as Tony wanted the FBI to think they had indicted the head of the family, and acted as an adviser to Tony. Two of the factors that brought the two closer together was when Junior informed Tony of Richie Aprile's plot to kill Tony, and take over the family, and when Junior was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2001. However, Tony continued to punish Junior through business arrangements, and only allowed him to earn on a "subsistence level." Junior managed to beat the disease before the RICO trial against him started.
FBI investigations
After years of investigating Tony Soprano (at one point trying to turn him into an informant) and failing to connect him to anything (the closest they came was pinning him to the murder of associate Matthew "Matt Drinkwater" BevilaquaMatthew Bevilaqua
Matthew Bevilacqua, played by Lillo Brancato Jr., is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Background:Matthew Bevilacqua, a.k.a. Matt Drinkwater, was Sean Gismonte's partner-in-crime and an associate in the Soprano Crime Family. Matt and Sean were from West Orange, New Jersey....
, which was tossed out when an eyewitness retracted his statement after finding out one of the shooters may have been Tony Soprano), the FBI arrested Tony in 2000 when it was discovered that he had been extorting Davey Scatino. While busting out Scatino's sporting goods store, Tony had been receiving stolen airline tickets, which was discovered due to information given by turncoat Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero and when Tony gave one of the stolen tickets to his mother, Livia. The case fell through when Big Pussy "disappeared" and when Livia died of a stroke. The FBI continued to build a case against Tony, but fell on difficult times when a wiretapping of his basement was compromised (when Tony's daughter 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...
took the lamp they had bugged) and because of the deaths of several FBI informants.
In 2002, the RICO trial against Junior Soprano ended in a hung jury, but the government moved to schedule a re-trial, meaning Junior had to stay under house arrest. Due to his diminished position in the family because of the house arrest, longtime Junior Soprano loyalist Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri
Bobby Baccalieri
Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri, Jr., played by Steve R. Schirripa, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a Capo and later the acting underboss of the DiMeo Crime Family, as well as Tony Soprano's brother-in-law...
was named acting Capo of the Junior Soprano crew, after it became clear that his elderly, senile Capo, Murf Lupo, wasn't up for it anymore.
Periods of unrest
In the meantime, the Soprano Family continued to stay in a period of transition, with Richie AprileRichie 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...
, older brother of Jackie Aprile, taking over the previously defunct (due to the death of Jackie Sr.) Aprile crew after his release from prison in 2000. Richie became a threat to Tony's power, crippling associate Beansie Gaeta and disobeying Tony repeatedly when it came to selling cocaine on garbage routes. Richie also came to Junior about overthrowing Tony, but Junior decided that he would be better off with his nephew. Tony caught wind of Richie's plot and set the wheels in motion to have him killed, but he was spared the trouble when Richie was killed in the heat of an argument by his fiancée, who coincidentally happened to be Tony's sister Janice Soprano
Janice Soprano
Janice Soprano Baccalieri, played by Aida Turturro, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is Tony Soprano's elder sister. A young Janice has appeared in flashbacks, played by Madeline Blue and Juliet Fox.-Biography:...
.
When Gigi Cestone, a Soprano crew soldier set to take over and spy on the Aprile crew, died of a heart attack, Tony had no choice but to install rival Ralph Cifaretto as captain. Tony had longtime problems with Ralph, despite the fact that the two grew up together with Jackie Aprile and Silvio Dante. Tony, in a fit of rage, once hit Ralph after he murdered a Bada Bing dancer named Tracee. Ralph also took under his wing, Jackie Aprile, Jr.
Jackie Aprile, Jr.
Giacomo Michael Aprile, Jr. , played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.-Plot details:Jackie Aprile, Jr. was born into...
, even though Tony and Jackie Sr. both wanted to keep Jackie Jr. out of the family business. When Jackie Jr. held up one of Ralph's underling's poker games and shot at made men 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:...
and 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:...
in an attempt to emulate his father, Ralph had no choice but to order Jackie's death at the hands of Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore, Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito, Jr., and was a closeted homosexual...
.
