The destruction of the Aprile crew wasn't really Tony's fault. Jackie Sr died of cancer, Richie was about to attempt a coup and was killed in a domestic dispute, Jackie Jr botched a robbery and paid the price, Adriana was a rat and was thus eliminated, Vito didn't get a second opinion regarding his medication and nearly caused an international incident with the Shah of Iran secretly assassinating him.
@@chicosworldthey did. When tony and Paulie went down south they showed a flashback. it was in 82’ when he killed willie overall. He was born 1959 so that means he was 23. Meadow was born the same year. Episode is called “remember when” season 6.
I'd say Jackie Sr had the best fate of any character on the show. I mean, Cancer isn't a laughing matter but compared to the horrifying endings a lot of these mobsters got, you can say that he had a very respectable end without going to Prison or turning rat to save himself.
At the time of his death, he was probably "happy". He had a son that was supposedly in Rutgers and on his way to be a doctor. A daughter out West going to school and sufficient funds for Ro (combined with how widows are supposed to be taken care of).
I don't think so. His death was needed to set up the main conflict of Season 1 and promote Tony to boss. Keeping him alive would reduce the tension that makes the show interesting.
Jackie Aprille is not forgotten. DiMeo was forgotten. Jackie was an acting boss for him, when he was sent to prison for life, and he is mentioned in the show like once.
Lol...he was mentioned more than once but I get your point. They didn't always say his name though sometimes just referred to him as "the old man" easy to miss if you're not paying attention
@@paradoxexpress6976 It was implied that Tonys father and Uncle June really were powerful Cappos that ran North Jersey when Tony visited his Uncle in the retirement home on the last season
10:37 For instance, Tony and Jackie Sr.'s original robbery of Feech's game would've worked perfectly as a flashback in the episode where Jackie Jr.'s botched robbery takes place.
@@yaqubebased1961 I mean, even if it’s years later, Jackie was the boss and highly respected. That would be like Sil dating Carmella a couple years after Tony passes
The real forgotten boss was Ercole DiMeo who was actually the real boss of the family in jail. He was completely forgotten after being mentioned in season 1.
I was soo confused the first few seasons, as the Tony vs Junior rivalry started out being over *acting* boss with DiMeo in jail... but after a while they're was no more mention, and it was actual boss. (Long before DiMeo died)
Well the thing is Chase had no real plan for the character of DiMeo. He was mostly mentioned as a plot device on why someone as young as Jackie was boss. He even later regretted it somewhat as he didn't want the idea of anyone really being above Tony as boss. So they just gave a throwaway line that he was in jail. But even so I think it was weird that the supposed true boss of the family is never seen or barely mentioned the entire time of the show. I mean even junior kept tabs on the family even in house arrest. Easily one of the more disappointing decisions on the show.
The little we know about Jackie: He seemed to be the most level headed of the Captains or Boss's, more than Silvio or Jr. even. Wasn't a psychopath, wasn't greedy, a mental midget, and wanted to maintain as calm a front as possible. This is all relevent to the situation, but that's how I see it.
Great mobster, terrible father. He devoted so much to the DiMeo family that he never addressed his son's character concerns or even disciplined him for his mistakes. This gave Jackie Jr. a sense of entitlement that because his dad was boss he was essentially untouchable. What he failed to understand is you cannot shoot a made guy and get a pass, especially one made from the other side like Furio. That I believe is why Jackie Sr. and Tony were so successful in robbing Feech La Manna's card game: nobody got shot so it was much easier for Richie and Johnny Boy to appeal for Jackie and Tony respectively.
Fun fact about Jackie Aprile Sr. He was originally supposed to be played by a much older actor, but David Chase like Micheal Rispoli's audition for Tony so much, he gave Micheal the role of Jackie and wrote in the character of Eckley DiMeo to explain why someone so young was the boss of a Mafia family.
There was a theory that Rosalie might be Ercole’s daughter, which explains how Jackie Sr. was able to slide into the acting boss position at such a young age, which wasn’t easy even with the amount of respect he got; It also ties into how Rosalie could live like such for so many years (possibly inheriting her father’s legitimate business interests) after his death despite not having any real job, it seems.
@@antoinesilva1527 That's definitely possible. Also remember that it's hinted that Ercole didn't think as highly of Junior as he did Johnny. Remember that Johnny was made first and had a crew in the late 50s, while Junior didn't get his crew til the early 70s. I always thought that the Aprile crew was so prominent because it was the Boss's old crew, before Richie even. Jackie being capo of his old crew plus being married to Ro may have influenced Ercole's decision to make him underboss, but also perhaps it was also to keep Junior from the center of power.
Pretty cool how you hardly even learn Jackie’s name the first time you watch those early episodes, but on a rewatch seeing him in the flesh is really special
Great video/analysis. I’ve also wondered about Tony supporting Jackie over his own uncle, but looking at how the leadership contest between him and Junior eventually went, I imagine most of the capos would have backed Jackie over Junior. The best Tony could do was smooth things over with his uncle so he didn’t end up in a conflict he’d inevitably lose. It’s great fore(post?)shadowing of the leadership contest between Tony and his uncle.
I think the point of Jackie Sr. is to show that Tony has had it pretty good for a while. He has been the underboss in everything but name for most of the 90s, but now his uncle is causing pointless trouble.
I was just thinking. Tony must've been a very very good earner to have a house like that as a captain. All the other captains lifestyles were a lot less extravagant than his even b4 he became the boss. We saw big pussys house, sils house, paulies house, Jr's house, chris' apartment etc etc. No comparison.
It’s mentioned in the show, like in the 1st season. Tony explains to Melfie about the power struggle with Junior. Tony states that he pretty hit the ground running and was a good earner from the start. It’s also mentioned later that Junior always had resentment for Johnny and Tony because Johnny was younger but more respected and Tony was his nephew but was a better earner.
Tony was never eager to have Jackie Jr killed no matter how annoyed he was. And I believe Ralph was sincere about giving Jackie a pass until Ralph found out that Jackie told Tony that Ralph gave him a gun, which made Ralph look even worse in Tony’s eyes than he already did
I was going to say the same thing. It seems like Tony sincerely wanted Jackie Jr to stay out of trouble. Although he failed at keeping him away. I don’t think he wanted Jackie Jr killed, but he knew by rules of the mob that he would look like a weak leader who disregards the rules if he didn’t act when made guys just got shot. Instead Tony tries to put the responsibility on Ralph so that it seems like it wasn’t all his decision, originally thinking that Ralph would give him a pass. But later finds out he was wrong
@@americanzombie1802to be fair, Ralph made the right call. Jackie was a real putz with the card game. If they didn’t get high, they could have backed down once he realized that Michael made him, gotten his chops busted badly, but could have earned some respect for having balls, yet being smart enough to pull out when it wasn’t a good situation. Instead, everything went to hell and he got what he deserved for being stupid.
