Characters / The Sopranos: DiMeo Crime Family

The Sopranos Main Character Index
The Soprano Family (Tony Soprano, Christopher Moltisanti) | DiMeo Crime Family (Capos | Soldiers | Associates) | The Lupertazzis and Other Criminals | Mob Wives, Sweethearts and Goomahs | Law Enforcement and Civilians

DiMeo Crime Family

• Capos
• Soldiers
• Associates

In general

The Italian-American crime family that serves as the main focus of the series alongside Tony's actual family. Initially headed by acting boss Jackie Aprile Sr. after the incarceration of Eckley DiMeo, leadership of the family soon falls to Junior Soprano following Jackie's death from cancer. In truth, Junior is largely powerless with his nephew Tony Soprano serving as the de facto boss for most of the series.

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• Always Someone Better: They rule north Jersey, but the family is small potatoes next to the might of any of the five New York families from across the Hudson River.
• Artifact Name: The family is named after Eckley DiMeo, but, from the premiere onward, nobody named "DiMeo" is running this family. This is a case of Truth in Television, as the FBI named each family after whomever its contemporary head was during the Valachi hearings, and the mafia themselves rarely change the name even when its namesake has been gone for decades, likely out of convenience.
• Badass in a Nice Suit: Zig-Zagged. The mobsters like to wear plain sportswear, but they dress up according to their fancy businessmen status when the occasion requires it. Members of the Lupertazzis can usually be seen in suits, befitting their more successful and refined nature when compared to the Jersey crew. Carmine Lupertazzi also stated to Tony that "a Don doesn't wear shorts".
• Cool Car: Most of the high-ranking members of the family drive luxury cars.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: The Family gives these to street gangs and petty drug dealers. For example, the time Paulie and a family associate bust in and kill some Colombian drug dealers and leave unscathed, only receiving a nasty Groin Attack. They even get away with stealing many bricks of cocaine and drug money.
• Deconstruction: Of The Mafia in the modern-day. The mafia seen here is nowhere near as powerful as they were in movies like GoodFellas and Casino thanks to a combination of informants revealing their crimes, modern forensics, and technology making it more difficult to steal or murder, government crackdowns, RICO law, hostility from other families, and drugs. Not helping matters is that the older generation has been dying off and the younger members lack their intelligence and restraint. Basically, they are no longer the opulent criminal organization of the old days, making them less of a government target and more of a group of violent street thugs living in the past and on borrowed time.
• The Don: Tony Soprano, and Uncle Junior before him, and Jackie Aprile, Sr. before him. Technically, all three were Acting Boss for Ercole "Eckley" DiMeo, who was convicted and sent to federal prison in Missouri in 1995.
• End of an Age: The glory days of the mob are long past if any of the old-school gangsters are to be believed. Though the family still rakes in considerable money, it's nothing like it used to be.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Sure they lie, cheat, steal, murder, and commit a dozen more horrible deeds, but they consider being a "rat" and becoming an informant to the FBI to be utterly despicable. Doesn't stop a lot of them from doing it anyways.
• Evil Is Petty: The mobsters all do horrible things at various points, but still find time to be dicks in less violent ways.
• Evil Versus Evil: The DiMeos vs. whomever they face: The Cartel, street gangs, the Lupertazzis in the final season, among others.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: There are no absolutes here given the complexity of the characters, but they can be interpreted as:
  • Tony: Choleric (intense, slightly immature, and prone to anger outbursts).
  • Christopher: Melancholic (introverted and reflective).
  • Paulie: Sanguine (outgoing and in-your-face).
  • Silvio: Phlegmatic (the reasonable, if conceited one).
• Karma Houdini Warranty: After spending most of the show being left off with a slap on the wrist by the authorities and getting away with antagonizing the Lupertazzi family, the DiMeo is brought to its knees with the double whammy of a deadly mob war and a looming indictment on Tony Soprano.
• A Lighter Shade of Black: Even at his rock bottom as human being in Season 6, Tony is portrayed as a lesser evil than Phil, which leads to a senior FBI agent siding with the Sopranos against the Lupertazzis.
• The Mafia: A rare modern variant. Instead of the incredibly powerful and intimidating mobsters from movies like GoodFellas or Casino (which take place during the mob heyday and pre-RICO era), this family shows that The Mafia today is in decline as a result of rats, the government, RICO laws, hostility from other families, and drugs. It certainly doesn't help the fact that most of the smartest members are old and most of the younger ones (with a few exceptions) are ignorant, inexperienced thugs.
• Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters: Deconstructed. While the members think of themselves as this, in reality they're not as the predatory nature of the mob is not hidden and the local business suffer regularly. While the mobsters are vigilant about people speeding in the neighbourhood and throw a traditional Santa Claus party, these actions are primarily for their own benefit and public relations. The occasional activities for the community they do organize are often undercut by their own selfish actions, such as when Paulie cuts corners on the amusement fair to save himself money and an accident results.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: The DiMeos were based on the real-life DeCavalcante crime family, which primarily controls central Jersey (south Jersey is part of the Philly Mob's turf, while north Jersey is split: the DeCavalcante family controls Elizabeth and some suburbs, while the Five Families, especially the Genovese and Lucchese families, control everything else).
  • Ercole "Eckley" DiMeo, the family namesake, was based on Sam DeCavalcante, who was nicknamed "the Plumber" because he owned a plumbing store in Kenilworth. But he saw it as an Embarrassing Nickname and liked being called "the Count" as a less-embarrassing alternative.
  • Tony Soprano was based on real-life Jersey mobster Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo, who later became a fill-in for then-official boss John Riggi before flipping in 2003. Elements of Sam DeCavalcante were also added to Soprano.
  • Corrado "Junior" Soprano was based on Giovanni "the Eagle" Riggi, who became boss after DeCavalcante stepped down and retired to Florida in 1982.
• No Honor Among Thieves: Very few members are really in it for the others (it's telling something that Silvio is the single most loyal one) and most of them are more than willing to betray their partners for vengeance, resentment or greed.
• Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: For all of the power the family holds in north New Jersey, they're really small fish compared to the New York families and the original mafiosi in Italy. "Big" Carmine Lupertazzi considers them to be a "glorified crew" that works for his family rather than equals with their own territory.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: Due to the insular nature of an ethnic gang, they tend to be fairly bigoted against those outside their circle, ranging from other ethnicities, women, to homosexuals.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Over the course of the series, the DiMeo family starts rotting away from the inside. They manage to survive a mob war, but the organization is on its last legs by the finale and the decay is likely irreversible.
• Resignations Not Accepted: As per the norm in criminal enterprises, once you are made you are expected to earn until you either die or are sent to prison. Even the ones who are allowed to retire because of extenuating circumstances like Pat Blundetto remain involved to whatever extent their situations allow.
• Running Gag: The most idiotic, ignorant and inexperienced members are usually the Butt-Monkey in some episodes: Benny gets beaten up by the weak Artie and thrown onto a coffee table by Chris, Little Paulie gets a bottle thrown over his head, beaten up and thrown out a window, Donny K. gets beaten up by Johnny Sack and pissed on, Matthew and Sean get shot and killed with little fanfare, Perry gets beaten up by Tony for something he didn't do, and Chris receives the worst Trauma Conga Line of anyone in the series.
• Uncertain Doom: Even though Tony left very few loose ends and the show ended without an obvious conclusion, it's safe to say that the fate of the organization looks grim given how decimated its ranks are following a devastating mob war.
• We ARE Struggling Together: Ironically, even though the group considers the feds and other gangs to be their biggest threats, most of the members who are killed over the course of the show are actually killed by other members of the the family. Of the prominent members who were killed, Silvio Dante^note comatose, but unlikely to regain consciousness, Bobby Baccalieri, Gigi Cestone, Eugene Pontecorvo, Vito Spatafore, and Richie Aprile are the only ones whose deaths didn't come at the hands of another family member. In fact, Vito Spatafore and Richie Aprile only weren't killed by the family because somebody else got to them first.
• White-Collar Crime: While the family is no stranger to street violence, drug trafficking, contract killing, and traditional crimes committed by The Mafia; they are heavily involved in illegal construction, credit card fraud, identity theft, mortgage fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery. In many ways, this has allowed them to survive in a time where they are constantly embattled by the feds, the RICO law, and their own internal problems.

