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What An Idiot / The Sopranos

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Even members of the Mafia make stupid decisions from time to time.


Spoilers ahead.

  • In the first season, Jimmy Altieri is ostensibly arrested on a weapons charge, but makes bail that same day.
    You'd Expect: Given that no one has seemingly heard about what happened and that he got out so quickly, he would go about business as usual so as not to attract any suspicion.
    Instead: He decides to make a spectacle of himself by obnoxiously (and repeatedly) attracting the suspicion of the rest of the DiMeo family. Immediately after being released, Jimmy goes over to Tony's house, asking him repeatedly about a crime the two were involved in (itself involving murder and theft). Soon after, he requests a meeting with the captains to discuss topics they'd already gone over shortly beforehand.
    Result: Tony's "sixth sense" starts tingling, and by the time the latter meeting happens, both Junior and himself are convinced that Jimmy is wearing a wire and fishing for information. Jimmy continues his suspicious behavior as before, and accepts the invite of an associate (not a made guy), Christopher, who calls him up at 2:00 in the morning and invites him down to a hotel in Newark so the two can bang Russian hookers. Jimmy falls for this obvious trap and is unceremoniously executed by Christopher and Silvio.
  • In "Isabella", Junior Soprano hires a pair of hitmen to kill his nephew Tony. When the first assassination attempt fails, they approach their target a second and final time.
    You'd Expect: For them to flank the defenseless Tony and shoot him from a distance.
    Instead: Only one of them approaches Tony, has the element of surprise yet misses every shot, allowing Tony time to jump back into his car. Then, the hitman decides to stick his pistol inside the car in an attempt to kill his target.
    Result: Obviously, Tony's having none of it and grabs onto his killer's weapon; when the other hitman finally reaches the car, he shoots inside of it but misses and shoots his friend instead. And then he sticks his pistol inside the window too, allowing Tony to grab onto it, start the car, and lose him on the street. Needless to say, Tony survives the attempt on his life. And after the FBI reveal wiretapped conversations to him from Livia's room at the nursing home confirming that Junior was behind the hit, Tony retaliates against Junior by having two of his enforcers (Mikey Palmice and Chucky Signore) killed; Junior only manages to avoid being killed when he gets indicted for racketeering on unrelated charges.
  • In season 5, Tony's long-incarcerated cousin Tony Blundetto is released from prison and attempts to go straight. In "Sentimental Education", he comes across a bag with a few thousand dollars in drug money.
    You'd Expect: Recognizing the fortuitous discovery of this financial windfall, and being on the cusp of going into business for himself, he would use that money for his new venture and refrain from any criminal dealings.
    Instead: Tony B. vents his frustration by beating the shit out of his business partner and blowing all the money on clothes and frivolous purchases.
    Result: After working for his cousin in the mob for less than a few months, he is unsatisfied with his progress and takes a job to assassinate Joey Peeps, a Lupertazzi family member close to Johnny Sack while the latter is embroiled in a bloody, internal civil war. After Angelo Garepe is killed in retaliation for Peeps' death, Tony B. embarks on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge against his killers, the Leotardo brothers.
  • This culminates in "Long Term Parking" when Tony B. attempts to kill the Leotardo brothers to avenge Angelo (itself an incredibly foolish idea).
    You'd Expect: With the element of surprise on his side, Tony B. would ambush the defenseless Leotardo brothers and shoot them repeatedly so as to ensure their death. In case of any accidents or unexpected turn of events, he could also conceal his identity with a ski mask.
    Instead: With his face exposed, Tony B. ambushes and shoots repeatedly at Billy Leotardo, killing him, and only shoots once at Phil, wounding him, then flees.
    Result: Phil Leotardo swears vengeance, puts a bounty out on Tony B., and Tony S. is eventually forced to kill Tony B. himself to save him from whatever Phil likely had planned for him.
  • In "The Blue Comet", Phil Leotardo decides to wage war on the DiMeo crime family, and orders the murder of several high-ranking members including Tony himself. Word gets to Tony by way of the now corrupt FBI Agent Harris.
    You'd Expect: For Tony to immediately go into hiding.
    Instead: Tony goes around for several days as if nothing is wrong and makes no attempt to hide himself or his family, nor does he increase the security presence around him and at the places he frequents. Hell, he keeps going to the same restaurants and hangouts he's been frequenting near-daily for years, leaving him massively vulnerable to any hitmen sent by the Lupertazzis.
    Result: It's only when Bobby is killed and Silvio placed in a coma that Tony actually goes into hiding.

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