Despite disagreements with Tony, Ralph became the top earner in the family, running lucrative construction deals such as the Esplanade Construction site and HUD scams in Newark. Ralph also owned a racehorse named Pie-O-My that died due to a stable fire. Convinced that Ralph cruelly and intentionally killed the horse in order to pay for his disabled son's medical bills with the insurance money, Tony, in a fit of anger and outrage, attacked and killed Ralph. Christopher then helped Tony dispose of the body by dismembering it and placing the several body parts in different dump sites. Tony blamed the disappearance of Ralph on the New York family, particularly Johnny Sack, who had a problem with Ralph due to a typically tasteless joke that was made about his wife, Ginny and a part of her anatomy. Vito Spatafore was named captain of the Aprile crew in 2002.
During that time, Tony Soprano began to groom his cousin/nephew, 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:...
, into a leadership role. Christopher, already a young made man, was named acting Capo of the Gualtieri crew when Paulie Walnuts was jailed on a gun charge (which was later dropped). Patsy Parisi was dissatisfied with this choice, as was 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...
who wanted to see Patsy as Capo. Christopher was also named by Tony as his successor, but that was compromised when Christopher was found out to have a serious heroin addiction and was sent to rehab. Christopher temporarily cleaned up and proved his loyalty to Tony by giving up his fiancée, 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:...
, for execution when it was discovered that she had been cooperating with the FBI. As a reward for putting the Family above his own fiancée, Chris was made captain of the Gualtieri crew (with Paulie Gualtieri being promoted to Underboss
Underboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
.)
It was also during this period that the working relationship between the Lupertazzi Crime Family and the Sopranos reached a rocky point in 2002, when the two families joined together to control the Esplanade construction site in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. Disagreements over the split of the money of the Esplanade, plus the HUD projects that Tony was keeping secret from Lupertazzi and the displeasure of Johnny Sack with Ralph Cifaretto, nearly caused the two families to go to war. Both Johnny Sack and boss Carmine Lupertazzi blamed one another for the conflict, and reached out to Tony to whack the other as a means of ending the conflict. In both cases, cooler heads prevailed and the two families worked out a deal.
Class of 2004
The prison release of "The Class of 2004" (Phil Leotardo, Angelo Garepe, Michele "Feech" La Manna, and Tony BlundettoTony Blundetto
Anthony "Tony" Blundetto, played by Steve Buscemi, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is Tony Soprano's cousin who is released from prison at the beginning of the show's fifth season. Tony Blundetto first appears as a calm, composed, and reformed criminal ready to pursue...
) along with the death of Carmine Lupertazzi set off another series of conflicts. "Little" Carmine Lupertazzi and Johnny Sack
Johnny Sack
John "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni, played by Vince Curatola, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was the longtime underboss and later the boss of the powerful Brooklyn-based New York City Lupertazzi crime family...
went to war over the position of Boss in New York, and Tony had to deal with the insubordination of Feech La Manna and his cousin, Tony Blundetto. One problem in his family was solved when Feech La Manna was sent back to prison after stolen flat-screen televisions were found in his garage by a probation officer called on the orders of Tony Soprano. The other problem was complicated when Tony B. killed Lupertazzi associate Joe Peeps on the orders of Lupertazzi Capo Rusty Millio and consigliere Angelo Garepe. When Angelo was killed in retaliation, Tony B. went after Phil Leotardo and killed his brother, Billy Leotardo, in an unsanctioned hit. Faced with threats of war and torture from Johnny Sack and Phil Leotardo plus unease in his own family, Tony Soprano was left with no choice but to kill Tony B. himself.
The relationship between New York and New Jersey families was further complicated when Johnny Sack was busted by the FBI and sent to prison to await trial, and Phil Leotardo, still nursing hard feelings about Blundetto, was named Acting Boss of the Lupertazzi Family.
Shooting of Tony Soprano
During his house arrest and trials/re-trials, Junior would develop signs of dementia due to a head injury sustained after being hit with a boom microphone and knocked down the courthouse steps, as well as several mini-strokes over the years. Junior's increasingly diminished capacity led him to shoot Tony in the abdomen, mistakenly thinking that Tony was his already deceased nemesis "Little Pussy" Malanga.The shooting of Tony Soprano set off a media frenzy, with reporters stalking the Soprano house and outside the hospital where Tony lay in a coma. Junior Soprano was arrested and questioned about the shooting, which he insisted must have been a self-inflicted gunshot by Tony, whom he labeled as a "depression case". The captains of the Family agreed to cut all ties to Junior and allow Tony to decide what happens to him. Junior was judged to be mentally unstable and was sent to a mental rehabilitation facility.