Bosses

Ercole "Eckley" DiMeo

Ercole "Eckley" DiMeo

Played by: David Chase

Longtime head of the DiMeo crime family.

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• Artifact Name: In-universe: the DiMeo Crime Family, of which the Soprano crew is a major part, still bears Ercole DiMeo's name, even though he's been in prison for more than a decade, and no one named "DiMeo" has any part in running the family.
• The Cameo: He makes a quick walkthrough appearance at Lino Bonpensiero's funeral in The Many Saints of Newark, never exactly shown in detail.
• The Don: Founder and hierarchical boss of the DiMeo family.
• The Ghost: Never seen, he's a "guest of the government" for life in Springfield, Missouri. After Junior becomes the official boss of the family, he's completely forgotten about and never even mentioned again.
• In Series Nick Name: The Old Man.
• Mentor: For the old Mustache Petes.

Giacomo "Jackie" Aprile, Sr.

Giacomo "Jackie" Aprile, Sr.

"I may be acting boss while The Old Man is guest of the government, but I wish somebody tell my bowels cause they don't obey."

Played by: Michael Rispoli, Chase Vacnin (The Many Saints of Newark)

"Hey Sal, you need money you come to me. You know what I'm saying?"

The acting boss of the DiMeo family at the start of the series.

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• The Ace: From what little we see of him, it's clear Jackie was the perfect leader for the family. Able to keep Tony's fierce temper in check and a pro at diplomatically resolving troubles.
• Affably Evil: Despite being a ruthless mob boss, he is depicted as being very friendly and diplomatic in his dealings with others, even while suffering from terminal cancer. Additionally, even after being confined to the hospital and dying from aforementioned cancer, Tony and the other capos within the DiMeo crime family speak fondly of his fair and charismatic leadership.
• Benevolent Boss: Seemed to genuinely care about his men as shown when he offers to lend some money to Pussy.
• The Don: Boss of the Jersey crew at the start of the series.
• Evil Parents Want Good Kids: Wanted to keep his son away from the criminal life. Tony goes out of his way to try to honor this desire. It doesn't work, and Jackie dies while attempting to follow in his father's footsteps.
• King on His Deathbed: He might just be the acting boss, but the effects of his gradually failing health from cancer are the same. When finally he succumbs to his illness, it results in an all out war between all the players in the family.
• Plot-Triggering Death: His demise leads to an early Succession Crisis and a Mob War between the DiMeos.
• Pragmatic Villainy: He's well aware of the legal problems dealing drugs can cause for the organization and advises his men not to do it. Unfortunately, Pussy didn't listen.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Insofar as any mob boss can be one, he seems to be remembered as a fair leader.
• Remember the New Guy?: The first episode's Early-Installment Weirdness says that Tony is the boss of DiMeo family, with Episode 2 ret-conning Jackie in as Acting Boss and Tony as an already influential capo, being Johnny Boy's son and all.
• Second Episode Introduction: Not mentioned in the pilot, with Tony having his role instead. Episode 2 introduces him as the head of the family.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: Affable and easygoing, unlike Richie, his ruthless and sociopathic brother.
• Small Role, Big Impact: His four episode long death arc basically sets Tony on course to become the Don of the crime family and indirectly every mob-related arc over the run of the series. Several of his blood relatives also go onto become significant characters in the series.
• Universally Beloved Leader: A leader respected by his capos and all the soldiers in the family, who never "ate alone" and is still fondly remembered after his death.
• Villainous Friendship: A very close friend of Tony, they've known each other since childhood and Tony is genuinely saddened at Jackie's death from cancer.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies of cancer in the fourth episode, and after that only appears in a single flashback in Season 3.