PureKino & one other channel (I don’t mention other creators in comments, not respectful) are the only two that can STILL analyze The Sopranos in interesting ways. Offering “fresh” perspectives and entertaining content from a show that’s been over for 2 decades is impressive.
Ercole Dimeo is the real forgotten boss. Remember Jackie was Acting Boss and pointedly said so. He's identified as so by the FBI and a local news broadcast. While it's assumed he retired at some point, this isn't specifically stated at any point in the series. Nor should it be assumed, as plenty of real bosses maintained their positions while imprisoned. Philip Rastelli, Carmine Persico, Andrew Russo, even Vic Orena, all maintained their positions and titles while spending the majority of their reign in prison. The only reason Junior - and then Tony - became boss is because it provided a more entertaining narrative.
I always wondered why the old man in Springfield never made any decisions. In most mob movies and TV shows it seems like even though the boss is put away he still has control of some sort.
The fact that there is an old man in Springfield is really glossed over after season 1. I think most people who only gave Sopranos a single viewing completely forgot or didn't realize there was a real boss in jail. DiMeo doesn't have family members appear in any of the crews or part of the periphery.
DiMeo completely disappears. I wish the show had explained what happened to him, instead of just dropping any mention of him. This show is great, but there are some huge flaws, what it did with DiMeo is one flaw in my opinion.
It's like any of them John was boss till he was sentence then he was forgotten about the best line for me in the show is when Tony b gets out and bobbys kid ask why have we never heard of you, and that's it in a nut shell you go down and nobody what's to know you fact.
@@blakeysbobbyslexiamazingjo4505 True....to a point. Tony and Phil did cut John out with the vitamin truck. But Phil was still going to John with issues until he died and John's orders carried out. Probably makes a difference when you're a boss as opposed posed to even a capo or made guy.
No it’s just that he ran shit so good situations like that rarely happened. But there wete definitely some scenes that proved he was a firm leader when needed
@@TheFightHubb He could hardly be worse than he was... the Family, his own personal and extended family, his _civilian_ friends, his own health etc etc Tony was a complete fuckup. And there may never have been a bigger hypocrite than Tony. But it sure was entertaining 🙂
I still want to know how a Captain (Tony) had a bigger and better house than the acting boss (Jackie). I'm assuming Jackie had a lot of legal fees to stay out of prison, or keep his time on the inside, low. Still raises the question for me: is an underling allowed to flex his financial success over his boss in the mob? I figure any boss that saw how Tony was living they'd assume he was a) dealing drugs b) holding out on the kick-up.
theres a couple things. First of all in the pilot Tony is already the boss of jersey and that gets retconned in the regular season, but they had already shown what the soprano house was so they had to keep it. Second Carmelas father built the house at presumably a much lower cost and i think its implied that it was maybe built with subpar materials so Tony got a really good deal on the house. And finally its entirely possible for a captain to earn more than the boss of the family depending on the rackets they have set up. Especially with the fact that Jackie is the acting boss and hasn’t been in the position very long so its possible he hasnt had the time to get established in some good rackets as boss.
This stuff is so good. It is the hardest thing as a parent to hold the line with your kids. It’s a lot of work, it gives you grief, and the easy way out is to just ignore it. Unfortunately it’s the exact opposite of love.
Jackie Jr would have earned the respect of his peers if he just finish school. He was enamored with his father's legacy and wouldn't have lived up to his father's name. Sometimes you got to make it your own way.
Would have been sort of interesting to see an alternative plot line where Jackie Sr. survives cancer and sticks around 'til the end. Especially him realizing that his son is an idiot and won't be going to medical school and how he handles that.
@@danielbergonzi7319 Jackie Jr. would've tried over and over again to convince his fawhta to let him join the crime family. "I already told you no, get a f-in job at Blockbuster like A.J."
I think Jackie Sr. would have eventually seen that his son was too stupid for college and got him set up in a semi-legit business like Carmine Jr.'s porn movies.
Richie Aprile, Season 2, as played by David Proval...among the best acting in The Sopranos. I just loved that character. Amazed to learn to learn he was Jewish. Many of us Jews always wanted to be Italian. Proval was born in Brooklyn, New York into a Jewish family,[1] the son of Clara Katz, an actress from Bucharest, Romania.[2][3] He has appeared in films such as Mean Streets, The Shawshank Redemption, The Phantom, Mob Queen, Four Rooms, UHF, Innocent Blood, The Siege, The Monster Squad, Bookies, and Balls of Fury
Jackie is kind of Arthur Dayne from Game of Thrones. He's an idealized, honored man who's solid under fire and excellent at what he does - a staple of the olden days and proof "they don't make men like they used to". Both stories do away with them because it leads to more interesting storylines, featuring more conflict-torn, imperfect people. Both their demises signal a shift on their respective worlds.
Well, A Song of Ice and Fire seems to still be an optimistic story despite the darkness with Arthur Dayne's death and his family possibly leading to the world being saved from The Eternal Night... if the books actually finished. But Jackie's death definitely signaled the nihilistic themes of the story in The Sopranos.
Jackie was just one of those people who everyone naturally gravitates to. A natural leader, I think everyone has met at least one person like that in their lifetime
I agree he's an interesting character, it would've been good to see more of him. Unfortunately he had to die early of course, because his death sets up the key rivalry for season 1: Tony vs Junior. More flashbacks with Jackie would've been nice, but the writers would've had to find a purpose for them beyond just detailing his character. The Pussy dream sequences worked because his death haunted Tony, it always nagged at him. Maybe the writers could've thought of some Jackie flashbacks that tell us something about Tony, but I'm not sure what.
In regards to Ralphie dating Rosalie I always saw it as a power move on Ralph’s part to position himself as a possible future boss of the family. Even as capo it was clear that he was an ambitious rival to Tony as Boss of the family. As noted in the video, he, Tony, and Jackie all came up together, so why should have Tony automatically be or remain Boss over Ralph, especially since Ralph was a successful earner and was involved with the former First Lady of the Family?
I really liked Michael Rispoli's performance on The Sopranos and also on The Deuce. I also found Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile to be very convincing and realistic.
I always thought that keeping Jackie around for the whole first season would've been interesting, and it seems like he was a far better boss compared to Tony.
Proof that MSN should’ve just been a limited series.. there’s so much untapped backstories for not only Jackie Aprile but Tony as well since they literally came up the next to one another @ the same time..he’s truly the closest link to Tony’s rise in the mob but we know how it turned out 💔
Excellent video. That being said, I'm not a fan of the "the writers should / could have done x, y, z". They did what they did. The impact of Jackie Sr's death on the Soprano crew is a recurring plot device. That's the reason for the character, IMO.
