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Topic: More Sopranos stuff .. (Read 1553 times)

Mzz_Joplin
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More Sopranos stuff ..
« on: Sep 9^th, 2002, 11:02am »

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Tony Soprano
"I'm the motherf*cking f*cking one who calls the shots."
While that statement may be of questionable taste, its accuracy is indisputable. He tells the IRS that he's in the waste management business, but Anthony Soprano is the acting boss of the DiMeo family, the most powerful criminal organization in New Jersey. A second generation wise guy, Tony is the son of the late Johnny Boy Soprano, a DiMeo capo who brought his boy into his profession and showed him the ropes. After Johnny's death, Tony was mentored by his old man's closest associates, Hesh Rabkin, Jackie Aprile, and Pussy Bompensiero, as well as Johnny's older brother, Corrado "Junior" Soprano.
Tony was born in 1959 and grew up in Newark and West Orange, New Jersey. Violence was a standard component of his childhood: he once witnessed his dad and uncle chase down and viciously beat a guy for being late with a numbers payment; another time he watched Johnny Boy amputate a debtor's finger with a meat cleaver. Johnny Boy utilized his fists at home, too; although he never struck his two daughters, when Tony transgressed his father would send him flying. Tony's mother, Livia, dealt emotional beatings; depressive and paranoid, she was incapable of affection - she once threatened to plunge a fork into his eye - and constantly told Tony he'd never amount to anything. But the coup de grace came years later when Tony put her into a nursing home, she conspired with Junior to have him killed.
As the head of his professional and personal families, Tony, to put it mildly, has his hands full. At work, he finds that the perks of being the boss come at a high price: when Pussy, whom he loved like a brother, turned out to be a government informant, Tony was forced to kill him; when Jackie Aprile's son ran afoul of the organization, Tony had no choice but to sanction his death as well. At home, his marriage is severely strained by his inability to remain faithful to his wife, Carmela. His college student daughter, Meadow, thinks he's a hypocrite and will barely speak to him. His son, Anthony, Jr., is a mentally and physically undisciplined high school student; Tony has serious doubts the boy could succeed in his profession - or any other.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Tony needs professional - as in medical - help; he's been seeing psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi for over three years. Despite the raised eyebrows among his business associates, Tony seeks treatment for debilitating anxiety attacks that are just like the ones suffered by his father and now his son. According to Melfi, the anxiety is rooted in Tony's anger, grief and guilt, and odds are it won't be going away anytime soon.

Dr. Jennifer Melfi
"Two years ago I thought RICO was a relative of his."
Dr. Jennifer Melfi is probably the last person anyone would expect to be associated with organized crime. Her private life is unassuming; she's divorced - but dating her psychiatrist ex-husband - and has a son who attends Bard College. Professionally, she is respected psychiatrist in private practice. One day, however, she opened the door of her office and came face to face with la cosa nostra personified: Tony Soprano sitting in her waiting room. Referred by his neighbor, the notorious capo was seeking treatment for anxiety attacks. That meeting was a seminal event in Melfi's life -one that she often wishes had never happened.
In the course of treating Tony, Dr. Melfi has arguably become the person who knows him best. Tony trusts her, telling her things that even Carmela and his closest friends don't know. As a result, she's helped to uncover the root causes of his anxiety and depression, and has actually guided him to some breakthroughs. For example, it was Dr. Melfi who helped Tony to see the reasons for his attachment to the ducks that nested in his backyard. And it was Melfi who got him to admit that his own mother tried to have him killed.
But when Dr. Melfi took on the task of helping Tony with his problems, she unwittingly let herself in for some monumental woes of her own. Helping a killer to feel better about himself is stressful work - there have been times when Melfi thought Tony was going to physically hurt her - and drove Dr. Melfi to self-medicate with increasing amounts of vodka. Her own therapist, Dr. Elliot Kupferberg, once prescribed Ativan, (a sedative) and Luvox, (a drug to treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) for her. In addition to the work-related stressors, Dr. Melfi was attacked in the stairwell of a parking garage one night and brutally raped. When the rapist was freed on a technicality, Melfi confessed to Kupferberg that it made her feel better knowing that Tony would "squash" her attacker "like a bug" if she wanted it. Dr. Kupferberg has advised Melfi that despite her commendable sense of responsibility to her patient, she must terminate her treatment of Tony. But while she may agree with him, it's easier said than done.

