Christopher Moltisanti , portrayed by Michael Imperioli , is a fictional character of the HBO TV series The Sopranos . He is Tony Soprano 's protégé and a member of the DiMeo crime family , rising from associate to captain over the course of the series.
120-482: In the TV series, Tony Soprano has been a father figure to Christopher since the death of his father, Dickie Moltisanti. Tony affectionately refers to Christopher as his "nephew," but he is actually a first cousin once removed of Tony's wife Carmela (Carmela's father Hugh and Chris's grandmother Lena were brother and sister). Tony and Christopher knew each other before Tony met Carmela because their fathers were both involved in
240-537: A Porsche Cayenne Turbo , Carmela proceeds to flaunt her new SUV in front of Ginny Sack and Angie Bonpensiero , both of whom were reported to be having serious financial problems. Carmela is somewhat embarrassed when Angie admires Carmela's SUV and tells her that she recently purchased a Corvette with her own money, showing that Angie has achieved a certain level of financial independence and Carmela has not. Carmela's own efforts to become financially independent have been less successful, as Tony neglects to intervene for
360-410: A wire in a cigar box. He then organized a hit on Sal, with Silvio and Paulie, on a boat. After a last toast, Tony, Paulie, and Silvio shot Sal to death, wrapped his body in plastic bags, chains, and weights, and dumped it into the ocean. Sal made several appearances after his death in dreams or flashbacks. Tony and other members of his crew told Sal's friends and family that he disappeared after entering
480-532: A "drag" on his emotions, and "a weak, lying drug addict". In a dream, Tony admits to Dr. Melfi that he murdered Chris, as well as other friends and associates, naming specifically his cousin Tony Blundetto and best friend Big Pussy. In the series' final episodes, Chris' picture is hung in the pork store in his honor; Paulie is disturbed that the resident cat spends its days staring at the picture. Because of his close relationship with Tony Soprano, Christopher
600-481: A $ 600,000 investment property in Montville , under Carmela's name, so she could build a spec house. Despite some initial awkwardness, the two are firmly reunited after Tony is shot by his uncle, Junior, both during his coma and after his hospital release. The crisis seems to have strengthened their bond. Carmela's corrupt, materialistic nature is never far from the surface. After Tony surprises his delighted wife with
720-485: A Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. He was nominated four other times for the award and he also received two Golden Globe nominations in 2002 and 2004. TV Guide rated him #13 on their list of "TV's Top 100 Characters". Carmela Soprano Carmela Soprano ( née DeAngelis ), played by Edie Falco , is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos . She
840-562: A baseball bat. Richie and Janice Soprano , Tony's sister, used to date in high school. When Richie gets out of prison, he and Janice resume their old relationship and eventually get engaged. Janice frequently encourages Richie to defy Tony, because she wants to be married to the boss. In the end, Richie prepares, with the approval of Tony's Uncle Junior , to take over the family as boss . Richie approaches acting capo Albert "Ally Boy" Barese to ask for his support in his takeover bid, but he declines. After weighing his options, Junior realizes he
960-464: A bitter war with Carmine's son, Little Carmine . Johnny also threatened Tony Soprano's family after Soprano's cousin Tony Blundetto committed the unauthorized murder of Joseph "Joey Peeps" Peparelli, Johnny's protégé, on behalf of Little Carmine. After both New York factions suffered heavy casualties, the conflict was brought to an end when Little Carmine surrendered control of the family. This
1080-437: A capo, with new addition Furio Giunta on equal footing with Sal despite Sal's years of service. Sal wore a wire to A.J. 's confirmation , but he spent most of the time privately counseling A.J., instead of talking business with the crew. Following Christopher Moltisanti 's shooting by associates Matthew Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte , Sal resumed his loyal soldier role despite his double life as an informant; he tracked down
1200-407: A car crash as he is driving Tony home while high. After seeing that Caitlyn's baby seat has been completely destroyed in the accident and knowing she would have been killed if she were in the car, Tony has finally had enough and suffocates the badly injured Chris, finally ridding himself of his troublesome "nephew". Christopher Moltisanti was born in 1969 to Richard "Dickie" Moltisanti , a soldier in
1320-492: A daughter, Caitlyn. But his interest in his new wife soon wanes. He grows disillusioned with Tony and frustrated with his progress in the Soprano family, and distances himself from the business by making a film and trying to become a Hollywood screenwriter. While the movie is a modest success, Chris grows irritated with his business partner J.T. Dolan and eventually ends up murdering him when Dolan refuses to listen to details of
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#17327827252031440-536: A drug test and could lose his license. Tony sees a tree branch impaling a car seat where Christopher's daughter could have been sitting. He pinches Chris' nostrils shut, causing him to choke to death on his own blood. Throughout the episode's remainder, Tony displays the proper decorum for the family in mourning yet can barely restrain his relief that he is finally free of the burden Chris has placed upon him for so long – his insubordination, his substance abuse, his reckless behavior, and his complaints. He describes Chris as
1560-540: A fight with Vito, and pulls a gun on Tony in the Bada Bing. Tony is prepared to kill Chris, but their cousin Tony Blundetto steps in and saves his life. Tony B. arranges a meeting with the doctor who treated Tony and Adriana, who explains that both passengers were upright and had their seat belts fastened when it occurred. Chris reconciles with Vito and Tony. Chris later travels to his uncle Pat Blundetto 's farm alongside Tony and Tony B. They help Pat move bodies hidden on
1680-495: A free man is to confront his old partner Peter "Beansie" Gaeta and try to extort money from Beansie's legitimate business investments. Later, Richie waits for Beansie to approach his car in the parking lot, then rams Beansie with his car, crushing Beansie between the two vehicles. Richie then drives over Beansie's legs as he leaves. Richie dislikes Tony's protégé Christopher Moltisanti because of his violent relationship with Richie's niece, Adriana La Cerva , and warns Christopher of
1800-512: A good word for him to Tony as a favor for doing the hit. Eugene drives to Boston and finds Teddy eating dinner at a fast-food restaurant and shoots him repeatedly in the head. Eugene then walks out calmly. It is revealed Eugene has been an informant and cooperating witness for the FBI , though it is unclear for how long. After Ray Curto dies of a massive stroke while giving potentially damaging information to Agent Robyn Sanseverino about Tony discussing