Corrado "Junior" Soprano

See his character page here.

Anthony John "Tony" Soprano

See his character page here.

Consigliere

Silvio Manfred Dante

Silvio Manfred Dante

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!"

^{Click here to see Silvio in 1973}

Played by: Steven Van Zandt, John Magaro (The Many Saints of Newark)

"Back when Jackie was at the end, he floated the idea of me stepping up to the big seat. Not Tony, me. Yeah, but I thought it's not for me. I never saw myself as that kind of guy. I'm more behind the scenes advice, strategy."

Tony's most trusted advisor and right-hand man.

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• Affably Evil: Despite being a ruthless mobster, he is a good person to hang out with.
• Ambiguous Situation: What role did Silvio play in Tony's unofficial crew in the '80s? Ralph described Silvio as his, Tony, and Jackie's contemporary, implying he's an upstart just like them. However, The Many Saints of Newark depicts Silvio as having been an established soldier of the DiMeo Crime Family since the '60s, raising questions on what a senior Mafia member would be doing with what would be seen as bunch of two-bit thugs.
• Berserk Button:
  • Gambling - specifically, when lady luck turns against him.
  • It would be fair to say that almost anyone in the crime family would be outraged by one of their own becoming The Mole for the FBI, and wouldn't hesitate to execute the traitor. But Silvio stands out in this regard. He personally participates in the execution of at least three FBI informants, Jimmy Altieri, Big Pussy and Adriana. And each time his facial expression and lowered voice conveys intense fury over what he considers the worst kind of betrayal there is.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Silvio can be pretty goofy with his Pacino impersonations and is one of the more level-headed mobsters but he still won't hesitate to pimp slap one of his strippers and carry out gruesome murders. Just ask Adrianna. In fact, most of the hits against rats (and suspected rats) are carried out by Silvio. In "The Blue Comet", Burt Gervasi contacts Silvio and lets him know that he's been playing both sides of the New Jersey-New York conflict and had switched sides to join the Lupertazzi family (with the intention of getting Sil to join him). Silvio calmly agrees to meet him before brutally strangling Burt to death in his own home and updating Tony about it later.
  Tony: He thought you'd be a part of it?
  Silvio: And he got an answer.
• Blue Oni: To Tony's red moments, but Silvio also shows his temper occasionally.
• The Chains of Commanding: He can't bear them during a brief stint at the helm.
• Cold Ham: His relative restraint, gravitas and overall rigidness in body language make for a peculiar mix from a non-actor like Steve Van Zandt, "overacting by omission".
• The Consigliere: His official role in the crime family; he's Tony's right-hand man and his primary confidant. He generally agrees with Tony's decision-making and sees to it that his orders are carried out, but he's not afraid to argue a contrary position or ask a hard question Tony would rather avoid. Of course, like an actual consigliere, he does not question Tony's decisions in public.
• The Creon: Has reached the top levels of his ambition, and is severely stressed out by the possibility he might have to take over for Tony.
• Cultural Posturing: His Italian heritage is Serious Business for him, and the usually loyal Sil collides with Tony over it.
• Deadpan Snarker: Can even snark off to Tony and get away with it.
  [re Vito, who was just outed as homosexual] Silvio: Let me just ask you, Ton'. Sake of argument. Let's say he shows up: You gonna kiss this guy on both cheeks?
• Demoted to Extra: Downplayed. Compared to Paulie, whose role and importance gradually increase, Silvio gets less and less focus as the show goes on. Nonetheless, he is still one of the most important characters in the show by the time it ends.
• Dismotivation: Silvio has never particularly wanted to be in charge of the family. His goal has always been to be able to live a life of comfort and live to have grandkids. When he's forced in the role of boss in "Mayham", he realizes he's not suited for it and made the right decision.
• Dodgy Toupee: The Many Saints of Newark reveals that he's been wearing one since the 70's. Before the Time Skip he's prematurely bald and the toupee only gets messed up during the interrogation of Harold's cousin.
• The Dragon: Tony's unfilinchly loyal right-hand man and closest advisor, Sil is the only man in the DiMeo Crime Family that Tony can completely trust. He even
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He cares deeply for his daughter and genuinely loves his wife despite being an adulterer.
• Even Evil Has Standards:
  • He doesn't tolerate pedophiles. Sil is elated when Tony tells him to personally deal with Coach Hauser and is visibly pissed when Tony later calls it off.
  • While he personally murders many rats and traitors he finds calling a bomb scare at their wake over the top as far as disrespect goes.
  • "No Show" demonstrates that even he has his limits with Tony's nepotism towards Christopher, as he feels Christopher has no business being named the acting capo of Paulie's crew for a temporary period at this point in his career whether he's Tony's heir or not.
• Happily Married: Despite his prodigious sexual appetite, Sil and his wife Gabriella are shown to be close and loving.
• Hidden Depths: In season 6, he's shown to have a lot of anxiety about taking over the family from Tony if he ever needed to and mentions in season 1 that he once saw a therapist.
• Honest Advisor: Never lies to Tony, and does something behind his back only once (stealing floor tiles for construction), and at the end of the day pays Tony part of the money he got from selling it.
• I Was Quite a Looker: One of the few guys on the show where it's probably averted. Silvio was a prematurely balding weaselly looking dweeb in his youth according to the prequel. Getting a good hairpiece and growing to look pretty tough and dignified in middle age and he arguably looks better as an older man that he did in his 20s.
• It's Personal: Upon finding out that Meadow's soccer coach creeped on one of Meadow's friends (with Silvio's daughter part of that same team and circle of friends), Sil asks Tony who he wants to take the guy out. When Tony cites this trope, it turns out that that's just what Silvio wanted to hear.
