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
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