1920-580: A gun on Tony, who is ready to kill him for doing so. He is spared only after Tony Blundetto intercedes for him. In the fifth season, Chris learns that Adriana has been working as an informant for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and that she wants him to go into the Witness Protection Program with her. Valuing loyalty over love, Christopher reports Adriana's actions to Tony, who has Silvio Dante kill her. Christopher then marries his new girlfriend, Kelli Lombardo , and they have
2040-431: A hit occurred there, set the restaurant ablaze so that the hit would be avoided and Artie could rebuild the restaurant with the payout from his insurance policy. Artie rebuilds the restaurant, renaming it Nuovo Vesuvio. However, Artie had a strong emotional attachment to the old restaurant, which he inherited from his father, and confronts Tony with a hunting rifle in the parking lot of Satriale's when he finds out that Tony
2160-491: A hit. Johnny's efforts to maintain control of his family ultimately proved futile. His lawyer, Ron Perse, floated the possibility of cooperating with the FBI, but John was quick to dismiss this. However, as the trial neared, Ron arranged a deal with the government on Johnny's behalf. Facing a massive asset seizure that would have left both him and his beloved wife destitute, Johnny pleaded guilty to 47 RICO predicates in exchange for
2280-506: A long period when an inspector determines that materials used on her spec house are not up to code, thereby halting construction and straining her relationship with her father, who was building the house with her. Tony later recants, and orders Silvio Dante to lean on the inspector to change his mind. Around this time, Carmela is concerned for the whereabouts of Adriana La Cerva , who seemingly had disappeared. Carmela's concern intensifies when she encountered Adriana's mother, Liz La Cerva, at
2400-468: A low-level informant for the FBI and that Christopher, who had learned this truth from Adriana herself, informed Tony, who in turn had her executed by Silvio (in " Long Term Parking "). She is unaware that Tony murdered Christopher after he had flipped off the highway in the SUV in which both were traveling (in " Kennedy and Heidi "). Carmela becomes greatly concerned for A.J. after he tries to commit suicide and
2520-560: A made guy!" Tony justifies his actions by saying that Ralph "disrespected the Bing". Johnny Sack, a high-ranking member in the Lupertazzi family , once ordered a hit on Cifaretto for making an off-color joke about his wife's obesity, although he later cooled down and called it off. Although unknown to Johnny Sack, his own hit was approved by Tony and Carmine in order to protect the highly valuable Esplanade project to which Ralph's involvement
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#17327827252032640-528: A meat cleaver, after which he and Tony bury Ralph's severed head, toupee, and hands on a farm inside a bowling bag, and throw his body, wrapped in canvas, weights and chains off a cliff into a flooded rock quarry, sinking it immediately. Eugene Pontecorvo is portrayed by Robert Funaro . Eugene was a made man in the Aprile Crew. Hesh Rabkin mentions to Soprano family members that Eugene's father committed suicide by inert gas asphyxiation in his vehicle at
2760-463: A murder, the FBI informs Eugene they also refuse to allow him to move to Florida, as they need him as a material witness in New Jersey to help build a case against Tony in the wake of Curto's death. Silvio informs Eugene that Tony denied his request to move to Florida. With Tony and the FBI both hindering his family's chance to escape the mafia life, coupled with his stress at home and seeing it as
2880-404: A part of. Carmela reaches a low point with Tony's constant string of affairs and the two have a romantically tense but "arms-length" relationship for a period. Each confides to separate friends that they are falling for each other but Furio, who is no longer able to bear the burden that the internal conflict is causing him, that of his feelings conflicting with his honor, as well as his respect for
3000-463: A raven on the windowsill and takes this as a bad omen . As the family's newest member, he inherits a betting shop from his capo , Paulie Gualtieri and is charged with paying minimum weekly dues to him. There is friction when Chris has difficulty making payments to Paulie, who subsequently humiliates him. After the Pine Barrens incident , they agreed to bury the hatchet. Elsewhere, Chris opens
3120-410: A reduced sentence of 15 years and a fine of $ 4.2 million, effectively ending his role as boss but leaving Ginny enough money to live comfortably. As part of the deal, he was also required to give an allocution admitting his involvement in organized crime (although he did not reveal the names of any associates, just admitting the mere existence of La Cosa Nostra is a breach of omertà ). Members of both
3240-401: A romantic future with their child which makes her happy, only for Ralph to insult her by telling her if their child is a girl, she should name her "Tracee" because she "is going to become a cock-sucking slob, just like her mother." Tracee spits at him and slaps him in retaliation, and he brutally beats her to death. Tony finds out and strikes him repeatedly. Ralph defends himself by shouting, "I'm
3360-489: A trucking dispute with Aprile. However, Sal was suspiciously late for the sit-down and blamed the health problems of his comare 's mother. In 1998, he was arrested at a card game run by Soprano family capo Jimmy Altieri. He tried to escape but threw his back out and was caught. He was quickly bailed out, but was confined to his home due to injury. Dirty cop Vin Makazian told Tony he had a rat in his organization and pointed
3480-500: A violent dispute between Benny and Tony's friend Artie Bucco . Tony blames Chris' trip to Los Angeles for the dispute not being settled quickly. Chris marries Kelli Lombardo after learning that she is pregnant with his child. He has a belated bachelor party with the Soprano crime family at Nuovo Vesuvio, where "Larry Boy" Barese makes a toast to his future. However, when he later delivers Corky's final payment, including more heroin, he cannot resist when he watches his friend inject
3600-488: A warning, but Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero convinces him to put it elsewhere as it would bring less heat to the crew. The murder haunts Chris' dreams, and he twice has to dig up and move Kolar's corpse. Chris aids Brendan in hijacking Comley trucks, which are under Junior Soprano 's protection. The two are ordered to pay $ 15,000 in restitution to Junior and leave the trucks alone. Chris and Brendan plan another heist while high on methamphetamine , but Chris backs down at
