Tony Soprano Tony Soprano Anthony John Soprano (born 1959) is a fictional character and the protagonist in the HBO television drama series "The Sopranos" (1999–2007), portrayed by James Gandolfini. Usually referred to as Tony, the Italian-American character was conceived by "Sopranos" creator and showrunner David Chase, who was also largely responsible for the character's story arc throughout the show's six seasons. The character is loosely based on real-life New Jersey mobster Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo, a former "caporegime" ("capo") and "de facto" boss of the DeCavalcante crime family. Bobby Boriello and Mark Damiano II portrayed Soprano as a child in one episode
Made in America (The Sopranos) viewers to initially believe that their cable or DVR had cut out at a crucial moment. Opposing interpretations soon emerged among viewers regarding the ultimate fate of series protagonist Tony Soprano, with some believing that he was killed while others believe that he remains alive. One argument for the former points to a conversation that Tony had in the midseason premiere episode "Soprano Home Movies" with his brother-in-law Bobby, in which Bobby comments on how suddenly and without sound death can happen in their lives as gangsters: "You probably don't even hear it when it happens, right?" A flashback to