I know it's a meme to say "that minor character was my favourite, I wish they did more with him", but yeah hard agree he should have gotten more screen time - I chalk it up to them not quite knowing what exactly they were doing early on - what happened with that lady who formed a relationship with Junior in House Arrest? That wasn't explained at all, it's sad they didn't follow through with it, was such a wholesome moment that could have made Junior less lonely and arguably even more tragic when he later died of Alzheimer's... I know he didn't die on screen but be honest, Junior was marked for a tragic death by the end of the season - I know he's a piece of shit mobster but Alzheimer's is something I'd only wish on child molesters and serial/mass/child killers, absolutely horrific way to go.
After listening to The Caretaker's album Everything At the End of Time, I'm absolutely horrified of Alzheimer's. 😬 Season 6 now has an even more foreboding atmosphere for me.
@@johnny_thunder_3024yeah, probably, it's just that I've been showing a friend the series, and when she watched House Arrest she said "aaawwww, she's so sweet!" and "please tell me she sticks around!" and it sucked having no explanation for her. She was a one episode character, but so was Tracee who's significance wasn't finished until S4E9: "Whoever Did This", a full season + 3 episodes later.
Honestly if Jackie senior lived he would still be making boss money and Jackie would have been fine not working at all and just doing whatever he wanted. Would be like little carmine down in FL. Let him play wannabe gangster far away with daddy’s money. Jackie Jr probably wouldn’t have even cared about being in the mafia at all if he didn’t have to work.
Honestly, he doesn't deserved the "Forgotten Boss" title. The forgotten boss will always be old man Dimeo. Hell, it's pretty likely that some fans might've forgot that it's called Dimeo crime family already if you didn't say it in the beginning lol. Dunno what the old man did, but he probably got the worst treatment as the locked up old boss by his own crime family throughout the whole history of the mob itself. No one ever visit him, they don't even mention his name once post season 1. It was like he was some bastard child no one wanna talk about or some shit XD. Kinda fucked up to think about when Vic Amuso was still the Lucchese's official boss of the in name for years, and even have some level of control through his chosen acting boss after he got locked up. Even worse, Amuso get visited by his underlings regularly, despite he was the guy who gave the infamous "Whack Jersey" order to wipes out his crime family New Jersey's faction because he felt slighted over them not appearing once summoned. Old man Dimeo doesn't get a single visitation lmao.
In my prequel, Ralph was wit Rose, as teenagers, then Carmela n Tony introduced Jackie to her, n that was that, n thats a little insight to why Ralph was with Rose only a year after Jack passed if that....my prequel will b the real deal
One thing that doesn’t seem to make sense is how come Tony seems to live better than Jackie despite the fact that it was Jackie that was boss when the show started. It also doesn’t make sense that his son has a Jersey accent, but his daughter doesn’t.
He contributed to it, but more so Ralph did. Tony really did at least try to stop Jackie Jr from getting into trouble. Ralphie didn’t, by telling him old stories about his fathers past and handing him a gun, he was almost encouraging him into that world of crime. Tony then faces a dilemma in which two made guys are shot because of Jackie jr. As a leader he has to act and not look weak. He tries to put that responsibility onto Ralph, thinking Ralph would give Jackie jr a pass. Which was his major mistake with intentions to protect Jackie jr
In flashbacks and the way Tony talks about Jackie, he really did love him. Other than Artie, Jackie seemed to be the closest with Tony. Jackie def was the leader of the not only the group, but the two in which Tony was more than happy take the lead since he respected him. Tony seems kinder and more timid around Jackie as if it’s like a young kid admiring their older brother. So Jackie I feel like was the kid that kept the real Tony contained. Once Jackie dies, Tony immediately starts being who he actually wants to be. Overall I think Jackie was just an extremely effective mobster and leader. It’s said that under him, construction and waste boomed and they made a lot of money. Because of which, in that world he just had more weight than junior who already a senior citizen by the time their power struggle came up.
Great video by Kino Moltisanti. It’s interesting cos it’s kinda the same with AJ, he acts out once he learns about what his father does for a living and Tony isn’t much help either with AJs schoolwork or helping to nurture his hobbies. In the end AJ has to be given a job, which would have happened for Jackie Jr had his dad been alive I think. I guess it’s hard for their kids to appreciate rules and consequences once they realise their own parents haven’t learnt it. Jackie Jr definitely thought being involved in the mafia meant his dad was untouchable and thought he was too.
Not a fake, it's a .25 caliber which IRL would have more likely bounced off his skull, knocking him out and only injuring him a bit. No way that baby gun's baby round (a .25 caliber is very underpowered which is why they are rarely used) would have done such damage. Plus, Vito was a fat F so the gun looked even goofier in his meathook.
@@tedwojtasik8781 a .25 in a semi auto looses a bit of what little power it has to cycle the action, but in this scene the slide doesn't move at all when Vito pulls the trigger. Also, why no follow up shots?
Jackie functioned in the series, after he died, as "the Good Don," and a reminder of the "good old days." But many in his family met terrible ends after he died and neither his actual family, nor his mob family, were as well guided by Jackie as it would have seemed by the nostalgic glow around his memory. Jackie Jr. may have been lost without a father figure, but I don't think he was raised so hot while Jackie was alive either, which this vid does a great job on analyzing. He was a complete numbskull and a liability to everyone around him. He never should have been pushed toward medical school. Something easier academically, yes. His widow dated the sociopath amongst sociopaths, Ralph, who ended up inspiring her son to pull that poker game heist, by invoking the legend of his father and his own poker game heist. His brother Richie was a complete disaster. Then there was Adriana. And while there was peace when he was Don, the problems between Junior and Tony were bubbling right underneath the surface. There were already FBI rats in the family, most likely Pussy and possibly Ray Curto. When Richie got out, maybe Jackie would have been able to control him better, or possibly he would have had to take his brother's side in a war against Tony. He was definitely a better leader for the family than Tony though, but that is a low bar.
This actor played a similar character in power: Raising Kanan . But it was very good to see him anyway i voted for his character to stay alive but was killed off anyway.
Ralphie dating Rosalie is perfectly inline with his character… it served his own ends by literally putting himself when Jackie Sr. had been. Does this mean Rosalie was into weird sex or did Ralphie suck it up and act normal for the sake of furthering his career?
You're forgetting 1 key piece of information: despite all of Tony's bluster about loving his friend, he was literally running the family behind Jackie's back. It's probably why Tony supported Jackie over Junior because Jackie may be tough, but he's a gangster, not a businessman. In the whole series, few can rival Tony in strategy and overall smarts; Hesh, Ralph, and possibly Vito. The rest are just thugs, including Jackie
the actor almost plays his role the exact same in the movie kick-ass. it's cool to see and one of the reasons i like to watch that one. there's some other actors from sopranos as well and the way they're performed is very similar and of the era.
He should have been a bigger part of the show as in reality, Tony as acting boss would have still had to run many top level decisions by him. Ercole was still the boss.
3:55 Excellent insight! I never thought it was odd that Tony sided with Jackie as Junior was antagonistic in the first season, but this is BEFORE that which implies Junior only became antagonistic to Tony after this. Also, Tony siding with Jackie over family to move higher up shows what a greedy sociopath Tony truly is.