  "I'll give him a real after-school special!"
• Kick the Dog: An infamous example in the fifth season. He coldly insults and executes Adriana as she begs him for her life. The worst thing is that she hardly gave the Feds anything and the Feds weren't exactly kind to Adriana either. He is also terribly abusive to Tracee.
• Literal-Minded: He's a blunt man and not one for metaphor. In one amusing exchange, he can't decipher Gerry's meaning when his counterpart in New York muses on Phil's heart giving out right as he was poised to claim the big seat.
  Tony: What the fuck happened to Gary Cooper? That's what I'd like to know
  Sil: (...) He died.
• Living Lie Detector: Silvio is this when it comes to Tony. They are about as close to best friends as you can get in the Mafia and it's subtle but throughout the series, you can see Silvio reading Tony like a book. For an example of this, take a look at Silvio's face during the scene where a bedridden Tony tells the guys that "Chris didn't have his seatbelt on (at the time of the car crash), so his chest filled up and he suffocated on his own blood...seems like that's the cause of death." Silvio senses that Tony is obfuscating what really happened but he keeps it to himself.
• Man of Wealth and Taste: He's a lot more dignified compared to the rest of the Jersey Mob, at least.
• Minor Major Character: Sil remains a supporting character through and through; the closest he gets to A Day in the Limelight are the B-plots in "Christopher" (where he partakes in some Cultural Posturing about Columbus Day) and "Mayham" (where he becomes acting Boss while Tony is in a coma).
• Morality Chain: Sil, as Tony's consigliere, unofficially serves as this, with "morality" being a VERY relative term. He often acts to reign in Tony's more destructive and rash impulses, especially those that would negatively impact the DiMeo crime family's standing, earning power, or morale. It's Silvio who consuls Tony to hand over Tony Blundetto when he goes rogue and nearly causes a mob war with the Lupertazzi family, and later strongly recommends Tony reject Vito's bid to return to the fold when he's outed as gay, as it would not only hurt their relationship with New York but cause tremendous internal strife.
• Nerdy Inhaler: Suddenly finds himself needing one for the first time in years after stepping up as acting boss. The added stress of the position causes an asthma attack which puts him in the hospital.
• Offscreen Villainy: The man runs a stripper / sex bar and is almost always escorted by some stunning girl or another at dinners, but his obvious infidelities are not explicitly portrayed, mostly alluded to, nor is his goomah. In combination with being Out of Focus, it makes him look less sleazy than his peers.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Him sanctioning Patsy Parisi's insubordination in "No Show" is a sign of just how fed up everyone is with Tony's nepotism towards Chris.
• Papa Wolf: Shows this side of himself in "Boca", when he hears that his daughter Heather (whom he lovingly calls "The Principessa")'s soccer coach is having an affair with one of the girls on the team. Sil lies in wait to murder the bastard before Tony calls off the hit.
• The Peter Principle: "Mayham" demonstrates that he's correct to stay in his position as number two in the organization; while he has the intelligence and temperament required for the being the family boss, he cannot handle the stress that comes with being the top decision-maker. Thus, he is vastly unsuited for the sudden promotion to acting boss that Tony's injuries from getting shot forces him into.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: While more mellow about it than most of the other mobsters, he's still quite racist and homophobic, at one point praising the late Richie Aprile for disowning his gay son.
• Punch-Clock Villain: He seems to get very little personal enjoyment out of being a mobster; it's just what he does.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He's usually the most sensible mobster in the show, except when he temporarily becomes boss, he gets a nervous breakdown and the family doesn't like his decisions.
• Satellite Character: Downplayed. He has personality, but when he appears it is mostly with other mobsters. Tony, Paulie and Christopher, in comparison, are often seen in their personal lives.
• Self-Made Man: He's the owner of the Bada Bing, strip club and Jersey Mafia headquarters, but all in all, a serious business. He also has a hand in the music industry.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: The sharpest of the Jersey crew.
• Shout-Out: In "Mayham", when he and his wife Gabriella are discussing his stewardship of the Soprano crew while Tony is in a coma, Silvio states "With great power, comes great responsibility", Spider-Man's old adage.
• Sore Loser: Normally one of the more even-tempered mobsters...unless a card game's not going his way. Even at his daughter's soccer game, he hurls insults and kicks dirt onto a referee because of a red card.
• Uncertain Doom: His ultimate fate is vague. Near-fatally shot in a hit, he narrowly survives, but will likely never regain consciousness.
• Undying Loyalty: Arguably the only member of the family that Tony relies on and trusts 100% from beginning to end. He is one of the very few who always stands by Tony. He refuses to take part in New York's conspiracy against him and is a pretty good friend outside of criminal matters. He's also very supportive when Tony confesses he's been in therapy and doesn't judge him.
• Villainous Friendship: With Tony. They go back a long way. Tony even gives him a pass when Sil tries to undermine his authority.
• Villains Out Shopping: He's angry about having to attend Livia's wake because it's at the same time as the New York Jets' first home game of the season.
• What the Hell, Hero?: In the most polite way possible calls out Tony over his pride as if he didn't want to hurt his feelings.
• Would Hit a Girl: Goes with the territory as a strip club owner and sort of pimp. Sil had no problem going upside Tracee's head when she played hooky from work and had the nerve to give him lip. And of course, he was the guy who killed Adriana for being a rat.