With Tony incapacitated, his consigliere Silvio Dante took over as Acting Boss of the Soprano Crime Family; however, Silvio was unable to handle the pressure of being boss, and suffered an asthma attack that put him in the hospital. Tony, after a near-death experience, would awake from his coma soon after, just in time to settle a dispute over the future of Barone Sanitation with Johnny Sack and Phil Leotardo.
Tension with New York
While in prison, Johnny Sack reached out to Tony through Phil Leotardo to whack his insubordinate capo, Rusty Millio. Tony refused at first, but had a change of heart after talking to Johnny Sack at his daughter's wedding. Tony conducted the execution of Millio with caution, bringing in two men from Naples to carry out the hit on Rusty and his soldier, Eddie Pietro. Johnny Sack later plead guilty in his RICO trial to lessen his sentence, thus making Phil Leotardo the boss in all but title.More complications occurred in the organization when Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore, Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito, Jr., and was a closeted homosexual...
, the top earning captain of the Aprile crew and cousin-in-law to Phil Leotardo, fled New Jersey after his homosexuality was revealed. Carlo Gervasi was named by Tony as the replacement point man for the Family's construction interests. After hiding in New Hampshire for months, Vito returned to New Jersey, approaching Tony about starting up a separate operation in Atlantic City involving prostitution. Tony considered the request, but ultimately decided that Vito needed to be taken out in order to placate Phil Leotardo, who was incensed about Vito's lifestyle. However, Phil got to Vito first, breaking into his hotel room and watched while soldiers Dominic "Fat Dom" Gamiello and Gerry Torciano beat his cousin-in-law to death. Tony, realizing that Phil was sending the message that New York can do whatever they want, decided to hurt Phil financially as payback for Vito. Tony reasoned that a war with New York would prevent his family from earning. However, when Fat Dom went to Satriale's on a delivery stop and made jokes about Vito's death and implied Carlo was a homosexual, Silvio and Carlo killed the New York soldier.
Tony's response to Vito's murder was to blow up a wire room held by Phil in Sheepshead Bay — Benny Fazio was on the scene for the explosion. After a sit-down between the New Jersey and New York Families, a truce was nearly reached before a reference from Little Carmine to the death of Billy Leotardo resulted in Phil Leotardo storming out. At a conference with Gerry Torciano, Albie Cianfiore, and Butch DeConcini, a decision was reached to take out a high ranking member of the Soprano crime family. Butch was particularly vocal in his desire to kill Tony, but Phil had more sense than that, and decided against it. Phil suffered a massive coronary soon afterwards and FBI Agent Harris informed Tony that someone on his crew could be in danger. In an attempt to clear the air between them, Tony paid a visit to Phil's hospital bed, telling him of his own near-death experience. During his disagreement with Phil about an asbestos removal project, Tony reminds him of their discussion in the hospital but Phil snubs him. Tony retaliates by taking two members of Phil's crew off a project payroll, after which after one of them threatens Tony's daughter Meadow. Tony retaliates by curb-stomping him on a wooden step in a restaurant in front of Butch DeConcini, shattering all of the threatener's teeth. Phil refuses to meet with Tony after this incident and war between the two families seems imminent.
The War of 2007
It becomes clear that there is no compromise available between NY and NJ, and as a result the wheels begin to move. New York convinces Burt Gervasi to switch sides, and he approaches Silvio Dante to join in on a coup d'état attempt on Soprano. The likely idea is that if Tony is killed, Silvio will take over and make peace, and Gervasi will be rewarded. Silvio responds by strangling Burt Gervasi at his house with a garotte. Soprano knew what had to be done, and arranged for Phil Leotardo to be executed. At the same time, Phil had a war-room discussion where he arranged for New Jersey to be wiped out. Phil gives orders to "decapitate the leadership" of the Sopranos and "do business with what's left", and orders contracts on Tony Soprano, Silvio Dante and Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri. The Sopranos attempt to hit Phil went awry however when Phil's UkrainianUkrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
mistress and her father were mistaken for Phil and were mistakenly killed by the non-English speaking Italians who were brought over from "the other side" specifically to perform this contract.