Carmela Soprano
"Maybe you pass out because you're guilty over something. Maybe the fact you stick your d*ck in anything with a pulse."
Carmela DeAngelis first laid eyes on her future husband in high school, where she and Tony Soprano appeared to be worlds apart from each other. Whereas Tony was an uninspired student and outsider, Carmela was studious and popular. Carmela had her sights set on college; Tony seemed destined for a life in the New Jersey rackets. That these two opposites would attract - let alone marry and build a life together - might, at first, seem surprising. But on closer examination, they almost seem made for each other.
Carmela was acquainted with gangster life long before she took her first ride in Tony's Trans Am. One of her cousins was a mob tough who was gunned down in front of his own house. All things considered, it's not so surprising that Carmela quit her studies in Business Administration at Montclair State University and became Mrs. Anthony Soprano. She now maintains their home and has the primary role in raising their children, Meadow and Anthony, Jr.
Being the First Lady of the New Jersey mob has its advantages, like a beautiful house, furs, expensive jewelry - and power. When an acquaintance declined to write a letter of recommendation for Meadow's college application, Carmela brought her a ricotta pie and not-so-subtly convinced her to reconsider. But there are drawbacks to the life, too, and they are considerable. Carmela has spent the better part of her marriage contending with goomars, G-men and the strong possibility she'll be widowed in a bloody and violent fashion. She has also found it increasingly difficult to reconcile the brutal nature of Tony's profession with her religious faith. As a result, Carmela wants her children to stay clear of the family business, and she particularly pushes Meadow towards the kind of life she once pursued. But despite her fear, anger and regret, Carmela loves Tony and wants their marriage to work. She has more in common with him than she's willing to admit.

Christopher Moltisanti
"Tony was right, he set me straight . . . No more distractions. Focus. Eye on the prize."
Tony refers to him as "nephew" and loves him like a son, but Christopher Moltisanti is actually Carmela's first cousin, once removed. His father was Carmela's cousin, Dickie Moltisanti, who was something of a mentor to the youthful Tony. So when the senior Moltisanti was shot to death, Tony, in turn, took Christopher under his wing. As Christopher remembers very little of his father - he was still in diapers when Dickie was killed - Tony's the closest thing he's ever had to a paternal figure.
Under Tony's tutelage Christopher became a cugine and eventually a made man - but his ascent wasn't a smooth one. For one thing, Christopher is impulsive, and his impulses are often violent: he once "handled" a negotiation with a rival garbage concern by turning their representative into refuse and hauling him to Staten Island - without permission from management. For another, Christopher wasn't always one hundred percent certain that this thing of ours was the thing for him. He once explored the possibility of a film career, going so far as to befriend some Hollywood types and write a screenplay titled, "You Bark, I Bite." But when Tony got wind of it, he barked an ultimatum: if you're with the Soprano crew it's "every fucking second of every fucking day." Christopher's been dedicated to the family business ever since.
So it seems that Christopher may finally be on the path to success: he runs Paulie's sports betting operation and is engaged to the love of his life, Adriana La Cerva. And there's no question that he's tough: he once took six bullets in an ambush, and even managed to mortally wound one of his assailants. But the impulsiveness remains, causing Christopher to make rash decisions and - even worse - to openly challenge Tony's. Compounding that is his "recreational" drug use, something that Tony doesn't know about, and that wouldn't make him happy if he did. And father figure or not, Christopher can't afford to have Tony Soprano mad at him.