I think yes and no. Tony is definitely a selfish sociopath always looking out for his best interests but also Junior was never popular and that shows in season 1 with how everyone's constantly annoyed with his decisions as boss. So, Tony was smart to 1. Side with a member of the ruling family 2. it's his best friend and 3. Cause most of the capos if not all would've sided with Jackie anyway
I've also had a bit of an obsession with Jackie Sr. I think that understanding Jackie(and his family) and the issues that arrose with the transitions(both when he took power and passed). Whenever I explain what I think the Sopranos is 'about' I tell them its "The story of the Demio crime family and the rising star of Tony Soprano and power struggle following the death of acting Boss Jackie Sr." Obviously this is oversimplified, but I think you could link even the later series to that statement. (Even when Junior was pretty much irrelevant, New York still would throw "stepped over his own uncle" as justification for harsh action.
The fight for power between Jackie Sr and Junior Soprano would have been better story the the Many Saints. Even a dark comedy about the card game robbery would be better than the actual movie. The dichotomy between Jackie Jr.'s very serious dramatic tone juxtaposed to Tony and Jackie Sr.'s light hearted take down of the card game.
Jackie... young leader...like JFK, who is used many times symbolically in this show. Different name, but JFK's wife was Jackie. Also, his line one of the early episodes... I believe it's towards his end, when the veil would be quite thin...: "I'm in front of the world trade center." Always gives me chills.
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I’m so pl
Can u do a video about who the father was tracys baby was? Im convinced it was not ralph.
Austin powers
Too bad you couldn't just shut up and let us watch the sopranos...
I came here out of respect for Jackie Jr's fawtha.
😂
the golfer?
He's a made man, you gotta kick up
You respect his fawtha you should respect richie
Anyway, $4 a pound.
The destruction of the Aprile crew wasn't really Tony's fault.
Jackie Sr died of cancer, Richie was about to attempt a coup and was killed in a domestic dispute, Jackie Jr botched a robbery and paid the price, Adriana was a rat and was thus eliminated, Vito didn't get a second opinion regarding his medication and nearly caused an international incident with the Shah of Iran secretly assassinating him.
"Crew"? They're a glorified family
LOL ...international incident
And then the Shahs lover was killed
Tony’s handling situation with Ricky definitely wasn’t good. He acted like a prick more then needed, which led Ricky to attempt coup.
@@zazazaaazzzaazhonestly if he just wore the jacket he’d have been good.
Let this not distract you from the fact the Phil did twenty years in the can.
@nero48 The rahdiator
Not a fuckin’ peep
Phil also Compromised ......
If only he told people, maybe they would understand. I mean 20 years, and only a tissue for company.
Hard Fact! Hard time. 💯
jackie sr. was respected because he was a strong leader without being a psychopath
Like Gary Coopah, the strong and silent type.
And gay? Madone!
@@Ezio999Auditore how much more heartbreak can i take ???
And he also died while the current iteration of the family was at it's peak, and before he anyone had reason to resent him, or develop a true grudge
Now that is pure fiction because all of them are psychopaths!You don’t get the high with clean hands and a conscience.😂
4:30 "Your Uncle, maddon! Does he eat alone. He doesn't even pass the salt!" one of my favourite lines in the show.
Julia Child over here.
Very allegorical line
The sacred, and the propane.
I mean something… ANYTHING gonna have to trickle down over here no?
What I'd tell ya, hold onto your cock when you are negotiating w these desert people, 250
Jackie was a cool character, would have been interesting to see more of him.
Doesnt he show up in a flashback scene?
One of the few times I’ve heard that statement and it’s legitimate haha, truly wanted to see more of him
A half season or so if capo Tony would have been interesting.
RIP, Chemosabe.
great leader !
I would have loved a first season where Jackie is the boss and you see Tony lower down in the family.
That was season 1.....
@@elmizzox You know what I mean. We never see Jackie outside of the hospital bed except for one scene and tony is basically running things right away
It’s what the many saints should have been
Right would love to see an episode of tony getting made in that season, show doesn't let us know what age he was made though
@@chicosworldthey did. When tony and Paulie went down south they showed a flashback. it was in 82’ when he killed willie overall. He was born 1959 so that means he was 23. Meadow was born the same year. Episode is called “remember when” season 6.
I'd say Jackie Sr had the best fate of any character on the show.
I mean, Cancer isn't a laughing matter but compared to the horrifying endings a lot of these mobsters got, you can say that he had a very respectable end without going to Prison or turning rat to save himself.
A heart attack while on the job in the rest room is surely better than terminal cancer.
@@RickDeckard6531 Poor Gigi, really think they should have done more with his character.
At the time of his death, he was probably "happy". He had a son that was supposedly in Rutgers and on his way to be a doctor. A daughter out West going to school and sufficient funds for Ro (combined with how widows are supposed to be taken care of).
I know for one thing... he wouldn't have had a brother killed or whatever happened there
@@bentenchofor a short time yes
I think if David Chase knew the Sopranos would be as big as it has become, he would e probably kept him around til season 2 or 3
Exactly, these stories developed season by season. A work in progress. I believe rispoli was an original contender for the Tony role.
I don't think so. His death was needed to set up the main conflict of Season 1 and promote Tony to boss. Keeping him alive would reduce the tension that makes the show interesting.
No. Tony had to be boss.
yooooo wasnt expetcing to see you here lol. love ur vids bro
Not at all. the purpose of each character in the show is directed on the 4 main character
Vito had no problem killing his own cousin, Jackie Jr., so biological family, outside of father and son, doesn't always mean much.
Jackie Jr. seemed to have no problem being killed by Vito also, or else he might have seen the 400lbs man sneaking up behind him.
@@mrrodriguezHLPwdym? It's not Jackie's fault that Vito has teleportation powers
Dickie killed his dad
Vito is a real Come from Behind kinda guy.....
@@mrrodriguezHLPvito had a lot of experience coming up a young guy's arse and keeping it quiet.
“He drowned in 2 inches of water, whatever happened there”
Oh shit the tripkeepers a fellow sopranos watcher
Jackie Aprille is not forgotten. DiMeo was forgotten. Jackie was an acting boss for him, when he was sent to prison for life, and he is mentioned in the show like once.
Lol...he was mentioned more than once but I get your point. They didn't always say his name though sometimes just referred to him as "the old man" easy to miss if you're not paying attention
DiMeo was just irrelevant during the whole timeline of the show
It was said that Tony’s father was the boss at one time as well….I’m confused
@@assaniase8638 no Tony’s father was never the boss, he was a captain
@@paradoxexpress6976 It was implied that Tonys father and Uncle June really were powerful Cappos that ran North Jersey when Tony visited his Uncle in the retirement home on the last season
10:37 For instance, Tony and Jackie Sr.'s original robbery of Feech's game would've worked perfectly as a flashback in the episode where Jackie Jr.'s botched robbery takes place.