The hits on the Sopranos in New Jersey took place with more finesse, however. Bacala is killed at a model train shop when two assassins ambush him. Word comes down that Leotardo has vanished, and the Soprano Family decides to do the same. However, as Patsy Parisi and 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...
attempt to go on the lam, they are ambushed by a pair of New York hitmen outside the Bada Bing. In the ensuing carnage, Silvio Dante is shot multiple times but Parisi escapes. Silvio is rushed to a hospital where he is left in a coma. Tony and some soldiers head to a safe house to hide, as the search for Phil continued. Tony, surrounded by bodyguards, attempts to sleep while holding an AR-10
AR-10
The AR-10 is an American 7.62 mm battle rifle developed by Eugene Stoner in the late 1950s at ArmaLite, then a division of the Fairchild Aircraft Corporation...
rifle in his arms, which Bobby gave to him on his 47th birthday,
Tony came out of hiding shortly after and arranged a sit down with Butch DeConcini and Albie Cianflone through "Little" Carmine Lupertazzi and retired Five Families Boss, George Paglieri. During this meeting the New York Family agreed that Phil Leotardo's decision to go to war with North Jersey was a bad one, has gone much too far and that consequently the New York leadership would back off. Tony also demanded that they give him a location on Phil, but Butch refused to tell of Phil's whereabouts (either because he didn’t know or still felt loyal to his boss). Butch did, however, give Tony implicit permission to take Phil out should he find him, without retaliation from Butch and New York. Butch also agrees to financially compensate Bobby’s widow. Since Tony had previously given FBI Agent Harris
Dwight Harris
Special Agent Dwight Harris, played by Matt Servitto, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is an FBI agent assigned to Tony Soprano's case...
information on two Pakistani men that used to be small time associates of the family, he eventually told Tony that Phil had been making calls from a pay phone at a gas station in Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay (town), New York
The Town of Oyster Bay is easternmost of the three towns in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is the only town in Nassau County that extends from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the town population was...
. The Soprano family began patrolling the area's gas stations looking for Phil. It wasn't long before Walden Belfiore, a soldier in the Gervasi crew, caught up with Phil at the gas station. Phil was shot in the head and chest in front of his wife and grandchildren, then, his car being in gear while Phil was on the ground, the car ran over his head, thus ending the New York/New Jersey War and bringing the conflict to its final conclusion.
Administration
- Boss Anthony "Tony" SopranoTony SopranoAnthony 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...
— he served as acting boss from 1999 to 2005 when he took over as the official boss. In 2006, Tony Soprano was shot and went into a coma, he later recovered and took over as boss again. - Cosigliere Silvio "Sil" DanteSilvio DanteSilvio 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...
— has served as Tony Soprano's Consigliere from early 2000. In 2007, he was critically injured during an assassination attempt and fell into a comaComaIn medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose state.
Current capos
Capo is short for a caporegimeCaporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
, a name given to a top ranking person of the Mafia. A capo basically refers to the leader of a team of soldiers who works as the intermediate between the Mafioso Boss and his crew. Also known as a captain.
- Soprano/Gualtieri crew and Gervasi/Aprile crew - Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri
- Barese crew - Lawrence "Larry Boy" BareseLarry BareseLorenzo "Larry Boy" Barese, played by Tony Darrow, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He is the only one of the five original captains of the DiMeo crime family that remains in that position of the crime family throughout the show...
(incarcerated) Albert Barese (Acting) - Junior Soprano/Baccalieri crew - Unknown
- Curto crew - Unknown, possibly defunct
Bosses (official and acting)
- 19??–1995 - Domenico Ercoli "Eckley" DiMeo — Boss from unknown–1995, imprisoned for life.
- 1995-1999 - Giacomo "Jackie" AprileJackie Aprile, SrGiacomo Michael "Jackie" Aprile, Sr., played by Michael Rispoli, was a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He was the first Acting Boss of the DiMeo Crime Family, after longtime reputed Boss Ercole 'Eckley' DiMeo was sent to prison in 1995...
— served as Boss from 1995–1999 until his death of cancer, was referred to as the "Acting Boss" out of respect for DiMeo. - 1999-2004 - Corrado "Junior" SopranoJunior SopranoCorrado 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...
