Despite his seniority and successful earning, Paulie is one of the more eccentric and reckless of Tony's associates and is arguably the most ruthless. In the first season finale, "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano," Tony tells his crew that he had been in therapy for almost a year, when Paulie reveals that he too had seen a therapist, from whom he "learned some coping skills." Nevertheless, despite his personality flaws Paulie is recognized throughout the series as one of the top earners and one of Tony's most trusted friends in his "inner circle". Although he is shown to be dating a couple different women during the series, Paulie has no children and mostly remains single, devoting almost his entire life to being a gangster.