It never even crossed my mind the strangeness of Ralph dating Rosalie Aprile so soon after Jackie passed away.
So soon? Lol he comes in 2 seasons later lmao
@@yaqubebased1961 I mean, even if it’s years later, Jackie was the boss and highly respected. That would be like Sil dating Carmella a couple years after Tony passes
Its not strange, ralph was a lunatic they all disliked anyway, he did whatever he wanted.
Ralph's family motto probably has the word _strange_ in it someplace.
@@Ukraineaissance2014 it’s a little strange
The real forgotten boss was Ercole DiMeo who was actually the real boss of the family in jail. He was completely forgotten after being mentioned in season 1.
For real. I want to know more about the workings of the family with him as leader. There’s little to nothing said or considered about the guy.
I was soo confused the first few seasons, as the Tony vs Junior rivalry started out being over *acting* boss with DiMeo in jail... but after a while they're was no more mention, and it was actual boss. (Long before DiMeo died)
He is actually mentioned once in season 5, Tony B says it’s weird seeing Tony “in the old man’s chair”
Well the thing is Chase had no real plan for the character of DiMeo. He was mostly mentioned as a plot device on why someone as young as Jackie was boss. He even later regretted it somewhat as he didn't want the idea of anyone really being above Tony as boss. So they just gave a throwaway line that he was in jail. But even so I think it was weird that the supposed true boss of the family is never seen or barely mentioned the entire time of the show. I mean even junior kept tabs on the family even in house arrest. Easily one of the more disappointing decisions on the show.
Longest time I thought he was Junior's feeble minded brother
He did 20 mins in that hospital and not a peep.
The little we know about Jackie:
He seemed to be the most level headed of the Captains or Boss's, more than Silvio or Jr. even. Wasn't a psychopath, wasn't greedy, a mental midget, and wanted to maintain as calm a front as possible. This is all relevent to the situation, but that's how I see it.
He was well respected too and kept peace and dodged the law. He was the Luciano of Jersey
Great mobster, terrible father. He devoted so much to the DiMeo family that he never addressed his son's character concerns or even disciplined him for his mistakes. This gave Jackie Jr. a sense of entitlement that because his dad was boss he was essentially untouchable. What he failed to understand is you cannot shoot a made guy and get a pass, especially one made from the other side like Furio. That I believe is why Jackie Sr. and Tony were so successful in robbing Feech La Manna's card game: nobody got shot so it was much easier for Richie and Johnny Boy to appeal for Jackie and Tony respectively.
@@toms.a.savage7232 Well, yea. People not getting shot and/or killed, like poor Sunshine, puts a whole different spin on things.
He wasn't as selfish as the others yet stern and people respected that because it was better for everybody as a whole.
In my opinion, Jackie has the best reputation out of the characters.
Its not that hard. Be nice and not greedy.
all he needed to do was die young, just like Johnny Boy. "He was a saint"
Fun fact about Jackie Aprile Sr. He was originally supposed to be played by a much older actor, but David Chase like Micheal Rispoli's audition for Tony so much, he gave Micheal the role of Jackie and wrote in the character of Eckley DiMeo to explain why someone so young was the boss of a Mafia family.
There was a theory that Rosalie might be Ercole’s daughter, which explains how Jackie Sr. was able to slide into the acting boss position at such a young age, which wasn’t easy even with the amount of respect he got; It also ties into how Rosalie could live like such for so many years (possibly inheriting her father’s legitimate business interests) after his death despite not having any real job, it seems.
@@antoinesilva1527 That's definitely possible. Also remember that it's hinted that Ercole didn't think as highly of Junior as he did Johnny. Remember that Johnny was made first and had a crew in the late 50s, while Junior didn't get his crew til the early 70s. I always thought that the Aprile crew was so prominent because it was the Boss's old crew, before Richie even. Jackie being capo of his old crew plus being married to Ro may have influenced Ercole's decision to make him underboss, but also perhaps it was also to keep Junior from the center of power.
Ercoli.
Pretty cool how you hardly even learn Jackie’s name the first time you watch those early episodes, but on a rewatch seeing him in the flesh is really special
The reason his story is so fascinating is due to the fact it was so short
Michael Rispoli is an under appreciated actor. He's played many characters, my favorite was Joe Jr. in "While You Were Sleeping".
How about 'Grama' in "Rounders"?
“You ok? Cause it looks like he’s “leaning”…”
He was one of the dog kidnappers in Homeward Bound 2
He was the best guy arouuuuund
"What about the people he murdered?"
"What murdaaaaaaaa?"
Great video/analysis. I’ve also wondered about Tony supporting Jackie over his own uncle, but looking at how the leadership contest between him and Junior eventually went, I imagine most of the capos would have backed Jackie over Junior. The best Tony could do was smooth things over with his uncle so he didn’t end up in a conflict he’d inevitably lose. It’s great fore(post?)shadowing of the leadership contest between Tony and his uncle.
What did you expect? After all, he didn’t have the makings of a varsity athlete 😂
I think the point of Jackie Sr. is to show that Tony has had it pretty good for a while. He has been the underboss in everything but name for most of the 90s, but now his uncle is causing pointless trouble.
No matter how good he had it Tony was always depressed even before the shows start. A creation of Livia and Johnny Soprano.
Jackie Jr never had the makings of a Varsity doctor.
Good Scrabble player, though.
Giggles..."A.S.S."
You forgot to mention that flashback in which Jackie Aprile goes to a sitdown with Junior soprano.
I was just thinking. Tony must've been a very very good earner to have a house like that as a captain. All the other captains lifestyles were a lot less extravagant than his even b4 he became the boss. We saw big pussys house, sils house, paulies house, Jr's house, chris' apartment etc etc. No comparison.
You’re right but he also had Carmela’s father to build it for cheap and didn’t gamble until season 6
It’s mentioned in the show, like in the 1st season. Tony explains to Melfie about the power struggle with Junior. Tony states that he pretty hit the ground running and was a good earner from the start. It’s also mentioned later that Junior always had resentment for Johnny and Tony because Johnny was younger but more respected and Tony was his nephew but was a better earner.
@scoliosis9478 great point. Thanks
@theboard3476 yepyep you are right
It was actually completely unrealistic for a Jersey mobster (they're a glorified crew) to have a house like that.
Tony was never eager to have Jackie Jr killed no matter how annoyed he was. And I believe Ralph was sincere about giving Jackie a pass until Ralph found out that Jackie told Tony that Ralph gave him a gun, which made Ralph look even worse in Tony’s eyes than he already did
I was going to say the same thing.
It seems like Tony sincerely wanted Jackie Jr to stay out of trouble. Although he failed at keeping him away. I don’t think he wanted Jackie Jr killed, but he knew by rules of the mob that he would look like a weak leader who disregards the rules if he didn’t act when made guys just got shot.