— served as Boss from 1999 to 2006, sent to a state mental hospital in 2006 after shooting Tony Soprano.- Acting 2000-2004 - Anthony "Tony" SopranoTony SopranoAnthony 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...
— only officially served as acting boss, but de facto controlled the family from 1999 to 2004. He was promoted to official Boss in 2006 after Junior Soprano shot him.
- Acting 2000-2004 - Anthony "Tony" Soprano
- 2006–present - Anthony "Tony" SopranoTony SopranoAnthony 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...
- Acting 2006 - Silvio "Sil" DanteSilvio DanteSilvio 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...
— served as acting boss in 2006 during Tony Soprano's comatose state.
- Acting 2006 - Silvio "Sil" Dante
Underbosses
- 1999 - Joseph "Beppy" Sasso — Underboss to Junior Soprano (1999, awaiting re-trial).
- 2005-2007 - Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri — served as underboss for Tony Soprano from 2005 to 2007,reassigned to take over Cifaretto crew.
Consigliere
- 1999 - Mikey "Grab Bag" PalmiceMikey PalmiceMichael "Mikey Grab Bag" Palmice , played by Al Sapienza, was a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Plot details:Palmice starts out as a soldier in Corrado "Junior" Soprano's crew as his driver and bodyguard. After Jackie Aprile dies, Junior becomes boss, and Palmice is promoted...
— Consigliere to Junior Soprano (1999, deceased) - 2000–present - Silvio "Sil" DanteSilvio DanteSilvio 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...
— Consigliere to Tony Soprano (2000–?, critically injured during an assassination attempt in 2007, comaComaIn medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose, prospects for recovery uncertain.)
Crews
Formerly known as the Soprano Crew, now known as the Gualtieri Crew. Paulie Gualtieri becomes capo of this crew and the Aprile crew was mereged into the Gualtieri crew.| History of Capos |
|
| Current members and associates | Pasquale "Patsy" Parisi Benito "Benny" Fazio Frankie Cortese Paul "Little Paulie" Germani (Associate) Perry Annunziata (Associate) Corky Caporale Peter "Bissell" LaRosa (Associate) Cary DiBartolo (Associate) Corky Ianucci (Associate) James "Murmur" Zancone (Associate) Jason Parisi (Associate) Jason Gervasi (Associate) |
| Former soldiers and associates | Pat Blundetto (retired) Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero (FBI informant FBI on The Sopranos A major plotline on the fictional HBO drama The Sopranos has been the Federal Bureau of Investigation's ongoing pursuit of the DiMeo and Lupertazzi crime families. The Bureau's investigations have met with varying degrees of success... murdered in 2000) Gigi Cestone (became capo of the Aprile crew) 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... (became Consigliere) 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:... Eugene Pontecorvo (F.B.I informant) Burt Gervasi Richard "Dickie" Moltisanti Fabian "Febby" Petrullio (FBI informant FBI on The Sopranos A major plotline on the fictional HBO drama The Sopranos has been the Federal Bureau of Investigation's ongoing pursuit of the DiMeo and Lupertazzi crime families. The Bureau's investigations have met with varying degrees of success... ) Matthew Bevilaqua Matthew Bevilaqua Matthew Bevilacqua, played by Lillo Brancato Jr., is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Background:Matthew Bevilacqua, a.k.a. Matt Drinkwater, was Sean Gismonte's partner-in-crime and an associate in the Soprano Crime Family. Matt and Sean were from West Orange, New Jersey.... Brendan Filone Brendan Filone Brendan Filone, played by Anthony DeSando, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Background:On The Sopranos, Brendan Filone was Christopher Moltisanti's friend and partner in crime and an associate of Tony Soprano. Brendan was addicted to crystal meth, and often used it with... Sean Gismonte Sean Gismonte Sean Gismonte, played by Chris Tardio, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Background:Sean Gismonte aka Gis is an associate of the Soprano crime family. He was Matthew Bevilaqua's partner in crime and an associate in the Tony Soprano/Gualtieri crew in 2000. Sean and Matt... Alfie |
| Rackets and businesses |
