History Characters / TheSopranosDiMeoCrimeFamily

** jose.calderon120054@my.lsgh.edu.ph, the family namesake, was based on Sam [=DeCavalcante=], who was nicknamed "the Plumber" because he owned a plumbing company in Kenilworth. But he [[EmbarrassingNickname hated that nickname]] and preferred being called "the Count" as a less-embarrassing alternative.

* RankUp: 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 melding Christopher into his official right-hand-man and intermediary, he retools this plan with Bobby in mind.

* OldSoldier: In the season 6 episode "Mayham", he helps clear a room of some Colombian drug dealers, several of whom (in the context of age) could be his children or grandchildren, among other examples.

** Literally; he doesn't have a life. An early episode showed him waking up in his girlfriend's bed, but this character was dropped after only one appearance. The girlfriend even has a couple of kids who are at least very familiar and friendly with Paulie.

[[caption-width-right:300:''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.'']]

* PlotTriggeringDeath: His demise leads to an early SuccessionCrisis and a MobWar.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: 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 go onto become significant characters in the series.

* VillainousFriendship: A very close friend of Tony.

* AffablyEvil: 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 ButtMonkey 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. [[spoiler: After carrying out his first whacking]] he becomes less friendly and cuddly compared to earlier.

* AnyoneCanDie: He's married to Janice and a large part of the show, then dies extremely suddenly later.

The Italian-American crime family that serves as the main focus of the series. Initially headed by acting boss Jackie Aprile Sr. after the incarceration of Eckley [=DiMeo=], leadership of the family soon falls to Junior Soprano. In truth, Junior is largely powerless with his nephew Tony Soprano serving as the ''de facto'' boss.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of TheMafia in the modern-day. TheMafia here is nowhere near as powerful as they were in movies like ''Film/GoodFellas'' and ''Film/{{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 [[DumbMuscle 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 [[BigBadWannabe more of a group of violent street thugs]] living in the past and on borrowed time.

* UncertainDoom: Despite the fact that [[spoiler:Tony left a few loose ends and the show ended without an obvious conclusion]], it's safe to say that the fate of the organization looks grim.

* CulturalPosturing: His Italian heritage is SeriousBusiness for him, and collides with Tony over it.

%%* TheDragon: To Tony.

* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Compared to the rest of the Jersey Mob, at least.

* EvenEvilHasStandards:

* InSeriesNickname: "Paulie Walnuts", though most of his friends call him Paulie.

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Despite being childish, superstitious, and absurdly hilarious, he's still a brutal, murderous mobster.

* BaitTheDog: He stands up for Vito initially, calling the rumors malicious slander, but when the truth comes out, he's out for blood like no other one, only second to Carlo, and questioning Tony's leadership in the process.

--->[re:Vito] How much more betrayal can I take?

* InSeriesNickname: "Paulie Walnuts"

* CoolCar: Most of them drive luxury cars.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: [[spoileralwar 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.]]

** Ercole "Eckley" [=DiMeo=], the family namesake, was based on Sam [=DeCavalcante=], who was nicknamed "the Plumber" because he owned a plumbing company in Kenilworth. But he [[EmbarrassingNickname hated that nickname]] and preferred being called "the Count" as a less-embarrassing alternative.

* EvilParentsWantGoodKids: Wanted to keep his son away from the criminal life. Tony goes out of his way to try to honor this desire. [[spoiler: It doesn't work.]]

* StraightEdgeEvil: 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 FatBastard 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.

* StraightEdgeEvil: 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 FatBastard by stuffing himself with food to deal with the stress of being the Boss.

* MarriedToTheJob: Literally; he doesn't have a life. An early episode showed him waking up in his girlfriend's bed, but this character was dropped after only one appearance. The girlfriend even has a couple of kids who are at least very familiar and friendly with Paulie.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: [[spoiler: By the end of the series, most of Tony's key guys are either dead or otherwise incapacitated, making the future of the [=DiMeo=] Crime Family look pretty bad. The last scene of the series implies Tony might [[UncertainDoom have been killed in front of his family... or not]]. The only real exeption is [[KarmaHoudini Paulie]].]]

* TheSociopath: PlayedForLaughs in the first half of the series, but then played straight in later seasons.
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] by the fact that he has shown empathy towards certain people, especially towards his mother.

* UnexpectedSuccessor: If one goes with the interpretation that [[spoiler: Tony is whacked at the end, then Paulie, as underboss, will succeed him as boss of the [=DiMeo=] family.]]
** Even if [[spoiler: Tony survived]], Paulie's role in the final two episodes where he essentially serves as Tony's second-in-command following [[spoiler: 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".

* DrivenByEnvy: Paulie is immediately wary of anyobody receiving praise, rewards or mere attention from Tony, and quickly becomes hostile to and establishes [[TheRival competing feuds]] with almost any mid-to-senior-level member rejoining the Jersey crew, like Ralph and Feech,

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_sopranos_s01e02_46_longavi_snapshot_2130_20180515_140953.jpg]]

->'''Played by:''' Creator/DavidChase

->'''Played by:''' Creator/MichaelRispoli, Creator/ChaseVacnin (Film/TheManySaintsOfNewark)

->'''Played by:''' Steven Van Zandt, Creator/JohnMagaro (''Film/TheManySaintsOfNewark'')

-->''"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."''

->'''Played by:''' Creator/TonySirico, Creator/BillyMagnussen (''Film/TheManySaintsOfNewark'')

-->''"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."''

->'''Played by:''' Creator/SteveSchirripa

-->''"You know, Quasimodo predicted all this."''

* JerkassHasAPoint: 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.

* ResignationsNotAccepted: As per the norm in criminal enterprises.