Tony Soprano After that he also tells her that he murdered Big Pussy and his cousin Tony Blundetto. Following the dream, he acts differently to his friends and family, trying to see if they also feel relieved now that Christopher is dead. Following Gandolfini's death on June 19, 2013, Gandolfini's portrayal of Soprano was praised for its influence on subsequent other TV characters. "TV Guide" columnist Matt Roush stated, "Without Tony, there's no Vic Mackey of "The Shield", no Al Swearengen of "Deadwood", no Don Draper of "Mad Men"" (whose creator, Matthew Weiner, honed his craft as a writer on "The Sopranos").
The Sopranos Sopranos" in their 2016 book titled "TV (The Book)" as the 2nd greatest American television series of all time, behind only "The Simpsons" and ahead of "The Wire", with Seitz considering the show's ending to be the greatest ending for any television show. In November and December 2009, a large number of television critics named "The Sopranos" the best series of the decade and all time in articles summarizing the decade in television. In numbered lists over the best television programs, "The Sopranos" frequently ranked first or second, almost always competing with "The Wire". In 2013, "TV Guide" ranked "The