Corrado Soprano, Jr.
"You choose this life, it comes with responsibilities...Teddy Roosevelt gave an entire speech once with a bullet lodged in his chest. Some things are a matter of duty."
Corrado Soprano, Jr., AKA Uncle Junior, is the son of Corrado and Mariangela D'Agostino Soprano, Italian immigrants who came over from the town of Ariano in 1911. Junior had two younger brothers: Giovanni (AKA Johnny Boy), who was Tony's father and Ercoli (AKA Eckley), who was mentally retarded and spent most of his life in an institution. The senior Corrado was a stone mason, but Junior and Johnny Boy had no intention of following in his footsteps, dropping out of high school and affiliating themselves with the DiMeo crime family.
Junior was highly competitive with his little brother. While both Sopranos had their own crew, it rankled that Johnny Boy's made more money. The fact that old man DiMeo took a special liking to the charismatic Johnny Boy didn't help matters. But despite the sibling agita, Junior always had a deep affection for his nephew. Junior has no children of his own - he's never been married - and spent a lot of quality time with Tony while he was growing up. To this day, his relationship with Tony is probably one of the closest Junior has ever had.
Eventually, Johnny Boy died of lung cancer and Dominic DiMeo was sent to prison for life. When acting boss Jackie Aprile succumbed to cancer as well, Junior took over. But he was perceived as high-handed and selfish - in mob parlance "he ate alone" - causing serious dissension in the ranks. Tony eventually stepped in and took charge, leaving Junior as a figurehead - and target for the Feds. Once again upstaged by a younger relative, Junior was hurt and angry, and vulnerable to the manipulation of Tony's mother, Livia. Nursing her own grudges against Tony, Livia convinced Junior to order a hit on her son. But the hit attempt failed, and Tony punished his uncle by severely curtailing his earning power and effectively cutting him out of his life. Not long after that Junior was arrested on federal racketeering charges and diagnosed with his own case of the "big casino": cancer of the stomach. So now the former boss of the most powerful crime organization in New Jersey is a sick old man, living alone and facing the bleak prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.
But Junior's a tough old bird. He's outlasted haler, heartier enemies and despite his situation, he hasn't sung for the feds. He's even managed to, if not completely bury the hatchet with Tony, at least kick some dirt over it. All in all, it's much too soon to start writing an obituary for Junior Soprano.

« Last Edit: Sep 9^th, 2002, 11:10am by Mzz_Joplin »

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Re: More Sopranos stuff ..
« Reply #1 on: Sep 9^th, 2002, 11:27am »

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Ralph Cifaretto
"All this over some whore?"
If the mafia gave out a Mr. Congeniality Award, Ralph Cifaretto would never be in contention for it. A "Mr. Obnoxious" trophy, however, would be his in a walk. Sarcastic, belligerent and misogynistic - even by wise guy standards - Ralph is easily Tony's least favorite business associate. Despite being a very smart man (albeit one who dropped out of school in the eleventh grade), Ralph is prone to making grossly inappropriate comments at the worst possible moment. When a young associate was in a coma, Ralph commented to the guy's brother, "Look at the bright side - he wasn't that smart to begin with."
One night, Ralph's lesser qualities coalesced in a particularly gruesome way, with consequences for the entire Soprano crew. In the parking lot of the Bada Bing, a coked-up Ralph beat to death a young dancer who was pregnant with his baby. When confronted by Tony, Ralph made the mistake of being flip about it: "She tripped...is it my fault she's a klutz?" Tony responded by punching Ralph, something that a made man never does to another made man. The situation was eventually resolved, however: after being made to grovel awhile, Ralph was installed as the captain of Gigi's crew. Ralph was pleased; the captaincy was something had wanted for a long time. Tony warned him to "be careful what you wish for," but hey, what does he know?
Plenty, it turns out. Ralph hadn't been captain for long when he was faced with his first major crisis. Jackie Aprile, Jr. robbed a card game, killing the dealer and shooting Furio in the leg. Once a made man had been shot, Jackie's fate was sealed; but Tony told Ralph that, as captain of the crew that had been hit, the final decision was his. For once, Ralph - who was dating Jackie's mother, Rosalie, and had developed a relationship with Jackie as well - didn't have anything funny to say. He ordered the hit on Jackie, and then took Rosalie to his funeral. Maybe being capo isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Silvio Dante
"Last year I made bail so fast, my soup was still warm when I got home."
Silvio Dante didn't always want to be a mobster. His dream as a youth was to make it big as a singer. But while the spirit was willing, the pipes were weak; Silvio ended up managing topless dancers instead. He's operated several clubs in Asbury Park and currently owns the Bada Bing, where he regularly regales his associates with a legendary impression of Al Pacino. Silvio's a family man in the literal sense as well: he and his wife, Gabriella have a teenage daughter, Heather, a soccer star her father refers to as "the principessa."
Silvio's function in the Soprano crew is as consigliere to Tony, a task to which he's well suited. Like the other members of Tony's inner circle, he's been around the business his entire life. Unlike Tony's other confidantes, however, Silvio is not a slave to his impulses. He's an even-tempered, reasonable man; capable of seeing a situation from all angles and giving Tony a solid read of it. Case in point: when Tony got himself into political hot water by striking another made man - thereby breaking one of the mob's cardinal rules - it was Silvio who eventually talked him into resolving the situation nonviolently.
All that is not to say that Silvio is incapable of violence. When a Bing dancer once failed to show up for work, Silvio retrieved her by her hair. At times he's advised Tony to eliminate rivals by having them killed, and he personally participated in the murder of Pussy Bonpensiero. But, outside of a poker game - he's infamous for becoming abusive when he's losing - Silvio rarely loses control of himself. His is the cooler head that Tony often counts on to prevail.