Underbosses

Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri

Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri

"All the shit we been through, you really think I'd kill ya?"

^{Click here to see Paulie in 1973}

Played by: Tony Sirico, Billy Magnussen (The Many Saints of Newark)

"I'm here to tell you one thing: You ever go whining to the big man again about shit between you and me, we'll have a problem, my friend."

A long-time soldier of the Soprano crew, later caporegime, and finally underboss in the DiMeo Crime Family.

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• Affably Evil: Paulie is often cracking jokes and usually has an upbeat, chipper personality, but he's quick to switch to threats and murderous rage.
• Ax-Crazy: Paulie is highly impulsive and homicidal. "Pine Barrens" famously sees his inability to let go of what was an extremely minor slight set up the whole episode's central conflict. As a result, what was just a simple job of picking up a loan payment escalates to attempted murder and finally to him and Chris getting hopelessly lost in the woods where they almost get killed by exposure (while almost killing each other too). And just check out some of his psychotic facial expressions.
• Bait the Dog: He stands up for Vito initially, calling the rumors malicious slander and refusing to believe it without actual proof. But when the truth comes out after Finn's testimony, he's out for blood like no other one, only second to Carlo, and questioning Tony's leadership in the process.
• Beware the Silly Ones: Despite being childish, superstitious, and absurdly hilarious, he's still a brutal, murderous mobster who has managed to survive decades in the job. And by the series finale, he remains one of the only few left standing.
• Character Filibuster: Usually goes on long-winded diatribes about whatever's on his mind, sometimes with no bearing to the topic at hand.
  Beansie: One time, I fell asleep while he was on the phone. I wake up 20 minutes later and he was still going.
• Character Tics: He always has his hands in front of him. Tony Sirico explained this as a prison-like primal stance that allows you to be always ready for a fight.
• Cloudcuckoolander: There's no telling what really goes on inside Paulie's head. He's extremely superstitious, multi-phobic (mainly mysophobic), and tends to believe in paranormal things.
• Commuting on a Bus: He was incarcerated during the first half of season 4, as the actor needed some time off for back surgery.
• Cool Uncle: He can be seen joking with the younger crowd all the way to the finale.
• Cultural Posturing: Laments that the "medigan" (a corruption of "Americani" which refers to white, non-Italian-Americans in general) have taken over traditional Italian things such as the cappuccino, pizza, calzone, buffalo mozzarella, and olive oil. This is turned on its head when he visits Italy and finds himself treated as a boorish American by native Italians.
• Dark Horse Victory: Throughout the series there's been a continuous succession squabble among the capos and underbosses over who succeeds Tony in the event of his retirement/arrest/death (particularly during the period when Tony was in a coma). Paulie manages to win by default, despite not really wanting said role, simply because he's the only senior member of Tony's inner circle still alive by the end of the series (especially because an earlier episode had Tony outright consider murdering Paulie just for being annoying).
• Day in the Limelight: The episode "Remember When" dedicates some spotlight on him since he is the only member that goes into hiding with Tony. It almost becomes Paulie's death episode, but Tony ultimately decides to spare him.
• Deadpan Snarker: Never short a witty put-down or snappy comeback.
• Don't Explain the Joke: He has the bad habit of explaining his jokes or repeating the exact same joke to someone who just heard him tell it to someone else.
• Driven by Envy: Paulie is immediately wary of anybody receiving praise, rewards or mere attention from Tony, and quickly becomes hostile to and establishes competing feuds with almost any mid-to-senior-level member rejoining the Jersey crew, like Ralph and Feech,
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: His relationship with his mother is one of his few redeeming features. When he discover that Nucci isn't his biological mother, but rather his aunt, he doesn't take it well and temporarily disowns her, mostly due to being angry that she lied to him for his whole life about his origins. Eventually, though, he comes around to decide that it doesn't matter because Nucci was still the person who raised him and was always there to offer him support when he needed it, and so he ends up forgiving and reconciling with her.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones:
  • He is deeply saddened by the passing of his "aunt" Dottie.
  • Paulie will occasionally show Papa Bear tendencies towards his nephew, Little Paulie.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Even a vindictive Jerkass like Paulie has his limits when it comes to his fellow mobsters' villainy.
  • Paulie is upset by the sight of Furio attacking a child.
  • He is appalled by Tony's gleeful attitude regarding Phil's heart attack.
  • He's outraged when Chris badmouths his own mother at his intervention and physically assaults him.
  • Like with Tony and Sil, he's disgusted after Richie Aprile ran over Beansie and crippled him.
  • Even he seems shocked when Tony begins to beat Georgie after he says 'you gotta live for today' and helps get Tony off of Georgie.
• Evil Is Petty: While he and Big Pussy are on a mission for Tony (investigating the carjacking of one of AJ's teachers), they ask around at a Starbucks expy. Paulie is appalled at the "appropriation of the Italian culture", (as Italians invented cappuccino), and opts to shoplift several cups and mugs to make up for it. The whole reason why he and Chris get lost in the woods for several hours and almost freeze to death in "Pine Barrens" is that he couldn't just let go of a minor slight and felt he had to escalate the situation all the way up to attempted murder. Said slight is only even given because Paulie walks into the guy's home and proceeds to act like an entitled prick who owns the place.
• Faux Affably Evil: Jokes around with his victims, even before he's about to threaten, harm, or outright murder them.
• Friend to All Children: Despite never being a father, Paulie has a soft spot for kids, comforting his mistress' young children after accidentally waking them up and getting along well with other mobsters' families. It's also shown that hurting kids is one of the few things he draws the line at and is disgusted when he sees others do so.
• Gossipy Hen: He has a tendency to share secrets and rumors to people he views as trusted or unimportant, and is implied to have started the rumor that Adriana was blowing Tony before he crashed the car in "Irregular Around The Margins". This habit puts him in hot water as Tony considers whacking him over his many indescretions in "Remember When".
• Hair-Trigger Temper: Which Christopher manages to set off half the time.
• Half-Breed Discrimination: After learning that his actual mother was knocked up by an unidentified sailor, Paulie realizes that in all likelihood he is not full Italian. It doesn't sit well.