3720-446: Is a homemaker for the Soprano household, and works to create a semblance of legitimacy for her family, even though she is well aware their wealth is built on "blood money". Tony trusts Carmela enough to confide in her, to a degree, about some of his Mafia dealings, notably the failed attempt on his life and the death of Richie Aprile . Carmela is an observant Roman Catholic and has difficulty rationalizing her husband's profession and
Christopher Moltisanti - Misplaced Pages Continue
3840-598: Is a cousin once removed of Tony's wife Carmela , making him a second cousin to her children. Christopher begins the series as Tony's driver and enforcer and is eager to rise through the ranks in the Mafia . He "makes his bones" by killing Emil Kolar in order to settle a dispute with the DiMeo crime family over the Triborough Towers garbage routes. He initially plans to place the body in a Kolar Bros. dumpster to send
3960-457: Is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series The Sopranos , and its prequel film The Many Saints of Newark . Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero is portrayed by Vincent Pastore . Big Pussy was a longtime close friend and mob enforcer for Tony Soprano , and was also shown to be close friends with fellow DiMeo crime family mobsters Paulie "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri , Silvio Dante , and
4080-436: Is a regular fixture at the restaurant's bar, flirting with Martina. The restaurant is losing many customers to the new rival restaurant, Da Giovanni's. Nuovo Vesuvio's finances worsen when American Express will not let its customers use its cards there, because several account numbers had been stolen and used to run up charges elsewhere. Artie confronts Martina, who instantly breaks, tearfully admitting to stealing, then passing,
4200-534: Is also jealous and resentful of her daughter for achieving the independence and success she always wanted herself. She constantly frets over A.J.'s troubles and inactivity, yet tends to coddle him and is unwilling to impose any real restrictions on him. She has trouble with her husband's profession, considering him more a Robin Hood -like character and just another "crook" rather than a brutal murderer. Carmela's resentment of her husband's infidelity has often driven her to
4320-448: Is approached by Frenchman Jean-Philippe, the brother of the new hostess at Vesuvio, for a $ 50,000 short-term loan to distribute Armagnac in the US. Artie agrees to lend him the money at high interest. He tries to borrow the money from Ralph, who declines but mentions it to Tony, who reminds Artie of their friendship and insists that he accept the loan from him. Ten days pass and Jean-Philippe
4440-451: Is arrested on a gambling charge along with Patsy Parisi and Silvio Dante . To protect himself from prosecution, Tony makes Chris the main contact in criminal dealings. He then bonds his nephew to him by having him murder the recently retired Lieutenant Detective Barry Haydu, after telling Chris that Haydu had murdered his father. Christopher confronts Haydu at his home and Haydu denies having heard of Dickie Moltisanti and claimed that someone
4560-423: Is better off with Tony in charge and tips him off about Richie's plans. Silvio Dante advises Tony that there is nothing to gain from leaving Richie alive, so Tony instructs Silvio to have Richie killed. However, after returning home one night, Richie gets into an argument with Janice over Richie's son's possible homosexuality , during which he punches her in the mouth before settling down for dinner. Janice leaves
4680-431: Is characterized as an excellent earner but also unstable and prone to violence. He returned to New Jersey in 2000, following the disappearance of Richie Aprile . As a high-ranking soldier, he tried to take over the crew despite Tony's reluctance to make him captain, and often referred to it as "my crew". Tony viewed Ralph as obnoxious and insubordinate, so he passed Ralph over for promotion, and made Gigi Cestone captain of
4800-406: Is high on heroin. Although they successfully hide the body, Tony decides his nephew needs help. Later, Chris is carjacked by a Puerto Rican gang while trying to buy heroin . When Chris physically abuses Adriana, Tony organizes an intervention . However, the meeting ends badly when it is revealed that Chris had accidentally killed Adriana's dog by sitting on it when high. Tony, whose beloved racehorse
4920-417: Is later tasked with reclaiming Tony's assumed debt from Jean-Philippe. Furio eventually becomes infatuated with Tony's wife, Carmela , who shares the same feelings. The two never truly become romantically entwined, which creates significant sexual tension between them. Carmela repeatedly finds excuses to visit Furio including assisting him in buying and decorating a house and planning a house-warming party. At
Christopher Moltisanti - Misplaced Pages Continue
5040-621: Is made acting capo of Paulie's crew while Paulie is imprisoned on a gun charge, being awarded a no-show job at the Esplanade construction site. His promotion irks Patsy, who has seniority. The two come to blows over Patsy's continued theft from the construction site, despite orders from Tony. Silvio was actually the guiding force behind Patsy's actions, as he was also jealous of Chris' promotion. Chris' drug use spirals out of control following his temporary promotion. When Tony calls upon him to dispose of Ralph Cifaretto's body, he realizes that Chris
5160-464: Is married to Mafia boss Tony Soprano . A young Carmela, portrayed by Lauren DiMario, appears in the 2021 prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark . She's known for her strength, intelligence, and conflicted feelings about her marriage and lifestyle. Edie Falco 's performance as Carmela was universally lauded. She won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1999, 2001 and 2003, and received six nominations for her role in
5280-611: Is never stated whether Furio has been found. John Sacrimoni , better known as Johnny Sack , is played by Vincent Curatola . He was the longtime underboss of Carmine Lupertazzi , the boss of the Brooklyn -based Lupertazzi crime family . Until he received a severance package , he operated largely out of Essany Scaffolding. Until incarcerated, Sacrimoni resided on a comfortable estate in North Caldwell, New Jersey. As underboss, he handled political payoffs and bid-rigging for
5400-540: Is not answering the phone. Artie goes to his home; Jean-Philippe says plainly that the deal has failed and there is no money. Artie attacks him. Jean-Philippe gets the better of him, rips out his earring, and throws him out. At home, Artie overdoses on alcohol and pills and calls Tony to apologize. Tony deduces that his friend is trying to kill himself and calls 911. At the hospital, Tony says that Artie can clear his $ 6,000 tab at Nuovo Vesuvio in lieu of payment. Artie expresses admiration that Tony could intuitively foresee that
5520-550: Is played by Kathrine Narducci . Charmaine is the wife of Artie Bucco and a childhood friend of Carmela and Tony Soprano . She co-owns the restaurant Nuovo Vesuvio with her husband. Charmaine runs the front of the house, and Artie is the head chef. Charmaine's education is referenced periodically in the series: in The Test Dream it is revealed that she is a licensed notary public and in Everybody Hurts it