Peter Paul Gualtieri
"...I was born, grew up, spent a few years in the army, a few more in the can and here I am, a half o' wise guy."
Peter Paul Gualtieri, arguably the most meticulously coiffed and manicured capo in the Soprano crew, was something of a child prodigy. He first displayed the skills he'd utilize in his chosen profession at the tender age of nine: while other kids were dreaming of wielding a bat like the Mick, Paulie was deploying one on a schoolmate's skull. In and out of juvenile correctional facilities for the next several years, Paulie eventually dropped out of school altogether; at seventeen, he became an enforcer for Johnny Boy Soprano. Thereafter his movement up the ranks was steady, albeit punctuated by the occasional prison stretch and an army hitch abbreviated by a Section 8.
Is Paulie mentally unstable? He's highly superstitious and has a violent - at times literally murderous - temper, as well as a distrust of others that borders on the paranoid. But those qualities don't particularly distinguish him from his associates. He's openly admitted to seeking professional counseling, although he disapproves of Tony's therapy. The fact that Tony's shrink is a woman "don't compute" for Paulie, whose "issues" with the opposite sex are common knowledge. Though he's had his fair share of goomars, the only Mrs. Gualtieri is Paulie's mother - on whom he dotes with the due reverence of a true son of Italy.
Paulie's philosophy of life is simple: as long as everybody who's supposed to kick points to him does so, so that he can in turn kick his points to Tony, all's right with the world. But recent decisions by Tony - that resulted in a considerable drop in Paulie's earnings - have made Paulie less sanguine about the way of the world. He's even gone so far as to share his discontent with Johnny Sack. The question is whether Paulie's just grousing...or preparing to take action.

Meadow Soprano
"Did (other) kids ever find fifty thousand dollars in Krugerrands and a .45 automatic while they were hunting for Easter eggs?"
Tony and Carmela's firstborn, Meadow Mariangela Soprano is, in many ways, a typical suburban ingenue: pretty, bright and talented, she was a high school honors student and currently attends Columbia University. But, being a Soprano, some of Meadow's life experiences differ significantly from her peers'. After all, not many young women have a father who garroted a business associate while accompanying her on a tour of college campuses.
But Meadow is tough and clear-eyed about her father's profession. She figured out at an early age that Tony wasn't really in the non-putrescable waste business; when he finally admitted to her that "some" of his income came from illegal sources, she appreciated his candor. Meadow's opinion has always been that her father is no worse than the "solid citizens" who work as lawyers for tobacco companies. A high school classmate - whose father went bankrupt because of gambling debts he owed to Tony - once told Meadow that her father was a "gangster asshole." She responded that his father's predicament was his own fault.
But lately Meadow's relationship with Tony and Carmela has become severely strained. When she dated a fellow Columbian of mixed race, her parents vehemently disapproved - especially Tony. They didn't like her next boyfriend, Jackie Aprile, Junior - the son of Tony's deceased close friend and boss - much better. A cugine wannabe, Jackie flunked out of Rutgers and cheated on Meadow. But when Jackie was found shot to death, Meadow became inconsolable, putting the blame on Tony and the "family life." Tony has always viewed Meadow as smart and capable, the offspring he didn't need to worry about...but his worries may just be beginning.