• The Heavy: On multiple occasions, due to Paulie's combination of a big mouth and poor common sense about where and when he opens it. For example, he causes a major spat between Tony and Christopher over Adriana's injuries in a car accident, as he mishears "blow to [Adriana's] head" as "Adriana blowing Tony".
• Heroic Comedic Sociopath: Zig-Zagged. In the first half of the series, this trope is played straight with regards to his character due to the fact that most of his victims are either criminals like himself or otherwise incredibly obnoxious and cruel. However, while his odd quirks continue to be a source of humor, this trope is gradually subverted as his crimes become increasingly heinous in later episodes.
• Hidden Depths: He's really good at sports betting, with several bookies describing him as The Ace. Apparently he knows how to thoroughly research the teams, players, and every other possible angle to make the best bets.
• I Am Not Your Father: He learns from a deathbed confession from his supposed aunt, Dottie, that she is his biological mother. Nucci is really his aunt.
• Informed Ability: When he gives Chris the reigns over his gambling racket, the bookies inform Chris that Paulie is The Ace at sports betting, as he researches the sports teams and their players, and every other possible angle, before placing successful bets. We never really see Paulie applying or displaying this kind of meticulousness, in gambling or in any other discipline.
• In-Series Nickname: "Paulie Walnuts", though most of his friends simply call him Paulie instead.
• It's All About Me: Paulie rarely misses the chance to steer a topic towards how it affects him.
  [re:Vito] How much more betrayal can I take?
• I Was Quite a Looker: Implied in the series proper, the prequel film confirms that Paulie was a pretty handsome guy when he was younger.
• Jerkass: He's petty, stubborn, vindictive, hot-headed, and self-centered.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • He comments on everything and anything, and half the time he's not half-wrong, even if not for the right reasons. Notably, he distrusts anybody who makes waves, mostly because they steal Paulie's thunder. He outlives them all.
  • He never married because he believes that marriage and having a family does not jive well with the risks and responsibilities of being a mobster. Given all the headaches the mobsters who have spouses and kids have to deal with as a result of their way of life, particularly in Tony and Christopher's cases, he has a point.
• Karma Houdini:
  • Paulie never really gets any kind of comeuppance for his crimes, and at the end of the series pretty much everything is looking up for him (his superstitious misgivings about having been promoted by Tony to the head of a crew he fears is cursed aside). Especially when you consider how many of his mob friends have been killed or jailed, or have suffered other terrible fates.
  • Even within the family, Paulie never suffers for being the one who kicked off the tensions with New York by telling Johnny Sack about the joke Ralph Cifaretto made about his wife's weight. Even when Tony realizes it was most likely him, he can't prove it or get Paulie to confess so he has no choice but to leave him be.
• Kick the Dog: Several.
  • Murders Minnie Matrone after being caught robbing her (depending on the viewer though, this might feel deserved).
  • When Chris complains to Tony about having to pay for Paulie's dinner tab, Paulie retaliates by inflating the bill the next night.
  • After Chris throws a brick at a waiter for complaining about his lack of tips, the man suffers a seizure, and Paulie murders him instead of getting him help so that he and Chris will avoid implication.
  • Paulie is a complete dick to Valery, simply because he's in a bad mood for having to do Silvio's collections. It leads to a lot of trouble.
  • He beats and extorts a completely innocent business associate for no other reason than the guy has a loving birth mother and he doesn't.
• Laughably Evil: A ridiculously rapacious and cheap bastard. Comically absurd like many of his shenanigans.
• Malaproper: Like virtually every mobster, he's not as smart as he thinks he is.
• Manchild: Paulie is an immature, vindictive bully who seeks attention and validation from figures of authority and is very prone to jealousy, envy, and mood changes.
• Married to the Job:
  • Literally; he doesn't have much of a private life outside being a gangster. Although he is shown to be dating a couple of different women throughout the series, Paulie has no children and doesn't appear to be interested in maintaining any kind of steady relationship, mostly remaining single.
  • A later episode has Tony and Silvio extolling the virtues of married life to Christopher, who is hesitant at the prospect of marrying his longtime fiance Adriana because he only recently discovered that she may possibly be infertile. Silvio admonishes Chris, asking him if he wants to end up like (Uncle) Junior, "or worse, Paulie?"
    Paulie: No offense, but ask me; marriage and our thing don't jive.
• The Mentor: For Christopher, unwillingly so, but they start to develop an actual friendship.
• The Mole: Feeds Johnny Sack with information for a while. Years later, Tony gets suspicious and contemplates killing him for it, but Paulie is wise enough to deny it.
• Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters: Subverted. Paulie is appointed manager of an amusement fair. He is such a cheapskate that he cuts corners and budgets to the point one ride becomes hazardous and an accident ensues.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Despite his apparent lack of intelligence and overall asinineness, he is pretty cunning and genuinely Street Smart when it comes to how the Mafia works, and he knows how to stay alive within it while not overplaying it like with many other aspects. He tells Silvio he "survived the 70s by the skin of his nuts" and in the final episode, he's essentially the last man standing.
  • Examples of his cunning include him being one of the only people who actively despise Richie, Ralph, Vito, Feech, and Chris whom he foresees (correctly) as major troublemakers, and his refusal in "Remember When" to admit to Tony that he told Johnny Sack the Ralph Cifaretto weight joke saves his life, unbeknownst to himself. This instinct is in full effect, despite the fact that 6 years have passed and both Johnny Sack and Ralph Cifaretto are dead.
• Oblivious Adoption: It it turns out that Nucci isn't his biologial mother, but his aunt. It turns out that woman he thought was his aunt was actually his mother, when she confesses the truth to him on her deathbed, along with telling him that he is the product of short fling once she had with a soldier and she never really knew his father, except for the fact that he was named Russ and probably wasn't of Italian ascenstry. Paulie is shaken to his core by the revelation, and angrily disowns Nucci for keeping the truth from him for all his life. Eventually, he comes to realize that even if Nucci is not his birth mother, she was still the woman who raised him, and he ends up forgiving her.