Instead Tony tries to put the responsibility on Ralph so that it seems like it wasn’t all his decision, originally thinking that Ralph would give him a pass. But later finds out he was wrong
@@americanzombie1802to be fair, Ralph made the right call. Jackie was a real putz with the card game. If they didn’t get high, they could have backed down once he realized that Michael made him, gotten his chops busted badly, but could have earned some respect for having balls, yet being smart enough to pull out when it wasn’t a good situation.
Instead, everything went to hell and he got what he deserved for being stupid.
Not Jackie Jr’s fault. Stupidity is a learning disorder @@johnepants
Tony burst into tears on hearing that Jackie had died so I guess that says something for their friendship
Wish we would’ve at least got a scene with DiMeo
I think part of the reason Jackie is so interesting is because he isn’t explored so deeply. It makes him more mysterious
100%
PureKino & one other channel (I don’t mention other creators in comments, not respectful) are the only two that can STILL analyze The Sopranos in interesting ways. Offering “fresh” perspectives and entertaining content from a show that’s been over for 2 decades is impressive.
Facts
Just like that murdering animal, Tony's cousin. I still can't even say his name.
Bully Whispers and Cineranter
You NEVER mention other creators on a made guy's comment section
Does DonBorko get a mention
Ercole Dimeo is the real forgotten boss. Remember Jackie was Acting Boss and pointedly said so. He's identified as so by the FBI and a local news broadcast.
While it's assumed he retired at some point, this isn't specifically stated at any point in the series. Nor should it be assumed, as plenty of real bosses maintained their positions while imprisoned.
Philip Rastelli, Carmine Persico, Andrew Russo, even Vic Orena, all maintained their positions and titles while spending the majority of their reign in prison. The only reason Junior - and then Tony - became boss is because it provided a more entertaining narrative.
I always wondered why the old man in Springfield never made any decisions. In most mob movies and TV shows it seems like even though the boss is put away he still has control of some sort.
The fact that there is an old man in Springfield is really glossed over after season 1. I think most people who only gave Sopranos a single viewing completely forgot or didn't realize there was a real boss in jail. DiMeo doesn't have family members appear in any of the crews or part of the periphery.
DiMeo completely disappears. I wish the show had explained what happened to him, instead of just dropping any mention of him. This show is great, but there are some huge flaws, what it did with DiMeo is one flaw in my opinion.
@@cletusjones9411 I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find but it'd be interesting to see when the last time the bossman is mentioned
It's like any of them John was boss till he was sentence then he was forgotten about the best line for me in the show is when Tony b gets out and bobbys kid ask why have we never heard of you, and that's it in a nut shell you go down and nobody what's to know you fact.
@@blakeysbobbyslexiamazingjo4505 True....to a point. Tony and Phil did cut John out with the vitamin truck. But Phil was still going to John with issues until he died and John's orders carried out. Probably makes a difference when you're a boss as opposed posed to even a capo or made guy.
Jackie seemed like the boss who allowed people do get away with whatever they wanted. That's why they "liked" him.
That would make sense and also go with how he was as a father.
No it’s just that he ran shit so good situations like that rarely happened. But there wete definitely some scenes that proved he was a firm leader when needed
@@TheFightHubb
Absolutely. I bet on his deathbed that he couldn't possibly imagine how bad Tony could utterly fuck up everything he left him
@@donarthiazi2443 yup lol, tony was a horrible boss overall
@@TheFightHubb
He could hardly be worse than he was... the Family, his own personal and extended family, his _civilian_ friends, his own health etc etc Tony was a complete fuckup.
And there may never have been a bigger hypocrite than Tony. But it sure was entertaining 🙂
I still want to know how a Captain (Tony) had a bigger and better house than the acting boss (Jackie). I'm assuming Jackie had a lot of legal fees to stay out of prison, or keep his time on the inside, low. Still raises the question for me: is an underling allowed to flex his financial success over his boss in the mob? I figure any boss that saw how Tony was living they'd assume he was a) dealing drugs b) holding out on the kick-up.
theres a couple things. First of all in the pilot Tony is already the boss of jersey and that gets retconned in the regular season, but they had already shown what the soprano house was so they had to keep it. Second Carmelas father built the house at presumably a much lower cost and i think its implied that it was maybe built with subpar materials so Tony got a really good deal on the house. And finally its entirely possible for a captain to earn more than the boss of the family depending on the rackets they have set up. Especially with the fact that Jackie is the acting boss and hasn’t been in the position very long so its possible he hasnt had the time to get established in some good rackets as boss.
This stuff is so good. It is the hardest thing as a parent to hold the line with your kids. It’s a lot of work, it gives you grief, and the easy way out is to just ignore it. Unfortunately it’s the exact opposite of love.
Pure Kino = Pure Resolutions
Jackie Jr would have earned the respect of his peers if he just finish school. He was enamored with his father's legacy and wouldn't have lived up to his father's name. Sometimes you got to make it your own way.
Would have been sort of interesting to see an alternative plot line where Jackie Sr. survives cancer and sticks around 'til the end. Especially him realizing that his son is an idiot and won't be going to medical school and how he handles that.
I don't think Jackie Jr would've tried *it* if his dad was around.
@@danielbergonzi7319 Jackie Jr. would've tried over and over again to convince his fawhta to let him join the crime family. "I already told you no, get a f-in job at Blockbuster like A.J."
@@daviddanielsson3643 I mean he would probably given up sooner or later if Ralph didn't steer him in a fatal direction it seems to me
I think Jackie Sr. would have eventually seen that his son was too stupid for college and got him set up in a semi-legit business like Carmine Jr.'s porn movies.
@@BM-wh5qk Men's fashion for heterosexual men. Could Junior make it in that world?
Richie Aprile, Season 2, as played by David Proval...among the best acting in The Sopranos. I just loved that character. Amazed to learn to learn he was Jewish. Many of us Jews always wanted to be Italian.
Proval was born in Brooklyn, New York into a Jewish family,[1] the son of Clara Katz, an actress from Bucharest, Romania.[2][3] He has appeared in films such as Mean Streets, The Shawshank Redemption, The Phantom, Mob Queen, Four Rooms, UHF, Innocent Blood, The Siege, The Monster Squad, Bookies, and Balls of Fury
Jackie Sr. wanted Jackie Jr. to become a doctor but Jackie Jr. couldn’t spell doctor.
😂😂😂
We gotta watch this before the crank wears off.
Jackie is kind of Arthur Dayne from Game of Thrones. He's an idealized, honored man who's solid under fire and excellent at what he does - a staple of the olden days and proof "they don't make men like they used to". Both stories do away with them because it leads to more interesting storylines, featuring more conflict-torn, imperfect people. Both their demises signal a shift on their respective worlds.
Damn, never thought id hear an Arthur Dayne comparison to Jackie Sr, but that makes sense.