Anthony Soprano, Jr
"You know what really pisses me off about my dad? He did all these really great things, then, before he was my dad...now he's just an a**hole."
Tony's second born and namesake, Anthony, Junior is capable of causing his father more agita than the FBI's entire New Jersey Field Office. A.J. is an uninspired (read "lousy") high school student, a Nintendo cultist whose greatest talent is pushing his parents' buttons. Some highlights: he crashed Carmela's car while driving without a license; got caught smoking pot at his confirmation party; skimmed Nietzsche and Camus and declared life meaningless; went to gym class drunk on stolen Communion wine; broke into the school and vandalized the swimming pool; and, finally, was expelled for cheating on a geometry test.
Following the gym class bacchanal, school counselors informed Tony and Carmela that A.J. was on the "borderline" of Attention Deficit Disorder. A.J. was briefly in therapy, but his parents ultimately decided that A.J. was "just a kid who screwed up a little bit." When A.J. was expelled, however, Tony decided it was time for serious action: A.J. was enrolled in the Hudson Military Institute, a strict boarding school where there's no television and the day starts at 05:30. But when A.J. passed out while trying on his new uniform, it was discovered that he suffers anxiety attacks - the same malady suffered by his father and grandfather. As a result, his internment at military school was cancelled.
If A.J. were capable of following in his father's footsteps, his difficulties might not be a problem - after all, Tony was no scholar. But Tony has always been tough, resourceful and post-doctorate-level street smart; A.J. isn't. He's basically a sweet kid, of average intelligence, who's trying to cope with the fact his dad kills people.

« Last Edit: Sep 9^th, 2002, 11:40am by Mzz_Joplin »

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Re: More Sopranos stuff ..
« Reply #2 on: Sep 9^th, 2002, 11:39am »

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Adriana La Cerva
"Oh, yeah. Be one of those wives like Carmela Soprano...breast feed a bunch of rugrats, then spend the rest of your life at the gym, just you and your stretch marks."
The future Mrs. Christopher Moltisanti, Adriana La Cerva is a mobster's dream girl: smart and engaging, with a physique good enough to star at the Bada Bing. In addition, she's been around wise guys all her life - she's the niece of Jackie and Richie Aprile. Growing up she saw and heard plenty, and isn't at all repulsed by the LCN lifestyle. In fact, when Christopher became a made man, Adriana was almost more excited about it than he was.
Adriana and Christopher make a pretty good couple. For one thing, she loves designer clothes and he likes to get them for her. On a deeper level, Adriana loves Christopher unconditionally and supports his ambitions. For example, when Christopher wanted to have a go at filmmaking, Adriana encouraged him; she praised his screenplay and bought him acting lessons. Christopher, in turn, showed his support for Adriana's desire to work in the music industry by buying a club in Long Branch and installing her as manager. (Her first official act was to change the name from Lollipop to Crazy Horse.) It hasn't all been love songs and Jimmy Choos, however. Adriana and Christopher have had some knock-down-drag-outs, and Adriana even left him once. But they weren't apart for long and, all things considered, theirs is as healthy a relationship as any in their circle.
But there's trouble brewing on the horizon: the Feds. Once they'd determined that Pussy Bonpensiero was probably dead, the FBI went shopping for a new confidential informant. They sent Special Agent Deborah Ciccerone, AKA Danielle, to a mall to "bump into" Adriana. The two women struck up a conversation and Adriana accepted "Danielle's" invitation to get coffee. What else is brewing remains to be seen.

Furio Giunta
"No bitcha to me."
Furio Giunta is the one member of the Soprano crew who is literally a son of Italy. A native of Naples, Furio was in the employ of elderly mob boss Zio Vittorio when he came to Tony's attention. In Naples to broker a deal for stolen Mercedes, Tony got to witness Furio's professional skills up close: during an incident where it appeared that gunshots were being fired at Zio Vittoria, Furio unhesitatingly shielded the old man with his own body. When it turned out that the "gunshots" were only errant firecrackers lobbed by a teenager, Furio and his comrades severely beat the boy anyway. Impressed by this display of loyalty and ferocity, Tony imported Furio to New Jersey and installed him at Artie Bucco's restaurant, Nuovo Vesuvio. As far as the INS is concerned, Furio is a highly-skilled mozzarella maker. To people who owe Tony Soprano money, he's a pony-tailed nightmare.

Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero
"Sometimes you gotta do things you don't want to...If you're lookin' for a purpose in life, doin' what's right is your purpose."
The late Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero was the big brother Tony never had. Heavy-set and gregarious, he valued family above all else and had a special knack with kids. His own children adored him, and for years he was a Santa Claus nonpareil at the Satriale's Christmas party. Meadow and Anthony, Jr. were the only kids in their neighborhood with a doting Uncle Pussy, and he was an important part of many Soprano rites of passage: he was A.J.'s confirmation sponsor and on the night Tony lost his virginity, Pussy took him out for a steak.
But just because Pussy had a soft spot for kith and kin doesn't mean he was a pushover. He made his bones with Johnny Boy Soprano's crew, and rumor has it he acquired his nickname because he was once a cat burglar. (The "Big" was appended to distinguish him from another wise guy with a feline moniker, Little Pussy Malenga.) Killing was a part of the job, and Pussy was called on to "step up" several times during his career. He was unsentimental about it: "The more of them you do, the better you'll sleep." There were times, though, when dispatching someone was emotionally gratifying, as when Pussy and Tony personally executed Matt Bevilaqua for taking part in a hit on Christopher.
Ultimately, it was his love of family that was Pussy's undoing. Caught smuggling heroin, the FBI offered him a choice: become a confidential informant or spend the rest of his life in a federal penitentiary. To say it was an agonizing decision is a supreme understatement. If Pussy helped the feds get Tony, he was betraying a man he loved, a guy who would catch a bullet for a friend. If Pussy didn't cooperate, he'd be in prison - isolated from his children and with no way to pay for the college education that would keep them from ending up like their father. Pussy agreed to wear a wire.
One morning, Tony, Silvio and Paulie took Pussy for a boat ride and, when they were far enough from shore, confronted him. To his credit, Pussy didn't live up to his name in his final moments. He made an attempt to talk his way out of it - it's expected in these situations. But when at last guns were drawn, Pussy asked only for a seat and that they aim away from his face. Afterward, Tony, Paulie and Silvio wrapped Pussy's body in chains, pushed it overboard and headed back to shore. It was a painful rite of passage for all involved.

Livia Soprano
"I gave my life to my children on a silver platter."
Cagey, manipulative and possessing an encyclopedic memory of every slight she ever suffered, Livia Pollio Soprano was probably the most important person in Tony's life. She was born in Providence, Rhode Island, to Faustino (AKA Augie) and Teresa Pollio, Italian immigrants from Avellino. Livia's childhood was poverty-stricken and miserable, and she spent her adult life punishing everyone for it.
Marriage to the tough, charismatic Johnny Boy Soprano was Livia's ticket out of her parents' house. But married life, however, was not happy ever after. Livia wasn't particularly interested in housework and as for motherhood, her take on it was that babies were "animals...no different from dogs." Although Johnny Boy was a good provider, in Livia's estimation he was never good enough. She constantly pressured him to earn more, but when he came to her with a plan to move the family to Reno in order to pursue a new business opportunity - something he wanted very much - she quickly put the kibosh on it. Although Livia belittled Johnny Boy practically every day of his life, when he died she instantly canonized him.
Old age didn't mellow Livia - if anything, it made her more suspicious and abusive of everyone around her. She was convinced that her children were out to kill her and take her money - all the while insisting she was an impoverished, defenseless old widow. When Tony put her in a nursing home because he legitimately believed she couldn't live on her own, she retaliated by convincing Junior to put a hit on him. The hit, of course, failed, but Livia, as always came out unscathed. Nobody ever got the upper hand on Livia Soprano: a year later she died, peacefully, in her sleep.