5640-572: Is promoted to capo , in keeping with Tony's long-term plan to raise his nephew through the ranks until he eventually is appointed boss . He uses Chris to organize a sensitive hit on Rusty Millio . Chris initially questions Tony's decision to contract the job out to their friends in Naples , but later decides it was a smart move. He uses his Italian-speaking associate Corky Caporale to communicate with hitmen and provide them with weapons and instructions while paying him off with heroin. Chris' readiness for
5760-404: Is removed and goes through a traumatic recovery process, having been clinically dead for about a minute. Bevilaqua is eventually tracked down and executed by Tony and Big Pussy. Chris tells the crew that during his coma, he had seen himself in either hell or purgatory and warned them that Brendan and Mikey told him that three o'clock would be a significant time in their future. Shortly before
5880-501: Is revealed that she went to the Wharton School of Business . She and her husband have three children: Chiara Bucco, Melissa Bucco, and Arthur "Art" Bucco III. In Season 1, Charmaine and Carmela drift apart. Charmaine resents that Carmela enjoys an affluent lifestyle that is only made possible by her husband's criminal activities. She discourages Artie from associating with Tony because of his criminal lifestyle. When Carmela hires
6000-418: Is sent to rehab. However, after he learns that Adriana has reluctantly provided information to the FBI , he turns to Tony rather than accept her plea to join her in witness protection . Tony sends Silvio Dante to meet with Adriana, purportedly to drive to the hospital to visit Chris, but in reality, he executes her in the woods. Chris relapses into heroin use and weeps to Tony out of grief for Adriana. Chris
6120-513: Is subsequently placed in the psychiatric ward at Mountainside Hospital. Carmela, along with Tony, encourages A.J. to become part of the production team for a film written by Daniel Baldwin and financed by Little Carmine , rather than enlist in the Army. She is shown considering building plans for a beach house. In the final scene of the series, she meets Tony at a diner for a family meal. List of The Sopranos characters#Richard Moltisanti This
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#17327827252036240-450: Is the only one (besides Tony) who knows which bodies were buried at "Uncle Pat" Blundetto's farm and what really happened to Ralph Cifaretto. Chris is also one of the few (along with Furio Giunta) to know Richie Aprile was murdered by Janice Soprano , Tony Soprano's murder of Fabian Petrulio, the aborted plan to hit New York boss Carmine Lupertazzi, Sr. and about Silvio's murder of Christopher's fiancee, Adriana La Cerva. Imperioli returns in
6360-441: Is to extract payment from a tanning salon owner whose wife has convinced him to withhold payment. He breaks the owner's arm with a baseball bat and shoots him in the kneecap —all of which make a positive impression on Tony. In Season 3 in " Amour Fou ", Furio is shot in the leg by Jackie Aprile Jr. while Jackie and his friends Dino Zerilli and Carlo Renzi rob Ralph Cifaretto 's card game in an attempt to gain recognition amongst
6480-511: Is unlikely he will approve. Eugene attempts to bribe Tony with David Yurman watches for Tony, Carmela, Meadow and A.J. He again tries to coax Tony by handing him over a share of the inheritance. Christopher Moltisanti assigns Eugene the task of killing Teddy Spirodakis in Boston who owed Christopher money and failed to pay him. Eugene is reluctant but must follow Christopher's order due to his rank of capo . Chris assures Eugene that he will put in
6600-709: The DiMeo crime family , and Joanne Blundetto. In the episode "Cold Cuts" it is revealed that Chris grew up in the Rochelle Park section of Paramus, New Jersey next to the Westfield Garden State Plaza . When talking about his childhood with his cousin Tony Blundetto he describes himself as an urban youth, something Blundetto disagrees with. When discussing making a biographical movie of Joe Gallo with Jon Favreau , Moltisanti mentions that he vaguely remembered Gallo being murdered in 1972, as he
6720-751: The Neapolitan Camorra crime boss Annalisa Zucca for Furio to be transferred to New Jersey to work for him as part of an international car theft operation deal. In order to get Furio a visa, Tony initially gets him a job as a mozzarella maker in the Nuovo Vesuvio Restaurant, enticing Artie Bucco with the idea that Tony will pay Furio's salary and he does not have to be on the restaurant's payroll. Furio becomes one of Tony's most feared enforcers, intimidating and beating up multiple people who owe Tony money, as well as acting as Tony's driver and bodyguard . Furio's first assignment
6840-451: The "family" hierarchy, sells his house and moves back to Italy. Carmela was devastated, and eventually revealed her feelings for him in an argument with Tony, to which Tony replies "If certain men see him, he's a dead man." By the end of the fourth season, Tony and Carmela separate after Tony's former mistress Irina Peltsin calls the Soprano home, talks to A.J., and informs Carmela that Tony slept with Svetlana Kirilenko , Irina's cousin and
6960-473: The Aprile crew. After Cestone dies of a heart attack, Tony reluctantly installs Ralph as capo. In the episode " University ", Ralph is involved with a 20-year-old stripper named Tracee, who becomes pregnant with his child. At the Bing, Tracee insults Ralph in front of his friends and makes fun of his perceived lack of masculinity. He follows her outside, where they argue. Ralph sweet-talks Tracee by telling her of
7080-466: The Buccos to cater a silent auction fundraiser at the Soprano home, Carmela treats Charmaine like a servant. This prompts Charmaine to reveal that she dated and had sex with Tony in high school at the same time he was beginning to date Carmela when she was spending the summer with her parents on Long Beach Island. Following a series of escalating arguments, Artie and Charmaine separate. Artie moves out of
7200-593: The Crazy Horse Nightclub in Long Branch with Furio as a partner and Adriana as the front operator. Chris is present when Jackie Aprile, Jr. and his friends try to rob a card game run by Eugene Pontecorvo . Chris and acting capo Albert Barese fire back, killing Jackie Jr.'s friend Dino Zerilli as he tries to escape. Chris, jealous and resentful of Jackie Jr. as a rival for Tony's favor, expresses his intent to kill Jackie Jr. as retaliation for
7320-451: The Feast of St. Elzear (Episode 74, " The Ride "). Liz, who has stopped taking care of herself, tells Carmela that Adriana is dead, and that Christopher is responsible, going on to say the FBI told her so. The next day Carmela confronts Tony, who dismisses her: "Let me school you on domestic violence," he says. "First and foremost, there is always a body." Carmela is not aware that Adriana was
