The Introduction To The Family Business

The following is my final paper for my Epics, Ancients, and the Mafia class at the University of Michigan. Every once in a while, I like to read the papers that I write for school because I want to see what I think of it after the fact. Usually, when you write these papers, you're so in the zone, that you don't get to appreciate your own work. The Sopranos is one of my favorite television series of all time, and I really enjoyed writing this paper. I hope you enjoy it.

Both as a contemporary representation of the mafia genre and as a contemporary representation of mafia, The Sopranos faced the challenge of connecting with or referring back to previous representations of mafia genre while updating the mafia tradition. To address these challenges, the first two episodes of the series serve a similar role as the proems that begin epic poetry, particularly The Metamorphoses. A proem, in epic poetry, is an invocation that provides the introduction to the story within its context. Usually, it addresses overarching themes, like Achilles’s rage in The Iliad, Odysseus’s suffering in The Odyssey, and transformation in The Metamorphoses. It can, however, also cover underlying problems and consequences or take us to a specific point in time. For example, in The Iliad, Homer takes us to the feud between Achilles and Agamemnon. As a television series that continues the mafia tradition and takes place during a specific period of time, The Sopranos share a relationship of content with the proem of The Iliad. At the same time, it shares a connection with The Metamorphoses in that both stories come at the end of the genre. The major difference is that The Metamorphoses bring us from past to present, whereas The Sopranos makes reference to the past through developments in the present. The proem, the first two episodes, of The Sopranos not only reintroduces the familiar motifs of the mafia genre, but also introduces the relationships, themes, and subplots that will dictate the events of its contemporary story.

In the first scene in Dr. Melfi’s office, Tony gives us insight both into the problems that he is facing and the changes that have occurred since generations past. When he first opens up, Tony tells Dr. Melfi that within the context of the mafia he “came too late” and that he feels that the “best is over.” He goes onto reminisce about his father’s time and how “they had their standards, and they had pride.” The vicarious nature of the second comment reminds us of The Godfather and the first half of Goodfellas when times were better for the mafia and there were no FBI indictments, there was no fear of family members snitching, and there were closer business relationships. These are all the issues that we see introduced in the first couple episodes, which weigh heavily on Tony throughout the course of the show. This struggle between the idealistic past and the less opportune present and future in itself is one of overarching themes of the entire series, but there are many subplots that draw from this struggle.

The subplots within The Sopranos are introduced through Dr. Melfi’s questioning to get to know Tony and to diagnose the source of his panic attacks. As Tony narrates the events that led to his panic attack, we are shown the scenes from that day. We see, however, more than what he tells Dr. Melfi, for he is unable to tell her the details of his business. This invokes the code of silence, referencing past representations of the genre such as Frank Pentangeli’s testimony in The Godfather: Part II or Paul Cicero’s lectures to Henry Hill in Goodfellas. Tony himself admits, at first, that “it’s impossible for him to talk to a psychiatrist.” In the scenes depicting his daily life within the first two episodes, we are introduced to the themes, subplots, and relationships that are generated from the conflict between the past and the present.

The mafia business has been undermined by the downfall of the code, values, and pride that characterized it at its peak. In the first episode, Tony laments to Dr. Melfi that things are “trending downward” and that mobsters today “have no room for the penal experience.” The second episode reinforces this demise when Tony’s crew watches a discussion of the RICO trials’ effect on the mafia, especially in terms of leadership and values. We immediately see examples of these waning values. In the same episode, Junior calls for a sit down with the acting boss, Jackie Aprile, rather than making an arrangement to talk to Tony face to face. After Jackie dies, Junior and Tony continuously spar over control of the family and the spoils of the family tributes. This dispute exemplifies both the downfall of leadership and values, since a solution could have easily been reached had they worked together rather than against each other. Furthermore, there are some in the business who break the code of silence like Big Pussy Bonpensiero when confronted with a lengthy jail sentence (2.1). Pussy is arrested for selling drugs, which mirrors the experiences of Henry Hill in Goodfellas and resonates Vito’s proclamation to Sollozzo in The Godfather Part I that “drugs are a dirty business.” While the business still provides a living for these men and their families, the admirable traits that characterized the “family business” in The Godfather has eroded.

