You Read it Here First

According to the New York Times today, there is a growing consensus that Tony Soprano was killed in the last scene of the last episode.

Now, I don't mean to brag, but I do believe that I was the first person to make that point, in this item.

The Times also has a nice piece on Sharesleuth and my item thereon.

One technical point: it is contrary to organized crime "best practices" (so to speak) for mob "hits" to take place in front of the family of the victim. However, since Phil Leotardo was killed in front of his wife and kids, it is conceivable Tony could have been killed in front of his family.

I don't believe, however, that the entire family would have been killed, as some have speculated. Though the Sopranos took liberties with mob reality (to say the least), I don't think such a thing would be consistent with the way the series was produced.

P.S. One thing needs to be kept in mind: This is fiction. So your guess is as good as mine.

© 2007 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.

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Wall Street Versus America was published by Penguin USA on April 6.
Click here for its Amazon.com listing and here for more information on the book, from my web site, gary-weiss.com.

R.I.P., Tony Soprano

Tony Soprano, sans bodyguards, awaits his demise

To no great surprise, the world's most slipshod mob boss finally was blown to bits last night. Or at least that is my interpretation of the five seconds of black silence that ended the last scene of the last episode of The Sopranos.

What other explanation could there be? No real-life mob boss would go into a public place without bodyguards, particularly after he had just ordered the death of another mob boss. The slaying of Phil Leotardo was done right in front of his wife, which is a no-no. I think his head being crushed wouldn't have gone over well either.

Also I couldn't quite buy the fed feeding sensitive information to Tony for no particular reason.

Etc. etc. I guess that's why they call it "fiction."

© 2007 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.

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Wall Street Versus America was published by Penguin USA on April 6.
Click here for its Amazon.com listing and here for more information on the book, from my web site, gary-weiss.com.

Tony Soprano's Fate

If The Sopranos had any relationship to the real mob, this is approximately how the concluding episode would play out:

1. A joint federal-state task force, which has had all involved under surveillance -- and benefits from informants within the organization -- concludes its work with a 100-count indictment encompassing both sides of the Hudson River. (I've always marveled at the lack of law enforcement attention devoted to these guys.)

2. Tony is placed on trial for RICO, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Super-Max in Florence, Colorado.


3. Phil Leotardo is under the most surveillance of any of them, having been just released from a long prison term. He'd probably be under supervised release and in no position to do a thing. He's trying hard to avoid scrutiny and die in freedom.

4. Paulie Walnuts becomes interim head of the family until he too is indicted, convicted and imprisoned. He is the most realistic character in the show, by far. As an ex-wiseguy in real life, he has all the moves perfected.

5. Nobody dies of unnatural causes. That has been the pattern since the early 1990s. (Today's events notwithstanding. Forget that. No more "mob wars.")


6. Carmela Soprano is forced to sell all their property to pay the legal fees, and winds up in a rented house in Hackensack.

7. Everybody is considerably less affluent, and dumber, than depicted. The bosses are a lot older, flabbier, and never carry loaded firearms.

I'll be curious to see how closely, if at all, the last episode adheres to the well-established principles of mob life I've outlined above.

© 2007 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.

-----------

Wall Street Versus America was published by Penguin USA on April 6.
Click here for its Amazon.com listing and here for more information on the book, from my web site, gary-weiss.com.