Tony Soprano, the protagonist of the successful HBO series The Sopranos, is a hero to many who loved the show, but a nightmare for the law enforcement officials who spent their careers pursuing him.
Played by the beloved James Gandolfini (1961-2013), Tony Soprano is a ruthless mobster whose character loosely based off the actual New Jersey gangster Vinny “Vinny Ocean” Palermo who was born in 1944 and grew to be the capo (de facto leader) of the DeCavalcante crime family.
The Longest Rap Sheet of Them All
The reason Tony Soprano was able to rise from the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey wasn’t because he had a respectful, dutiful nature. This man was more than willing to commit the crimes necessary to achieve the title of capo.
Soprano earned respect in the DiMeo crime family, of which he later became the head, by first committing a robbing a card game. Just a short time later he committed his first murder – ending the life of smalltime bookie Will Overall – at the age of 22.
From that point on, Soprano was responsible for the deaths of 17 other people with season six, during which 6 hits were carried out, being the bloodiest. In addition to murder, Soprano racked up 10 counts of assault and battery as well as a few arson and reckless driving charges.
Finally, like most mobsters, Soprano was an expert with financial crimes that include, but are not limited to:
- Bribes
- Extortion
- Mortgage fraud
- Tax evasion
- Money laundering
As a result of his constant criminal infractions, Tony Soprano was short tempered and had to enter therapy – fairly mild consequences after a life of heinous crimes.
Image created by: Instant Checkmate