Artie Bucco
"You hear your uncle's gonna hurt my business by staging a hit in my place and that's your solution? Burn it down...?"
Artie Bucco is Tony's one close civilian friend. They've known each since high school, and when Tony went into his family's business, so did Artie. He's the owner and chef of the Nuovo (New) Vesuvio Restaurant, Tony's crew's favorite eatery. (The reason it's the "new" Vesuvio will be explained later.) Artie is fully aware of what Tony does for a living, and he's both attracted and repelled by it. He enjoys the cachet of hanging out with mobsters, and his affection for Tony is genuine. But that affection was severely tested when Tony, looking for a way to prevent his uncle from having someone murdered at Vesuvio, had the restaurant blown up. When Artie found out, he went ballistic himself, briefly threatening Tony with a hunting rifle. Ultimately, though, Artie decided to forgive Tony, and welcomed him to his new restaurant. His choice to be Tony Soprano's friend has cost Artie more than just a restaurant, however. His wife, Charmaine - his high school sweetheart - left him because of his mob ties. If he's lucky, he won't lose anything else.

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Re: More Sopranos stuff ..
« Reply #3 on: Sep 9^th, 2002, 12:04pm »

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Herman "Hesh" Rabkin
"You're talking to the wrong white man, my friend. My people were the white man's nigger when yours were still painting their faces and chasing zebras."
Because he's Jewish he can never be a made man, but in every other sense Herman "Hesh" Rabkin is an important part of Tony's crew. He was a trusted advisor of Tony's father, and Tony seeks his counsel as well; it was Hesh who told Tony about his father's fainting spells. He made a bundle in the recording industry in the 50's and 60's and, to his credit, Hesh gave a lot of talented young black musicians their start - but he also kept authorship of many of their songs for himself. This practice almost bit Hesh in the tushy, when a rap star named Massive G tried to shake him down for $400,000 in royalties he claimed was owed to a relative. Massive G threatened to sue, but Hesh fended him off with the threat of a countersuit. Hesh is perhaps the most sophisticated member of Tony's organization, he's well read and erudite, and keeps a stable of well-bred horses. (Although he doesn't ride them; just enjoys watching them run.) He's seen and experienced a lot, and Tony is fortunate to have him in his corner.

Bobby Bacala
"I got my limits, too..."
Robert Baccilieri, Jr., AKA Bobby Bacala, is a stalwart soldier in the Soprano organization. "Bacala" is salted cod, and at first glance, Bobby can appear to be a fish out of water. He's quiet and sweet tempered, and even among a bunch of guys sporting pasta bellies, his stands out. Bobby's obesity often brings him scorn from the other wise guys; Tony himself has warned Bobby "get off my car before you flip it over," and that he should "seriously consider salads." But Bobby is loyal to his deeply buried core, and doesn't shirk the physical requirements of his job. When Tony needed muscle to crack down on a demonstration at a construction site, Bobby was in the thick of the fray, wielding a crowbar with the best of 'em. When Tony needed someone to help him find Christopher and Paulie, who were lost in the pine barrens, Bobby's experience as a deer hunter was just what he needed.
Family is very important to Bobby. He's married, with kids, and was very close to his father, famed DiMeo button man Robert Baccalieri, Senior. When his father died in a car crash after doing a hit for Gigi Cestone, Bobby was inconsolable. His current assignment is as a replacement for the late Mikey Palmice. His duties mostly entail driving Junior to doctor's appointments, fixing him lunch and providing an audience for his diatribes. But despite Junior's cantankerousness, Bobby has grown to love and respect him - what more could an old capo ask for?

