The Sopranos to "going straight" (to Tony's dismay), but also has an intense violent streak. Those in Tony's closest circle within the DiMeo crime family include Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt). Silvio is Tony's consigliere and best friend. He runs the family's strip club headquarters, and other businesses. Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri (Tony Sirico), a tough, short-tempered, aging soldier who is fiercely loyal to Tony and Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore), a veteran gangster who runs an automotive body shop. Paulie "Walnuts" and "Big Pussy" (often called just, "Pussy") have worked with Tony and his father. Also in Tony's criminal organization are:
Frances Esemplare Frances Esemplare Frances Esemplare, professionally credited as Frances Ensemplare, (September 3, 1934 – December 9, 2017) was an American actress best known for her multi-episode recurring role as Marianucci "Nucci" Gualtieri, mother of Paulie Gualtieri (played by Tony Sirico) on "The Sopranos" from 2001 until 2007. Esemplare, a resident of Staten Island, New York, was born Frances Spalluto. Beginning in 2001, she was cast as Nucci Gualtieri, mother of mobster Paulie Gualtieri, on the HBO television series, "The Sopranos". First introduced as Paulie Gualtieri's elderly mother, it is later revealed in the series that she is actually Gualtieri's aunt, who