Well, A Song of Ice and Fire seems to still be an optimistic story despite the darkness with Arthur Dayne's death and his family possibly leading to the world being saved from The Eternal Night... if the books actually finished.
But Jackie's death definitely signaled the nihilistic themes of the story in The Sopranos.
Always wit da senarios
This show is about fat Italians doing illegal activities. Take your dragons somewhere else. The disrespect with this guy
@@islandboy9381 eh, I think ASOIAF is horribly cynical even if the Others will likely be overcome.
Jackie was just one of those people who everyone naturally gravitates to. A natural leader, I think everyone has met at least one person like that in their lifetime
I agree he's an interesting character, it would've been good to see more of him. Unfortunately he had to die early of course, because his death sets up the key rivalry for season 1: Tony vs Junior.
More flashbacks with Jackie would've been nice, but the writers would've had to find a purpose for them beyond just detailing his character. The Pussy dream sequences worked because his death haunted Tony, it always nagged at him. Maybe the writers could've thought of some Jackie flashbacks that tell us something about Tony, but I'm not sure what.
He was such an amazing character, too bad we didn't get to see more of him.
Can’t wait for the Aprile video!!
The guy did pass the salt....
Jackie seemed like a great character to explore. If a prequel series gets made then he needs storylines about him.
The fact that Jackie is such a fascinating character, depends a lot on the viewer knowing very little about him.
In regards to Ralphie dating Rosalie I always saw it as a power move on Ralph’s part to position himself as a possible future boss of the family.
Even as capo it was clear that he was an ambitious rival to Tony as Boss of the family. As noted in the video, he, Tony, and Jackie all came up together, so why should have Tony automatically be or remain Boss over Ralph, especially since Ralph was a successful earner and was involved with the former First Lady of the Family?
It was fun watching this video. I miss those days when my husband and I used to watch The Sopranos every Sunday night. 😊
I'm here to pay my respects to Jackie seniah
They should make a movie about Jakie Aprile or that Animal Blundetto
He definitely had the makings of a varsity boss
I really liked Michael Rispoli's performance on The Sopranos and also on The Deuce. I also found Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile to be very convincing and realistic.
Great on the deuce
I always thought that keeping Jackie around for the whole first season would've been interesting, and it seems like he was a far better boss compared to Tony.
Mob? I thought this show was about a sanitation company.
Proof that MSN should’ve just been a limited series.. there’s so much untapped backstories for not only Jackie Aprile but Tony as well since they literally came up the next to one another @ the same time..he’s truly the closest link to Tony’s rise in the mob but we know how it turned out 💔
Excellent video. That being said, I'm not a fan of the "the writers should / could have done x, y, z". They did what they did. The impact of Jackie Sr's death on the Soprano crew is a recurring plot device. That's the reason for the character, IMO.
I know it's a meme to say "that minor character was my favourite, I wish they did more with him", but yeah hard agree he should have gotten more screen time - I chalk it up to them not quite knowing what exactly they were doing early on - what happened with that lady who formed a relationship with Junior in House Arrest? That wasn't explained at all, it's sad they didn't follow through with it, was such a wholesome moment that could have made Junior less lonely and arguably even more tragic when he later died of Alzheimer's...
I know he didn't die on screen but be honest, Junior was marked for a tragic death by the end of the season - I know he's a piece of shit mobster but Alzheimer's is something I'd only wish on child molesters and serial/mass/child killers, absolutely horrific way to go.
After listening to The Caretaker's album Everything At the End of Time, I'm absolutely horrified of Alzheimer's. 😬 Season 6 now has an even more foreboding atmosphere for me.
He broke off relations with her, I reckon
It's horrific from our perspective. For the actual patients, it's just confusing.
@@johnny_thunder_3024yeah, probably, it's just that I've been showing a friend the series, and when she watched House Arrest she said "aaawwww, she's so sweet!" and "please tell me she sticks around!" and it sucked having no explanation for her.
She was a one episode character, but so was Tracee who's significance wasn't finished until S4E9: "Whoever Did This", a full season + 3 episodes later.
1:36 that guy driving the ice cream truck (Artie bucco) was played by my friend who grew up with me on Long Island, great guy, great actor and singer.
When Pure Kino uploads you know it is a good day
Honestly if Jackie senior lived he would still be making boss money and Jackie would have been fine not working at all and just doing whatever he wanted. Would be like little carmine down in FL. Let him play wannabe gangster far away with daddy’s money. Jackie Jr probably wouldn’t have even cared about being in the mafia at all if he didn’t have to work.
Honestly, he doesn't deserved the "Forgotten Boss" title. The forgotten boss will always be old man Dimeo. Hell, it's pretty likely that some fans might've forgot that it's called Dimeo crime family already if you didn't say it in the beginning lol. Dunno what the old man did, but he probably got the worst treatment as the locked up old boss by his own crime family throughout the whole history of the mob itself. No one ever visit him, they don't even mention his name once post season 1. It was like he was some bastard child no one wanna talk about or some shit XD. Kinda fucked up to think about when Vic Amuso was still the Lucchese's official boss of the in name for years, and even have some level of control through his chosen acting boss after he got locked up. Even worse, Amuso get visited by his underlings regularly, despite he was the guy who gave the infamous "Whack Jersey" order to wipes out his crime family New Jersey's faction because he felt slighted over them not appearing once summoned. Old man Dimeo doesn't get a single visitation lmao.
In my prequel, Ralph was wit Rose, as teenagers, then Carmela n Tony introduced Jackie to her, n that was that, n thats a little insight to why Ralph was with Rose only a year after Jack passed if that....my prequel will b the real deal
5:50 Jackie Snr had definitely been watching way too much of Michael Douglas's Wallstreet!
He should of been on the show longer
One thing that doesn’t seem to make sense is how come Tony seems to live better than Jackie despite the fact that it was Jackie that was boss when the show started. It also doesn’t make sense that his son has a Jersey accent, but his daughter doesn’t.
>>but his daughter doesn’t
Never heard it duscussed how Tony destroyed the family of Jackie. But he did. More out if convenience than anything else.
He contributed to it, but more so Ralph did. Tony really did at least try to stop Jackie Jr from getting into trouble.
Ralphie didn’t, by telling him old stories about his fathers past and handing him a gun, he was almost encouraging him into that world of crime.
Tony then faces a dilemma in which two made guys are shot because of Jackie jr. As a leader he has to act and not look weak. He tries to put that responsibility onto Ralph, thinking Ralph would give Jackie jr a pass. Which was his major mistake with intentions to protect Jackie jr
Thanks to this video I finally understand the answer to one of life’s great questions that was posed by Jackie Jr. - “Do you know who my father was?”
In flashbacks and the way Tony talks about Jackie, he really did love him. Other than Artie, Jackie seemed to be the closest with Tony.