Janice Soprano
"I've been looking for my soul mate all my life. Madonn' have I looked."
Janice is Tony's big sister, the eldest child of Livia and Johnny Boy Soprano. Unlike her brother, who's spent most of his life within a short radius of his birthplace, Janice had a serious case of wanderlust. She hated her home life while growing up and was constantly at odds with her mother. (Livia chided her about her weight and, according to Janice, once put broken glass in her daughter's iced tea) So as soon as she graduated from high school, Janice hit the road.
A selective list of Janice's activities over the next twenty-odd years includes the following: she lived in San Francisco, Los Angeles, where she joined an ashram. While living in the ashram, she worked for a moving company and changed her name to Parvati Wasatch; "Parvati" after a Hindu goddess and "Wasatch" after a Utah mountain range. She traveled around Europe, where she married a French Canadian named Eugene, and had a son they named Harpo. (Now a teenager, he lives in Montreal with his father and has changed his name to Hal.) Eventually, Parvati ended up in Seattle, working in an espresso bar. She left that job after convincing a Workers Comp board that she had developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from operating the steamed milk machine.
Parvati was living off her disability checks when word reached her of Livia's stroke. Letting bygones be bygones, she returned to New Jersey to take care of her invalid mother - and her inheritance. Going home wasn't her only retro move: she changed her name back to Janice and became engaged to her old flame, Richie Aprile. The re-christened Janice tried hard to be make their relationship work - she even let Richie hold a gun to her head during sex - but it wasn't meant to be. One night at the dinner table he hit her in the mouth, so she got a gun from the kitchen and shot him to death. Shortly thereafter Tony dispatched the grieving almost-widow back to Seattle.
But when Livia died, Janice came home to stay. In short order she got into a dispute with Svetlana - the Russian woman Tony hired to look after Livia following the Richie incident - over Livia's record collection. Svetlana said that Livia had given the records to her; Janice insisted she return them. The cold war escalated quickly: Janice stole Svetlana's prosthetic leg, ransoming it for the LP's. Svetlana retaliated by having a couple of her friends break some of Janice's ribs. While hospitalized, Janice experienced an epiphany and found Christ. She currently lives in the house where she grew up and ardently pursues her latest vocation: Christian rock music.

"All these years I sat here and kept my mouth shut. And I didn't want you boys here and look what happened, look what you've done to my husband."
Charmaine Bucco is in the process of becoming Artie Bucco's ex-wife. No longer able to tolerate her husband's relationship with Tony Soprano, Charmaine left Artie, telling him, "and you're not getting the kids." Since leaving Artie, Charmaine has considerably improved her personal appearance and she continues to work at the Nuovo Vesuvio, where she makes a point of antagonizing Tony and his crew: "Those two guys over there? I think they're FBI...I'm kidding. Enjoy."
Things weren't always bad between Tony and Charmaine; in fact, she and Carmela had been good friends since high school. But that relationship has soured, too. When the old Vesuvio was destroyed (see Artie's bio), Carmela decided to "help out" the Buccos by hiring them to cater a benefit. But during the event, Carmela - surrounded by people she wanted to impress - treated Charmaine like her servant. Charmaine was hurt, then got mad and ultimately got even: she told Carmela that once, before Carmela and Tony were married, she and Tony had slept together. "But don't worry," Charmaine told a speechless Carmela, "I made my choice and I'm fine." Charmaine is one tough little civilian.

Johnny Sack
"You know me...I don't stick my beak in."
In a roomful of wise guys, John "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni might not immediately draw your attention. He would be the one standing on the fringes of the ball busting and back slapping, quietly smoking a cigarette...and watching. The urbane underboss of the New York family, Johnny Sack is known for his sharp intellect and calm demeanor. He's a still-waters-run-deep guy who makes it a point to keep tabs on anything that could affect his business and keep his innermost thoughts to himself. Those qualities have made him a successful capo - and someone you definitely don't want as an enemy.
But relations between the Garden and Empire States have been good for some time, and Johnny has been an important ally of Tony's. For example, when Tony was annoyed that then-boss Junior was overtaxing Hesh, Johnny helped persuade Junior to relent. Johnny was happy to help; anything that helps keep the peace in one family is good for all.
If there's one subject that can make waves on Johnny's famously calm surface, it's his wife. The love of Johnny's life, Ginny Sacramoni is a woman who, in polite circles, would be described as "Rubenesque." In the back room of the Bada Bing, however, her weight is discussed in decidedly less enlightened terms. When he once walked in on Tony's crew having a Ginny-inspired yuckfest, a pointed "What's so funny?" from Johnny was enough to shut everybody up. After all, Johnny and Ginny recently moved to a spacious new home in New Jersey, and that's no way to talk about your neighbors. Johnny was quick to assure Tony that his intent in relocating was to be closer to his wife's family - not Tony's business. But, as is always the case with Johnny Sack, who knows if that's what he's really thinking?

« Last Edit: Sep 9^th, 2002, 12:09pm by Mzz_Joplin »

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Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose ...

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