Pump and dump "Pump and dump" is a form of microcap stock fraud that involves artificially inflating the price of an owned stock through false and misleading positive statements, in order to sell the cheaply purchased stock at a higher price.... " Webistics stock scam, buying calling cards on credit through front companies and selling them at discount, and selling stolen credit card numbers. Bada Bing The Bada Bing! is a fictional strip club from the HBO drama television series The Sopranos. It was a key location for events in the series, named for catchphrase "bada bing", a phrase popularized by James Caan in The Godfather. The popularization of the fictional club benefited the real-life go-go... strip club on Route 17 in Lodi, New Jersey Lodi, New Jersey Lodi is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 24,136. The borough of Lodi is governed under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law.Lodi owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi... . Silvio Dante officially owns and manages the club. Satriale's Pork Store Satriale's Pork Store is a fictional establishment on the HBO series The Sopranos. As told in the television show, during the 1970s, the pork store was taken over by Johnny Boy Soprano, a member of The DiMeo Crime Family, when Francis Satriale failed to make payments on a gambling debt and later... , a meat market in the North Ward that was left to "Johnny Boy" Soprano when "Old Man" Satriale, a compulsive gambler and debtor, committed suicide in the early 1970s. Jamba Juice Jamba Juice is a chain of smoothie restaurants, headquartered in Emeryville, California, with over 700 locations operating in 30 states, the Bahamas, Canada, Korea, and the Philippines. Over 500 locations are company-owned, with the remainder being franchised... in 2006. Camorra The Camorra is a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 18th century.-Background:... family in Naples Naples Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples... allowed for the smuggling of stolen cars to Italy in return for money and free use of Neapolitan enforcers, notably Furio Giunta. This business was formerly run by the Junior Soprano crew until 2000. |
The crew is formely known as the Junior Soprano crew. Then became the Baccalieri crew. It is unknown who became the capo of the crew after the shooting of Bobby Baccalieri.
| History of Capos |
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| Current members | Anthony Maffei Thomas Di Palma Murf Lupo (semi-retired) Beppy Scerbo Beppy Sasso (imprisoned) |
| Former soldiers and associates | Robert Baccalieri, Sr. (died in 2001) Gigi Cestone (joined the Gualtieri crew 2000) Patsy Parisi (joined the Gualtieri crew 2000) Mikey Palmice Mikey Palmice Michael "Mikey Grab Bag" Palmice , played by Al Sapienza, was a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Plot details:Palmice starts out as a soldier in Corrado "Junior" Soprano's crew as his driver and bodyguard. After Jackie Aprile dies, Junior becomes boss, and Palmice is promoted... (murdered 1999) Charles Signore (murdered 1999) Eugene Pontecorvo (suicide) Salvatore Intile (associate murdered) Donnie Paduana (associate murdered) |
| Rackets and businesses |
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| History of Capos |
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In 2007, the Crew is merged back into the Soprano/Gualtieri Crew under Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri
Formerly known as the Aprile crew, the Cifaretto crew or the Spatafore crew.
| History of Capos |
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| Current members and associates | Walden Belfiore Vincent "Vinny Pitts" Pitsaturo Dante Greco Jason Molinaro Terry Doria (Associate) Sammy Grigio (Associate) "Dogsy" (Associate) |
| Former soldiers and associates | Eugene Pontecorvo (FBI Informant) Donald "Donny K" Kafranza Jackie Aprile, Jr. Jackie Aprile, Jr. Giacomo Michael Aprile, Jr. , played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.-Plot details:Jackie Aprile, Jr. was born into... Peter "Beansie" Gaeta Carlo Renzi Sunshine Dino Zerilli |
| Rackets and businesses |
Roseville, Newark, New Jersey Roseville is a neighborhood in northwestern Newark, New Jersey, bordering Bloomfield and East Orange. To the neighborhood's immediate east is the Newark City Subway and Branch Brook Park... . This had since been given to Bobby Bacala. |
In 2006, the Aprile crew merged with the Altieri crew under capo Carlo Gervasi.
| History of Capos |
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| Former members | Anthony "Tony B" Blundetto Tony Blundetto Anthony "Tony" Blundetto, played by Steve Buscemi, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is Tony Soprano's cousin who is released from prison at the beginning of the show's fifth season. Tony Blundetto first appears as a calm, composed, and reformed criminal ready to pursue... (Associate) |
| Rackets and businesses |
Vito Spatafore Vito Spatafore, Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito, Jr., and was a closeted homosexual... in 2006, Carlo Gervasi was given control of the Aprile's construction interests. |
In 2007, the crew is merged with the Soprano/Gualtieri crew under capo Paulie Gualtieri
Paulie Gualtieri
Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri played by Tony Sirico, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is a caporegime and later underboss in the Soprano crime family.-Plot details:...
