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:
Paulie Gualtieri execution is carried out, tells Pussy "you were like a brother to me," at which point Tony adds, "to all of us." In the third season, Chris often chafes under Paulie's leadership, particularly after Chris becomes a made man in Paulie's crew. Paulie becomes more demanding of his regular payments and subjects Chris to a humiliating random strip search for wires. Things get heated when Paulie and Patsy Parisi show up unexpectedly at Christopher's apartment to get a take of Chris's loot. While meddling through a dresser drawer, Chris observes Paulie sniffing Adriana's panties, about which he later complains to