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#17327827252037440-699: The Lupertazzi family, was particularly disgusted by his predecessor's decision. Phil himself had previously stood trial and been sentenced to 20 years. Other mobsters including Richie Aprile, Tony Blundetto and "Feech" La Manna had all previously stood trial with lengthy sentences over their heads and never faltered. During his incarceration, Johnny developed lung cancer . He died at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri not long after receiving
7560-414: The Lupertazzi organization. Sacrimoni became boss after Carmine's death, and was also a friend of Tony Soprano . His wife Ginny was obese, and he reacted violently to remarks about her weight. He once ordered a hit on Ralph Cifaretto for making one such off-color joke, although he later called it off. Although unknown to Johnny, Tony and Carmine approved a hit on him (later called off) in order to protect
7680-490: The Mafia and because they are both cousins, through unrelated sides, to Tony Blundetto ; Christopher's girlfriend Adriana La Cerva also believes that Tony and Christopher are distantly related through Christopher's mother. The character, Christopher, is a volatile, impulsive, and unpredictable young man, frustrated by his perceived lack of progress in the Mafia business. His violent behavior often causes friction between him and
7800-482: The Mafia and refuses to let Chris talk out his problems that night, Chris shoots him in the head and leaves. As Tony and Chris drive back from a meeting with Phil Leotardo and the New York crew, Chris – clearly impaired by drugs and alcohol – crashes his Cadillac Escalade . Tony is able to climb out of the SUV, but Chris is badly injured and coughing up blood. He pleads for Tony's help, mumbling that he wouldn't pass
7920-571: The Season 4 penultimate episode " Eloise ", Furio witnesses Tony's infidelity firsthand on a night out at a casino. A helicopter has been arranged to take them home and while Tony is urinating on the tarmac, Furio suddenly grabs him by his jacket and contemplates pushing Tony into the rear rotor blades of the helicopter. "What the fuck you doin'?!" exclaims Tony in a very inebriated voice. Furio then pulls him away and plays it off by telling Tony "You were standing too close...". Furio, no longer able to bear
8040-409: The Soprano and Lupertazzi families were angered by his admission, believing that John should have stood trial and stayed silent instead of confirming his membership and rank in the Lupertazzi crime family . Once sentenced and incarcerated, Johnny was considered persona non grata among his former associates. Phil Leotardo , the former acting-boss during Johnny's incarceration and now de facto boss of
8160-692: The age of 52. It is implied he is from North Bergen, New Jersey . Eugene was introduced on the show as an associate in the Soprano crime family in the episode " Proshai, Livushka ". Eugene subsequently becomes a made man in the following episode " Fortunate Son " along with Christopher Moltisanti . In Season 6's premiere episode " Members Only ", Eugene inherited $ 2 million from his deceased aunt. He begins developing serious stress with his home life due to his wife pushing him to talk Tony into allowing them to retire to Fort Myers, Florida . When Eugene discusses this with Tony, Tony says he would think about it, but he states that Eugene took an oath , indicating that it
8280-424: The boss, whom Richie had known since before Tony had become a made man . Richie feels he is entitled to more control and a higher ranking position in the family for having paid his dues in prison. Tony promises to give Richie his due, an offer which Richie immediately rebuffs, saying Tony does not have the authority to do it. Richie's tensions with Tony escalate throughout Season 2 . One of Richie's first actions as
8400-476: The brink of breaking her marriage vows during some sexually charged moments with her priest, Father Phil Intintola (in " College "), and painter-decorator Vic Musto. During the fourth season, Carmela has a mutual romantic infatuation with Furio Giunta . Tony had secured Furio from the Camorra clan while on an inaugural trip to Naples , the Soprano family's ancestral homeland, a trip that Carmela had wanted to be
8520-488: The burden that the internal conflict is causing him (that of his feelings conflicting with his honor, as well as his respect for the "family" hierarchy), sells his house and moves back to Italy. Carmela is devastated, and eventually reveals her feelings for him in an argument with Tony, to which Tony replies "If certain people see him, he's a dead man". In Season 5, it is said that Tony has men looking for him in Italy. However, it
8640-513: The charge card numbers to Benny. Artie is enraged and storms to Benny's house in the middle of the night. Benny tries to deny his involvement, and Artie starts a brawl, knocking Benny unconscious on his front porch. A furious Benny tells Tony he wants Artie dead, but Tony is able to keep him from doing so. Later, Artie appears to restore his business. Artie had also catered Christopher Moltisanti 's belated bachelor party at Nuovo Vesuvio without coming into confrontation with Benny. Charmaine Bucco
8760-468: The consequences should he ever hit her again while they are still unmarried. Christopher's two young associates, Matthew Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte , learn of Richie's dislike for their boss, and shoot Christopher, hoping to impress Richie. The shooting goes wrong, however, and Christopher survives while Sean is killed. Richie had nothing to do with planning the hit, and when he learns of it, he refuses to help Bevilaqua and chases him off his premises waving
8880-714: The crew killed Altieri, whom the crew decided had been the rat. Sal resurfaced at Tony's home in 2000, claiming to have been in Puerto Rico receiving treatment from an acupuncturist for his bad back. He started lying to Agent Lipari, showing reluctance to divulge details. Acquaintance Jimmy Bones spots Sal with Agent Lipari, so Sal kills him to prevent him from telling what he knows. After Sal's return, his wife Angie and he experience relationship issues. Angie discusses leaving him with Carmela , who dissuades her, so she settles for sleeping in separate bedrooms. When Tony became acting boss, he made Silvio his consigliere , and Paulie
9000-487: The crime family. In Season 4 in " Everybody Hurts ", a sly Frenchman named Jean-Philippe talks Artie Bucco into temporarily lending him $ 50,000 for a business venture to distribute Armagnac in the US. Artie borrows the money from Tony Soprano, but when Artie goes to Jean-Philippe's apartment to collect the money, he claims he does not have it and does not know when or if he is going to get it. Artie and Jean-Philippe scuffle briefly, but Artie leaves bruised and bloodied. Furio
9120-440: The deal would go bad and so he would be able to profit from it; this makes Tony furious. Someone rings the bell at Jean-Philippe's apartment. He opens the door: it is Furio. In the third episode of Season 5, Tony learns that Artie has been living in a Motel 6 since the separation from his wife. Tony offers to let Artie stay in his mother's old house, where Tony has been living since his separation from Carmela . Artie accepts, and
