The Sopranos large cast of characters, many of whom get significant amounts of character development—regardless of level of importance. Some only appear in certain seasons, while others appear (sporadically or constantly) throughout the entire series. All characters were created by David Chase, unless otherwise noted. Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) is the series' protagonist. Tony is one of the capos (and the unofficial underboss) of the New Jersey-based DiMeo crime family, at the beginning of the series; he eventually becomes its undisputed boss. He is also the patriarch of the Soprano household. Throughout the series, Tony struggles to balance the conflicting requirements of
The Sopranos the greatest pop-culture masterpiece of its day" by "Vanity Fair" contributor Peter Biskind. Remnick called the show "the richest achievement in the history of television." In 2002, "TV Guide" ranked "The Sopranos" fifth on their list of the "Top 50 TV Shows of All Time," while the series was only in its fourth season. In 2007, Channel 4 (UK) named "The Sopranos" the greatest television series of all time. The first season of the series received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Following its initial airing in 1999, "The New York Times" stated, "["The Sopranos"] just may be the greatest work of American