Jackie def was the leader of the not only the group, but the two in which Tony was more than happy take the lead since he respected him. Tony seems kinder and more timid around Jackie as if it’s like a young kid
admiring their older brother. So Jackie I feel like was the kid that kept the real Tony contained. Once Jackie dies, Tony immediately starts being who he actually wants to be.
Overall I think Jackie was just an extremely effective mobster and leader. It’s said that under him, construction and waste boomed and they made a lot of money. Because of which, in that world he just had more weight than junior who already a senior citizen by the time their power struggle came up.
Jackie had the making of a varsity athlete
Way better, boss then Tony he got worse as boss Jackie was more calm and reasonable
Reminds me just how stealthy Vito was. Jackie Jnr. never saw the big guy coming even in an empty street.
I wish they had done more with Jackie Sr. ... before he became "the Chemo-sabee"
Great video by Kino Moltisanti. It’s interesting cos it’s kinda the same with AJ, he acts out once he learns about what his father does for a living and Tony isn’t much help either with AJs schoolwork or helping to nurture his hobbies. In the end AJ has to be given a job, which would have happened for Jackie Jr had his dad been alive I think. I guess it’s hard for their kids to appreciate rules and consequences once they realise their own parents haven’t learnt it. Jackie Jr definitely thought being involved in the mafia meant his dad was untouchable and thought he was too.
7:42 Vito was wielding an obviously fake gun here... Weird that they choose to use that.
Not a fake, it's a .25 caliber which IRL would have more likely bounced off his skull, knocking him out and only injuring him a bit. No way that baby gun's baby round (a .25 caliber is very underpowered which is why they are rarely used) would have done such damage. Plus, Vito was a fat F so the gun looked even goofier in his meathook.
@@tedwojtasik8781 I was curious what it was and I read somewhere that it was a fake prop gun.
@@tedwojtasik8781 a .25 in a semi auto looses a bit of what little power it has to cycle the action, but in this scene the slide doesn't move at all when Vito pulls the trigger. Also, why no follow up shots?
It's actually a regular sized gun, it's just that Vito's hands are like the Hulk
@@tedwojtasik8781 The internet needs more people writing paragraphs about subjects they know nothing about.
Awesome content man! I love how you give shout out to your patrons.
Jackie functioned in the series, after he died, as "the Good Don," and a reminder of the "good old days." But many in his family met terrible ends after he died and neither his actual family, nor his mob family, were as well guided by Jackie as it would have seemed by the nostalgic glow around his memory. Jackie Jr. may have been lost without a father figure, but I don't think he was raised so hot while Jackie was alive either, which this vid does a great job on analyzing. He was a complete numbskull and a liability to everyone around him. He never should have been pushed toward medical school. Something easier academically, yes. His widow dated the sociopath amongst sociopaths, Ralph, who ended up inspiring her son to pull that poker game heist, by invoking the legend of his father and his own poker game heist. His brother Richie was a complete disaster. Then there was Adriana. And while there was peace when he was Don, the problems between Junior and Tony were bubbling right underneath the surface. There were already FBI rats in the family, most likely Pussy and possibly Ray Curto. When Richie got out, maybe Jackie would have been able to control him better, or possibly he would have had to take his brother's side in a war against Tony. He was definitely a better leader for the family than Tony though, but that is a low bar.
"Possibly Ray Curto". Did you miss the part where he literally dies while handing over wire tapes to the FBI?
@@chrisbarrett8377 No, but we don't know when he flipped. Was it during Jackie's reign or later?
This actor played a similar character in power: Raising Kanan . But it was very good to see him anyway i voted for his character to stay alive but was killed off anyway.
Ralphie dating Rosalie is perfectly inline with his character… it served his own ends by literally putting himself when Jackie Sr. had been.
Does this mean Rosalie was into weird sex or did Ralphie suck it up and act normal for the sake of furthering his career?
You're forgetting 1 key piece of information: despite all of Tony's bluster about loving his friend, he was literally running the family behind Jackie's back. It's probably why Tony supported Jackie over Junior because Jackie may be tough, but he's a gangster, not a businessman. In the whole series, few can rival Tony in strategy and overall smarts; Hesh, Ralph, and possibly Vito. The rest are just thugs, including Jackie
sil is probably the smartest he basically did make it for all we know and he knew not to go for boss
Syl is a smart thug who knew his limitations but he never saw all the angles like Tony did, or even Junior for that matter
the actor almost plays his role the exact same in the movie kick-ass. it's cool to see and one of the reasons i like to watch that one. there's some other actors from sopranos as well and the way they're performed is very similar and of the era.
We never hear much about the actual boss
He should have been a bigger part of the show as in reality, Tony as acting boss would have still had to run many top level decisions by him. Ercole was still the boss.
One word: charisma.
First
you wish
3:55
Excellent insight! I never thought it was odd that Tony sided with Jackie as Junior was antagonistic in the first season, but this is BEFORE that which implies Junior only became antagonistic to Tony after this.
Also, Tony siding with Jackie over family to move higher up shows what a greedy sociopath Tony truly is.
I think yes and no. Tony is definitely a selfish sociopath always looking out for his best interests but also Junior was never popular and that shows in season 1 with how everyone's constantly annoyed with his decisions as boss. So, Tony was smart to 1. Side with a member of the ruling family 2. it's his best friend and 3. Cause most of the capos if not all would've sided with Jackie anyway
Maybe it was cause Tony knew who killed Christopher’s dad and held a grudge?
Before it, which implies it happened later. Wow.
Great video, great analysis, these are fun for sopranos fans.
I've also had a bit of an obsession with Jackie Sr. I think that understanding Jackie(and his family) and the issues that arrose with the transitions(both when he took power and passed).
Whenever I explain what I think the Sopranos is 'about' I tell them its "The story of the Demio crime family and the rising star of Tony Soprano and power struggle following the death of acting Boss Jackie Sr."
Obviously this is oversimplified, but I think you could link even the later series to that statement. (Even when Junior was pretty much irrelevant, New York still would throw "stepped over his own uncle" as justification for harsh action.
Just when I thought I was out....they pull me back in.
Was definitely not forgotten he was a talking point or at least related for 3 seasons
It is true. After the season 3 finale Jackie was hardly ever mentioned again.
Is this video about the golfer ? U.S Open ?
The fight for power between Jackie Sr and Junior Soprano would have been better story the the Many Saints. Even a dark comedy about the card game robbery would be better than the actual movie. The dichotomy between Jackie Jr.'s very serious dramatic tone juxtaposed to Tony and Jackie Sr.'s light hearted take down of the card game.
How did Jackie Jr miss seeing his own cousin who just happens to be 350+lbs? All while knowing there could be a hit on him.
and how did Vito whack hom with a toy gun??
It was almost like Jackie was main character before his death and then tony took over
Jackie... young leader...like JFK, who is used many times symbolically in this show. Different name, but JFK's wife was Jackie. Also, his line one of the early episodes... I believe it's towards his end, when the veil would be quite thin...: "I'm in front of the world trade center." Always gives me chills.