• Obliviously Evil: Paulie's understanding of morality is very stunted. Tony, Christopher, Silvio, and several of the other mobsters seem to understand the immorality of their chosen 'profession' on some level, but Paulie seems to sincerely think he is a standup guy.
• Old Soldier: At the start of the series, he is pushing 60 and is a capable soldier and enforcer, regularly engaging in street work. He still does it from time to time after he is promoted. For example, by season 6 episode "Mayham", in his late 60s, he helps clear a room of some Colombian drug dealers, several of whom are young enough to be his children or grandchildren.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: A variant; his full nickname is "Paulie Walnuts" but is universally referred to as "Paulie"
• Papa Wolf: With the use of his car and in the presence of Kelli, he left her and Christopher's garden in ruins after his nephew, Little Paulie, was beaten by the latter and thrown out of a second-story window.
• Parting-Words Regret: After Christopher dies, he bitterly regrets having shaken him for money and for making fun of his sobriety.
• Pet the Dog: While he's rarely nice or polite being a massive jerkass, he has demonstrated a capacity to empathize with those around him:
  • His relationship with his mother. Deconstructed in that it leads to more crime in order to provide for her.
  • A straightforward example in From Where To Eternity, which shows him comforting his goomah's children after they are awakened by his night terror.
  • Shows some genuine concern for Beansie Gaeta after his run-in with Richie Aprile, with whom Paulie is none too happy. This is despite Beansie being a civilian as well.
  • After Finn tells the mobsters about him witnessing Vito giving a man a blowjob, Paulie assures Finn that they will make sure he faces no retribution from Vito.
  • Upon discovering that Nucci is not his mother, he first reacts by disowning her. However, over time, he gradually finds it within his heart to forgive her and make amends with her before she dies. This is clearly demonstrated by his visible grief over her death during the course of her funeral.
  • Moreover, he is also seen grieving (albeit restrainedly) over the death of Christopher Moltisanti and even expressing regret over his cruelty towards him during the course of their time together.
• The Peter Principle: Paulie is highly competent at any task involving violence or intimidation, which in addition to seniority gets him promoted to roles that require at least a modicum of tact and subtlety, which Paulie typically lacks. Without close supervision, he's a disaster and a constant source of trouble for others.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: Tends to make vulgar, sexist, racist, or (often and) homophobic comments.
• Professional Butt-Kisser: A servile brown-noser who shows his real "allegiance" the minute Tony gets indisposed.
  I live but to serve you, my liege.
• Properly Paranoid: He keeps his guard up and is wary of almost everything and everybody. While he has a very mixed success record, is not right all the time about troublemakers, and his zeal is often misguided and wrapped with envy, this explains why he outlives every other guy who is apparently more intelligent than him.
• Psychopathic Manchild: He's a mama's boy, and he has not one iota of concern for human life.
• Rank Up: From enforcer to underboss over the course of the series.
• Right for the Wrong Reasons: Paulie antagonizes anybody who is favored by Tony or has some sudden prominence and is quick to badmouth and distrust them, not because they are bad assets but out of jealousy for being overshadowed. He's right in that they are not good enough to be around. Paulie survives the events while most others end up dead.
• The Scrooge: Despite his high and pretty well-paid position in the mob hierarchy, Paulie constantly skimps and cuts corners wherever he possibly can, to the point of clipping discount coupons, and gets extremely upset and whiny whenever faced with even the pettiest of unexpected expenditures.
• The Sociopath: Played for Laughs in the first half of the series, but then played straight in later seasons.not Subverted by the fact that he has shown empathy towards certain people, especially towards his mother.
• Sole Survivor: The only high-ranking member of the DiMeo Crime Family that's still a mobster and not in a precarious position. The rest are either dead, imprisoned, turned informant, disabled, AWOL, or in some form of Uncertain Doom.
• Sophisticated as Hell: He tries hard to emulate Tony's Wicked Cultured nature, but fails, hard.
• Straight Edge Evil: Downplayed. While Paulie does enjoy the occasional drink or fancy dinner or prostitute or game of cards, his vices are remarkably restrained compared to Tony, Christopher, and Silvio, who waste all or most of their money on their hedonistic lifestyles. Tony notes that Paulie is still quite fit into his old age while Tony himself becomes a degenerate gambler, whoremonger, and Fat Bastard by stuffing himself with food to deal with the stress of being the Boss. It's implied that Paulie spends a significant chunk of his income on provision for his mother instead. It also keeps his mind sharp and no doubt contributed to his longevity.
• Talkative Loon: The man is always, always talking, telling stories and ideas with varying degrees of triviality and annoyance, which often becomes grating to others.
• That Came Out Wrong: In the sixth season, he calls "Beansie" Gaeta, who is in a wheelchair, a "stand-up guy" before hastily apologizing.
• Turncoat: Tries to defect to New York, but his scheme ends in Epic Fail when he discovers that Carmine Sr. doesn't even know him. Paulie was just being cajoled and exploited by Johnny Sack.
• Unexpected Successor: If one goes with the interpretation that Tony is whacked at the end, then Paulie, as underboss, will succeed him as boss of the DiMeo family. Even if Tony survived, Paulie's role in the final two episodes where he essentially serves as Tony's second-in-command following the attacks on Silvio and Bobby is something Tony likely hadn't seen coming, especially given how tempted he was to murder Paulie earlier that season in "Remember When".
• Verbal Tic: His "Heh-Heh" laugh. Lampshaded at one point when Tony wonders if he has Tourette's.
• Villain Protagonist: At his heart. He appears to be a grandpa type, and he's really funny... but he still executes Pussy in cold blood (in tandem with Tony and Silvio), and unlike his compatriots, showed (almost) remorse over it.
• Villain with Good Publicity: Amusingly, Paulie is a 2006 Honoree for Excellence in Recycling◊.
• Villainous BSoD: When he discovers that Carmine Lupertazzi has barely any idea of who he is or the information he has provided his family, Paulie is completely stunned.
• Villainous Friendship: A flimsy one with Tony, Paulie was more like a mentor back in the day, and a friend of Tony's father.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Christopher. The two of them frequently butt heads over the series, but when the chips are down they make a formidable team. After Christopher dies, Paulie is genuinely saddened by his death and regrets his behavior towards him.
• Would Harm a Senior: Smothers elderly Minnie Matrone to death after she catches him trying to rob her.