9240-530: The drug. He spends the night at the Feast of St. Elzear festival with a stray dog. Chris takes a road trip to Pennsylvania with Tony just before the feast. On their way home, they spot some bikers robbing a strip mall and take part of the haul for themselves. This leads to a firefight in which Chris shoots one of the bikers as Tony drives away. Later, the two get drunk on the wine they had stolen, and Chris recalls telling Tony of Adriana's treachery. The two express their love for and loyalty to each other, though when
9360-486: The end of Season 1, Artie learns from Tony's mother, Livia , that Tony was responsible for the arson at his original restaurant co-owned with his wife, Vesuvio, in Essex County, New Jersey . Tony's Uncle Junior had planned to stage a hit at Vesuvio on "Little Pussy" Malanga, despite Tony's repeated requests to move the location of the hit. Tony, knowing that the restaurant's patrons would be permanently chased away if
9480-423: The episode, she overtly manipulates her neighbor's Georgetown-alumna sister into writing a letter of recommendation for Meadow to Georgetown, hoping Meadow would not go to UC Berkeley but rather stay closer to home. She discards a letter from Berkeley to Meadow requesting transcripts. Later, she retrieves it from the trash in a moment of guilt. While she is very proud of Meadow's accomplishments and ambition, Carmela
9600-537: The escaped Bevilaqua, and shot him to death with Tony. Sal eventually gave Agent Lipari information on Soprano's stolen airline tickets scam, leading to Tony's brief arrest. Tony accepted his suspicions about Sal after a portentous dream in which Sal appeared to him as a talking fish, a clear reference to the Mafia-related saying " sleep with the fishes ". To be certain, he searched for evidence in Sal's home and found
9720-555: The family home, but the two still reluctantly run the business together. Charmaine ultimately reconciles with Artie in Season 6. Ralph "Ralphie" Cifaretto is portrayed by Joe Pantoliano . Ralph is not present in Season 1 or 2, as he spends a prolonged period of time in Miami , Florida, and lived in Delray Beach, Florida . Ralph first appears as a soldier in the Aprile Crew in the second episode of Season 3, " Proshai, Livushka ". He
9840-426: The farm as Pat is planning to move away. While there, Chris recalls being bullied by the two Tonys, and they exhibit such behavior by ribbing him over his addiction problems. Throughout this time, Chris maintains a turbulent and sometimes violent relationship with Adriana. He indulged her aspirations for a career in music by allowing her to produce a demo and later giving her a club to run. They became engaged before he
9960-450: The finger at Sal. Tony assigned Paulie Gualtieri to investigate, and to kill Sal, but only if he saw explicit proof. At a bathhouse with Paulie, Sal refused to undress, blaming high blood pressure and alleging it would be bad for his back, but implying it could be because he was wearing a wire . The bathhouse incident further raised the crew's suspicions, especially when Sal disappeared soon afterwards. Paulie took over his collections, and
10080-605: The flaws in their marriage. Tony and Carmela often reconcile after Tony presents her with expensive gifts, notably jewelry, designer clothing, furs, cars, and a $ 600,000 plot of land she wants to build a spec house on. Sometimes, Carmela has intense guilt for having sacrificed her children's security for the luxuries Tony's career could provide. She defends her children from Tony when they do something wrong. She has shown herself willing to use her mob-wife status to intimidate others, as she does in Full Leather Jacket . In
10200-474: The former nurse of Livia Soprano . Carmela begins dating A.J.'s guidance counselor, Robert Wegler. She pursues divorce proceedings against Tony, but is drawn back to her husband by financial concerns and difficulties in rearing A.J., as well as a difficult breakup with Wegler, who accuses Carmela of using sex to manipulate him into giving A.J. special treatment in school. At the end of the fifth season, Carmela agrees to reunite with Tony after he agrees to purchase
10320-472: The heist, which Tony denies. This causes Chris to question Tony's leadership, calling him a hypocrite for not enforcing established rules of the mob protecting made men, which enrages Tony. Eventually, Vito Spatafore carries out a contract killing on Jackie Jr. in the Boonton Projects, shooting him in the back of the head, on the orders of Ralph Cifaretto and Tony. At Jackie Jr.'s funeral, Chris
10440-615: The highly valuable Esplanade project to which Ralphie's involvement was key. Johnny cultivated a friendship with Paulie Gualtieri , making use of him as a source of information about the Soprano family business. The relationship began when Paulie felt sidelined by Tony over the Esplanade construction project and proved most fruitful when Paulie was imprisoned in 2002 — a time when he felt particularly neglected by his friends. Johnny lied to Paulie — telling him that Carmine held him in high regard and often asked about him. This encouraged Paulie to place more faith in his friendship with Johnny than in
10560-469: The hit. Fazio and La Rosa steal back the money Chris had given Curtis and Johnson, which they believed was payment for the hit they were tasked with. Chris and Paulie are put in charge of a cigarette smuggling operation. While Chris is traveling to North Carolina to pick up cigarettes, Tony and Adriana are involved in a car accident. Rumors begin to spread that the crash was caused by Adriana performing oral sex on Tony. Chris finds out, gets drunk, starts
10680-479: The house-warming they share a sexually charged dance. Furio later claims he forgot his sunglasses at the Soprano house, just as a ploy to talk with Carmela. When Furio's father dies, he returns to Italy for the funeral. He seeks the advice of his uncle, another Mafia member, telling him that Italy no longer feels like home and that he is in love with his boss's wife, feeling that they could truly communicate. His uncle makes it clear he has to move on or kill his boss. In
10800-538: The infant Chris' behavior around him, a woman at the table tells him that "some babies, when they come into the world, know all kinds of things from the other side." The final scene of the film ends with Christopher narrating that Tony is "the guy [he] went to hell for." Christopher has helped dispose of several people murdered by other people throughout the series, mainly Tony. Both Christopher's character development and Michael Imperioli's performance have received universal acclaim. He received several accolades, including
10920-588: The last minute out of loyalty to Tony. Brendan and two others go through with the heist, which ends in the accidental death of the driver. Chris is reprimanded by Tony for not using his leadership to stop Brendan. Junior, angered that his authority was flouted, stages a mock execution for Chris in the New Jersey Meadowlands . Brendan is shot in the eye by Mikey Palmice . Christopher later avenges Brendan's death as part of Tony's revenge against Junior, when he and Paulie ambush and murder Mikey out in