.
Barese crew
The Barese crew is known for its large crew of made men. Although it's the biggest crew in the family, very few members are actually seen or named on the show. Larry Barese's brother Albert took over the crew since his incarceration and has been running it ever since.Current organization
- Lawrence "Larry Boy" BareseLarry BareseLorenzo "Larry Boy" Barese, played by Tony Darrow, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He is the only one of the five original captains of the DiMeo crime family that remains in that position of the crime family throughout the show...
— Capo (Unknown–present, incarcerated for violating house arrest, awaiting re-trial)- Albert "Ally Boy" Barese — Soldier/Acting Capo (Unknown–present)
- Nicholas "Nick Spags" Spagnelli — Soldier (2006—present)
- Albert "Ally Boy" Barese — Soldier/Acting Capo (Unknown–present)
Former members
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- "Rusty Irish" — Associate (drug dealer, deceased)
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Territory and businesses
- A percentage of Barese crew profits come from drug trafficking.
- The Barese Crew is also involved in waste management, and in 2000 they were involved in a brief conflict with the Aprile crew over territory that resulted in several fires.
- The Bareses were also involved in calling card and stock scams up until Larry Boy's arrest; these were later replicated by the Soprano/Gualtieri crew.
Curto crew
It is currently unknown of who took over the Curto crew after the passing of its Capo, Raymond Curto.- Raymond CurtoRay CurtoRaymond "Buffalo Ray" Curto, played by George Loros, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. An older Capo in the DiMeo Crime Family, Curto was an FBI-informant throughout almost the entire series....
— Capo (unknown–2006, FBI Informant, deceased)
La Manna crew (defunct)
- Michele "Feech" La Manna — Capo (unknown–1984, 2004, in prison)
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- E. Gary La Manna — Associate
- Jimmy La Manna — Associate
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Territory and businesses
- Feech La Manna once ran a high stakes card game, which was famously held up by Jackie Aprile and Tony Soprano.
- Legitimate interests included a La Manna Landscaping—a gardening company run by his nephew Gary—and the La Manna bakery, run by Feech himself.
Miscellaneous members
- Jerry Anastasia — Capo
- Augusto "Little Auggie" Aprile — Soldier
- Rocco DiMeo — Soldier (deceased)
- "Little Pussy" Malanga — Soldier (deceased)
- Cicchi Sasso — Soldier
- Romeo Martin — Soldier (deceased)
- Joey Cippolini — Soldier
Unofficial associates
- Vin Makazian — Detective on Tony Soprano's payroll (deceased)
- Harold Melvoin — Junior Soprano's lawyer
- Neil Mink — Tony Soprano's lawyer
- Herman "Hesh" Rabkin — advisor and business partner to Tony Soprano
- Georgie Santorelli — bartender and head bouncer at the Bada Bing Strip Club
- Ronald Zellman — Newark Assemblyman and later State Senator, primary political/police contact for Tony Soprano
- Italo and Salvatore — hitmen from the NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
CamorraCamorraThe Camorra is a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 18th century.-Background:...
outfit
Front operators
- Dick Barone — formerly handled Soprano crew sanitation business (deceased)
- Angie Bonpensiero — front operator of "Bonpensiero Bros. Body Shop".
- Duke Bonpensiero — front operator of "Bonpensiero Bros. Body Shop".
- Adriana La CervaAdriana La CervaAdriana 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:...
— former front operator of the "Crazy Horse" nightclub (FBI Informant, deceased) - "Black" Jack Massarone — formerly owned and operated Massarone Construction (FBI Informant, deceased)
- Hillel Teittleman — co-owner of the Flyaway Motel run by the Gualtieri crew
- Shlomo Teittleman — co-owner of the Flyaway Motel run by the Gualtieri crew
- Maurice Tiffen — front operator of the Housing and Urban Development scam.