Bobby "Baccala" Baccalieri

Bobby "Baccala" Baccalieri

Played by: Steve Schirripa

"You know, Quasimodo predicted all this."

A rising member of the Soprano crew, who later on marries Janice Soprano.

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• Affably Evil: Bobby is possibly the nicest mobster in the entire show. He’s a devoted family man, is generally very passive and shy to the point of near Butt-Monkey status (a reputation he manages to shake by the last few seasons) and is not very aggressive compared to his friends. This is somewhat Downplayed in the final few episodes. After carrying out his first whacking he becomes less friendly and cuddly compared to earlier.
• Anti-Villain: The most sympathetic and most innocent mobster in the series by a wide margin.
• Anyone Can Die: He's married to Janice and a large part of the show, then dies extremely suddenly later.
• Ascended Extra: He's just a minor member of Junior's crew at the start of the show, but his importance and screen time increase as the seasons progress.
• Beard of Sorrow: He shows some stubble after the death of his first wife Karen.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Bobby is a fairly nice guy, but he will push back when he feels offended or slighted. when pushed far enough, he'll respond with violence, even when the victim is Tony himself who he is able to beat in a fight.
  • When Paulie ends up getting Janice and his kids hurt due to being a cheapskate, it requires a half dozen mobsters and police officers restraining him to keep Bobby from tearing Paulie apart on the spot.
• Butt-Monkey:
  • Early on, Bobby is the butt of many of Tony's jokes. Tony nearly falls over laughing at Bobby when he shows up in full hunting gear to help him rescue Christopher and Paulie.
  • More so to Junior, who never stops disrespecting and abusing him.
• The Caretaker: He's assigned to take care of old Uncle Junior.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: The one trait that consistently contrasts with Bobby's Gentle Giant personality is his complaining. He complains about being Junior's lackey, the service at restaurants, not getting enough responsibility, not being treated with respect, and so on. He might not have the backbone to seize what he wants, but he does let everyone know when he's not happy.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Despite being homophobic, he was one of the few mobsters against killing Vito and was content to merely exile him.
• Gentle Giant: Bobby is one of the largest members of the mob, but has a mild personality and doesn't partake in the mean-spirited sniping and ball-busting of the other mob goons. He enjoys model trains in his spare time, something that others think makes him seem like a Manchild. He still objects to disrespect but is slower to anger than other mobsters.
• Good Parents: He's very close to his kids.
• Happily Married: With Karen. Not quite so much the second time around with Janice, but to some degree at least.
• Iconic Sequel Character: Despite being one of the more prolific characters, Bobby was not introduced into the show until Season 2's "Do Not Resuscitate". He has the greatest number of appearances of any character not featured in the show's first season.
• Manchild: Downplayed, as he generally is one of the more level-headed and even tempered of the guys. But he has his moments, such as when he argues with the kid when he's Santa, which sounds like an argument between two kids. He plays with toy trains as well, and really gets into the hobby by Season 6.
• Mook Promotion: From Junior's flunky to the #3 of the family.
• Nepotism: Being the brother-in-law of the boss is a great boost for his career. Unlike Christopher, he turns out to be much more competent and reliable than he initially appears to be. To Bobby's credit, he's a dutiful and trustworthy aide to Junior throughout the series, so his ascension is at least somewhat merited.
• Nice Guy: Probably the biggest for the Jersey family. So much so that he manages to work up to the top of the mob despite never killing anyone until Tony says otherwise.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain: Bobby becomes one after Tony orders him to kill a French-Canadian criminal. He's shocked by it at first, but soon he accepts his new role.
  • Was clearly ready to throw down with Paulie over the ride incident, in which his wife Janice was injured.
• Papa Wolf: Subverted. While Bobby is angry about the fact that his children were endangered by a faulty carnival ride, Janice criticizes him for not beating up those responsible. It's only after her prodding that he does so.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: Bobby may be the nicest of the crew members, but he still shares a few of their prejudices. Notably, while he didn't want Vito killed after the latter was outed for being gay, he was still all for banning him from their hangout spots. He also makes some very derogatory statements about Native Americans as well as undocumented immigrants. On the flipside, he does chide his son for making fun of Asians.
• Rail Enthusiast: He has a big interest in trains, and can be seen building and playing with model trains in his garage, sometimes while dressed like a conductor, which gives him some mockery from his peers. He is also seen buying a model train at a hobby shop in his last scene, before the Lupertazzi hitmen kill him.
• Rank Up: There's a bit of nepotism there — his father was a mob legend and he marries the boss' sister — but dependable and competent Bobby certainly takes well to the high position he ascends to. After Tony gives up hope of moulding Christopher into his official right-hand-man and intermediary, he retools this plan with Bobby in mind.
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: As revealed in "Sopranos Home Movies", Bobby has the rare distinction of being a made man who has never committed a murder. Tragically averted in the same episode, when Tony spitefully forces him to commit one after losing a fight to Bobby.
• Token Good Teammate: At first. He gradually grows more ruthless as the series progresses.
• Took a Level in Badass: Went from being one of the biggest teddy bears in the family to marrying Tony's sister and skyrocketing up to #3 in the pecking order by the end. Can be seen as a deconstruction. His "#3" pecking order is what gets him targeted and killed by Phil Leotardo's crew. Paulie Gualtieri was considered before him.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Once he becomes Tony's #3, Bobby clearly lets his new authority go to his head. When Chris barges in with a grievance, Bobby is just as curt and dismissive as Tony.
• Trauma Conga Line: His father and his wife die within months, and then Janice takes an interest in him, leading to a verbally abusive relationship. Then a ride breaks down with Janice and his kids on it. Then he suffers a near-death experience in which some street kids shoot him in the face, temporarily blinding him in one eye. Then he gets into a drunken brawl with Tony and beats him, causing him to fear for his life. Tony deliberately intimidates Bobby after this, then arranges for Bobby to make his first kill, which is a messy and brutal one. His entire personality darkens as a direct result of this and by the end, he's rendered a casualty in the war between New York and New Jersey in one of the series' biggest cases of No Kill like Overkill.
• Villains Out Shopping: Has a toy train hobby whenever he's not doing things for the family.

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