11040-588: The loyalty of his friends in the Soprano crime family. Through Paulie, Johnny learned about Tony's Frelinghuysen Avenue property windfall and HUD scam — allowing the Lupertazzi crime family to demand a piece of the action because their mutual interests made both projects possible. It was also Paulie who told John about Ralphie's insult about Ginny's weight. After a chance meeting with Carmine, Paulie discovered that Carmine did not even know who he was. Angered by John's deceit, Paulie became one of his biggest detractors. Following Carmine's 2004 death, Johnny's crew engaged in
11160-565: The murders he had witnessed previously. Because of his substance abuse, Christopher spends significant amounts of time at AA meetings and rehabilitation centers. Despite wanting Christopher to succeed, Tony doubts his "nephew's” loyalty and suitability to be his successor, and he fears that Christopher's immaturity and frequent drug problems make him a ripe target to turn state's evidence . Christopher's efforts to stay clean of drugs and alcohol cause him to spend less time at their regular haunts, further arousing Tony's suspicions. Christopher causes
11280-631: The new office park construction project – another shared venture like the Esplanade project. Johnny was granted a six-hour release from prison to attend his daughter Allegra's wedding, and agreed to cover the cost of U.S. Marshals and metal detectors . When the time came for Johnny to leave, he was reluctant to go, desiring to wait until his daughter and her new husband departed. However, the marshals blocked her limousine and dragged Johnny away in handcuffs, causing him to break down in tears. When Lupertazzi capo Rusty Millio continued to make trouble for Johnny, Johnny reached out to Tony for help, and Tony arranged
11400-403: The old friends reconcile. In Season 6, Artie and Charmaine reconcile. There is a growing sense of dissatisfaction amongst Nuovo Vesuvio's diners, culminating in the episode " Luxury Lounge ". Artie has hired another young hostess whom he lusts after—Martina, an undocumented Albanian immigrant he has been helping through the U.S. government's immigration process. Soprano crew associate Benny Fazio
11520-520: The only way to allow his family to gain his inheritance and to move to Florida, Eugene hangs himself in his basement. Various characters give their opinion on his suicide but the nature of his death is never brought to Tony. Furio Giunta is played by Federico Castelluccio . Furio is an Italian gangster, referred to as a zip , working for Tony Soprano . Furio first appears in Season 2 in " Commendatori " as Tony's contact when visiting Italy who speaks both Italian and English. In Italy, Tony negotiates with
11640-490: The position Chris once held, it is clear that their relationship has cooled. Given Chris' resentment towards Tony about Adriana's death, and his continued desire to enter the film business, the two continue to drift apart. When he relapses to drinking after yet another confrontation with Paulie, he becomes very angry with the crew and leaves. He later ends up at his "friend" J.T. Dolan 's home, looking for someone to talk to. When J.T. makes explicit mention of Chris' membership in
11760-462: The prequel film The Many Saints of Newark . Though never seen on screen, he acts as the narrator of the film. Christopher is seemingly narrating from the afterlife, bitterly referencing his death at the hands of Tony as well as Tony's lack of financial support to his family after his death. During the film, an infant Christopher cries when he sees Tony at a welcoming back party for Tony's father, "Johnny Boy" Soprano. When Tony expresses confusion at
11880-486: The protection of captain Junior Soprano . To teach him a lesson, Junior orders his mock execution . In the second season, Chris is shot by his subordinates Matthew Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte but survives. Tony trusts Christopher with sensitive tasks, such as disposing of the bodies of murdered captains Richie Aprile and Ralph Cifaretto and arranging the assassination of New York boss Carmine Lupertazzi . In
12000-564: The responsibility of leading his own crew is unclear as he is distracted by a potential career in Hollywood , relapses into drug use, and displays unresolved feelings over his murdered fiancee. Chris' crew get involved in a credit card fraud scam; his AA sponsor James "Murmur" Zancone and Benny Fazio take numbers from local businesses and sell them on to associates Ahmed and Muhammad . He wonders about whether these men have links to terrorism . The use of numbers from Nuovo Vesuvio leads to
12120-535: The rest of the North Jersey Mafia, which is especially troublesome for Tony Soprano, who attempts to guide Christopher towards becoming a major leader in the business. Throughout the series, Christopher struggles with substance abuse , which further complicates his relationship with the Mafia, especially when other Mafia members ostracize Christopher when he attempts to stay sober. In Season 1, Christopher oversteps his authority when he hijacks trucks under
12240-444: The role of acting boss, while Johnny's brother-in-law Anthony Infante acted as a back channel for communications. Ginny remained supportive, often visiting him in prison. Johnny became more selfish while imprisoned, disregarding the problems of subordinates while saying that his "situation" should take precedence. He ordered Phil to maintain a good relationship with Tony and avoid starting a war over any business disputes, particularly
12360-492: The room and returns with a gun, shooting Richie twice and killing him. Distraught, she calls Tony, who has Christopher and Furio Giunta meet him to remove Richie's body. They bring his corpse to Satriale's to dismember it while Tony sends Janice off to Olympia, Washington to lie low. Arthur "Artie" Bucco Jr. is played by John Ventimiglia . Artie is a restaurateur and chef, and childhood friend of Tony Soprano , attending elementary school together. Artie appears throughout
12480-416: The series, from the first episode to the penultimate episode. He and his wife, Charmaine Bucco , have three children: Chiara Bucco, Melissa Bucco, and Arthur "Art" Bucco III. Charmaine is frequently concerned about his attraction to Tony's criminal life and often warns Artie about his occasional attempts at involvement. Despite Artie and Tony's close friendship, their relationship sees several low points. At
12600-599: The series. Falco has also won two Golden Globe Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards . Carmela was Tony Soprano 's high school sweetheart, and the couple married at a young age. They have two children together: Meadow Soprano and Anthony "A.J." Soprano, Jr. In " The Knight in White Satin Armor ", Tony mentions that they have been married for 18 years, suggesting they were married around 1981 or 1982. Carmela attended Montclair State University for an unspecified period of time before dropping out. Carmela