The maternal authorities have a more significant role in the influence of family matters. Through Tony’s interactions with his mother, Livia, we see the overall toll and effort that Tony must put forth in his interactions with her. When Dr. Melfi presses Tony about Livia’s ability to burden him with so much guilt, Tony cites how his mother “wore [his father down] to a little nub” to indicate her power over him. We also see that same maternal control within Tony’s own household. Carmela does not want Tony’s mother living with them despite his wishes (1.2), and Carmela is the sole decider of Meadow’s punishment for breaking curfew (1.1). This theme recalls the The Godfather Part II, when Michael is powerless to Kay in regards to the abortion and their marriage. Additionally, when confronted with the prospect of losing his family, Michael goes to his mother as the authority figure on family. While the scale of maternal influence is magnified in The Sopranos, it is important to note that Vito tells Johnny Fontaine in the very first scene of The Godfather, “a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.” The influence of women continues in later episodes when Carmela tears up Meadow’s Berkeley letter (2.8) and when she accosts their neighbor, Jeannie Cusamano, to persuade her sister to write Meadow a letter of recommendation to Georgetown. The increased presence of feminine aggression within the household has broken the balance that is idolized in The Godfather.

The differences in generations and their values have created conflicts both in the business and family worlds of the mafia. All of these conflicts derive from the interpretation of what is respect. Junior and Livia believe that the younger generations must treat their elders with respect and dignity. To Tony, his crew, and even Carmela, respect is received on a merit basis. For the younger generation, respect is more about fame and recognition. A good example of this conflict is Tony’s attempt to put his mother in a “retirement community.” Livia refuses to move because, to her, it is a nursing home and not a dignified residence. We also see Christopher struggle with his lack of fame and reputation, when his diseased friend, Brendon, is named as a Soprano-family associate and he is not (1.8). He rashly shoots a baker in the foot after the baker disrespected him by skipping him in line, and later, he becomes depressed until he is told by his mother that he has been mentioned in the Star Ledger in a mafia related article. This provides a Little Caesar moment for Christopher, as he joyously rushes to a newspaper rack to claim all the papers. While Christopher is satisfied with his new recognition, Tony and his crew are unhappy with the immaturity of Christopher in his actions and his jeopardization of the family’s business. The cohesiveness and understanding that we saw in The Godfather has been replaced with unrest between the generations.

Italian identity and culture is constantly rearing its head as a point of contention within The Sopranos. First and foremost, it is important to recognize that the mafia genre is a product of Italian cultural values. The Sopranos features many representations of Italian culture and values through food, assimilation process, and the family. One of the reoccurring viewpoints in The Sopranos is the rape of Italian culture. In the coffee shop with Pussy, Paulie resents the fact that “all these other cocksuckers are getting rich off ” of the coffee business (1.2). Another example of this rape, ironically, is when the mafia has to fight with Native-American protesters at the Columbus Day parade, a holiday that is very important to Italians (4.3). Another example that is riddled with irony is when Tony, Paulie, and Christopher go to Naples on business, Paulie has trouble adjusting to the differences of real Italian food (2.9). On the same trip, Tony is enchanted by the female boss of the local mafia, Annalise, much in the same way Michael was struck by a thunderbolt when he first saw Apollonia in The Godfather. We also see the religious values of Roman Catholicism in Tony’s marriage with Carmela, juxtaposing Carmela as the faithful and Tony the unfaithful. Unlike Michael and Kay in The Godfather Part II, however, Carmela and Tony are binded together by their adherence to catholic stance against divorce, even if their relationship is not mutual. The presence of cultural values is integral to our understanding of the time and place where these characters come from and the world in which they live.

The proem of The Sopranos provides us with the lens and the scope through which we will see the rest of the series. Through this, The Sopranos develops aspects of the mafia world that have never been addressed before. Never have we seen the extent by which the depiction of mafia in such an expansive fashion. In the proem we learn that the story is not just about Tony and how changes in his business are stressing him out, but rather about the world he lives in within the context of a mafia tradition. As a story about America experience and assimilation, we are able to see contemporary depictions of events that are able to exist without sacrificing the necessary focus of the narrative to center on the mafia itself.