12720-542: The shooting, Chris and Adriana had gotten into a fight causing Adriana to move in with her mother. Chris gets her back by proposing to her, against her mother's advice. Despite this, the two don't get married. Following Richie's death at the hands of Janice, Tony calls Chris and Furio Giunta to dispose of his body. They use Satriale's bandsaw and processing room to dismember the corpse. At Meadow Soprano 's graduation, Tony proposes to let Chris be made . During Chris' initiation ceremony , in " Fortunate Son ", he notices
12840-541: The side. Sometime between 1995 and 1998, Sal was caught by the FBI and decided to inform against the Soprano crew in order to avoid the possibility of life in prison . He was assigned Agent Skip Lipari as his handler. He was revealed as an informant in the episode " Do Not Resuscitate ". In flashbacks to 1995, it is shown that Sal was instrumental in organizing a sit-down between high-ranking capo Junior Soprano and acting boss Jackie Aprile Sr. He traveled to Boca Raton to persuade Junior to return to New Jersey and settle
12960-456: The suspicious timing of the fire with the $ 200,000 insurance payout, which was used for his son's medical expenses. Ralph denies the accusation, and rebukes and mocks Tony for being emotionally attached to the horse. A fight ensues in Ralph's kitchen during which Tony beats and strangles Ralph to death. Tony calls Christopher to dispose of the body. Chris dismembers Ralph's body in his bathtub with
13080-589: The third season, Chris finally becomes a made man . This leads to friction with Paulie Gualtieri , culminating in the Pine Barrens incident and although they make an uneasy truce, they clash again on several occasions. By the sixth season, Christopher is promoted to the role of captain, and Tony tells him that he will lead the family into the 21st century. Christopher's character has a tumultuous and abusive relationship with Adriana, his long-term girlfriend, who becomes his fiancée. When Chris becomes enraged about rumors that Adriana and Tony are having an affair, he pulls
13200-465: The two later try to recreate their camaraderie sober, it falls flat and ends in awkward silence. Months later, Chris is back in AA meetings. Chris premieres his film Cleaver at a private screening with other Soprano associates, looking to have it distributed nationwide. He also tries to distance himself from the criminal lifestyle and stays away from the Bada Bing. When Tony begins grooming Bobby Bacala for
13320-406: The witness protection program. Richard "Richie" Aprile is played by David Proval . Richie is the older brother of acting DiMeo crime family boss Jackie Aprile Sr. , and was a capo in the DiMeo crime family before being sent to prison for ten years. Richie was previously married and fathered a son, Richie Aprile Jr. Richie returned from prison to a very different family, with Tony Soprano as
13440-407: The woods. Chris is put in charge of the family's pump and dump scam, with Matthew Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte serving as his subordinates. Eventually, Bevilaqua and Gismonte decide to murder him to gain favor with Richie Aprile . The pair ambush Chris outside a diner and badly wound him, but he manages to kill Gismonte as Bevilaqua flees the scene. When Chris recovers from a coma , his spleen
13560-404: Was "obviously" setting him up. However, he inadvertently admitted knowing Dickie Moltisanti by stating "Look, whoever told you I had anything to do with his death is lying!", before Christopher ever mentioned Dickie's death, whom Haydu supposedly did not even know. Haydu's last words before he is killed by Christopher are "I'm sorry!" indicating that he was likely responsible. In " No Show ", Chris
13680-417: Was called "Big Pussy" to distinguish him from Gennaro "Little Pussy" Malenga. Sal had a wife Angie and three children. He operated an auto body shop with his brother Edward "Duke" Bonpensiero. Sal was a soldier in the Soprano crew, and he backed "Johnny Boy" Soprano's wishes to have Tony Soprano become capo following Johnny's death in 1986. In order to put his children through college, he dealt heroin on
13800-427: Was followed by Johnny's tentative reconciliation with Tony Soprano, who had personally taken Tony Blundetto's life to bury the hatchet. Johnny's time as boss was cut short when he was arrested by the FBI after the family's consigliere, Jimmy Petrille , turned state's evidence . While in jail awaiting trial, Johnny remained in control of the Lupertazzi family. In the sixth season, Johnny entrusted Phil Leotardo with
13920-447: Was key. Ralph purchases a prize racehorse from Hesh Rabkin named Pie-O-My. While Ralph only cares about the horse as a means to make money, Tony becomes emotionally attached to the horse. When Ralph's son Justin is accidentally impaled in the chest with an arrow as part of a game, Ralph is devastated and turns to Father Intintola for guidance. After Pie-O-My dies in a stable fire under questionable circumstances, Tony confronts Ralph over
14040-597: Was killed in a fire set by Ralph, becomes very angry. He insists Chris go into rehab and assigns Patsy to guard him. Following Chris' successful rehabilitation, Tony entrusts him with the planned hit on Carmine Lupertazzi ; Chris contracts the job out to Credenzo Curtis and Stanley Johnson, Black gang members and drug dealers who he had known from his period of heroin abuse. When the job is called off and Tony urges him to make sure it can't be traced to them, Chris has Benny Fazio and Peter "Bissell" LaRosa shoot Curtis and Johnson to death while he waits in his car watching over
14160-418: Was once a close friend to Tony's uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano . In the tie-in video game it is revealed he has an illegitimate son named Joey LaRocca. Samson Moeakiola portrays a young Bonpensiero in the 2021 prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark . The son of Lino Bonpensiero, Salvatore Bonpensiero started out as a cat burglar , and was affectionately known as Pussy, in reference to those talents. He
14280-490: Was only a kid (3 years old). Dickie is killed by a hitman sent by Junior Soprano when Chris is very young (although Junior kept his involvement hidden and the murder is blamed on a another mobster named Jilly Ruffalo). Tony Soprano affectionately considers Christopher a "nephew," and looks out for him over the years. He is a fan of the television show Cops . Moltisanti is a roommate of Brendan Filone before his murder and engaged to Adriana La Cerva before her murder. Chris
14400-432: Was responsible. Eventually, Artie believes Tony's repeated denials of having been the arsonist. There is a brief tension between the two, but by the end of the Season 1 finale, they have made up. In Season 3, Artie becomes infatuated with Adriana. When she quits working as a hostess at his restaurant, he unsuccessfully tries to court her. This causes a rift in his marriage to Charmaine and the two separate. In Season 4, Artie
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