Janice Soprano

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Janice Soprano
First appearance	Guy Walks Into a Psychiatrist's Office (episode 2.01)
Information
Aliases	Parvati Wasatch
Gender	Female
Age	49
Occupation	Housewife
Family	Johnny Boy Soprano (father) Livia Soprano (mother) Tony Soprano (brother) Barbara Soprano Giglione (sister) Carmela Soprano (sister-in-law) Anthony Soprano, Jr. (nephew) Meadow Soprano (niece) Junior Soprano (uncle)
Relationships	Eugene (1st husband) Richie Aprile (ex-fiancee) Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri (2nd husband)
Children	Harpo (son) Domenica Baccalieri (daughter) Bobby Baccalieri III (step-son) Sophia Baccalieri (step-daughter)
Portrayed by	Aida Turturro
Created by	David Chase

Janice Soprano, played by Aida Turturro, is Tony Soprano's elder sister on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos. A young Janice has appeared in flashbacks, played by Madeline Blue.

After graduating high school, Janice wandered about, joining an ashram in Los Angeles, changing her name to "Parvati Wasatch," in 1978. "Parvati" also traveled across Europe, marrying a Quebecer, bearing him a son (Harpo/"Hal", revealed later to be dissolute), working at an espresso bar in Seattle (and claiming disability from operating the steamed milk machine) before finally moving back to New Jersey. Her relationship with Tony is often strained, as he still holds her responsible for abandoning the family and forcing him alone to deal with their abusive mother, Livia.

While in New Jersey, she became engaged to her old flame, Richie Aprile, then recently released from prison. Although Richie's disputes with Tony could perhaps have been solved amicably, Janice continually nagged Richie about not getting his fair share, and generally inflamed tensions between the two. Whether she consciously intended to have her brother killed is uncertain, but Richie and Tony became locked on a collision course. However, before their conflict would reach its (presumably) violent conclusion, tragedy struck from within. After an incident of domestic violence in which Richie punched her in the face for defending his son's possible homosexuality, Janice shot and killed Richie, and called on her brother to dispose of the body. After a time back in Seattle, Janice again returned to New Jersey following the death of her mother.

After Livia's death, she became obsessed with acquiring her mother's valuable record collection, which had been willed to Livia's housekeeper, Svetlana. Janice, feeling that she should rightfully have the records instead, absconded with Svetlana's prosthetic leg. She told Svetlana that the leg wouldn't be returned until she received the records. Svetlana, however, had connections with the Russian mafia, and had some friends of hers physically assault Janice until she revealed the location of the leg. When Tony arrived at the hospital, he was visibly upset, but not at Svetlana. He angrily explained to Janice that since his sister had been assaulted, he was now faced with the choice of retaliating, and risking a mob war with the Russians, or not retaliating, and losing respect. Bewildered by the sudden turn in her fortunes, she became (for a while) a born-again Christian. Janice's next phase was marked by a brief interest in a Christian music career, as well as an equally brief live-in relationship with narcoleptic boyfriend Aaron Arkaway.

After the death of Jackie Aprile, Jr., Janice embarked on a clandestine relationship with Ralph Cifaretto, at the time engaged to Jackie Jr.'s mother, Rosalie Aprile. She soon reached the conclusion that her clandestine relationship with Ralph was a mistake, and when an enthusiastic Ralph appeared at her house and happily told her that he was no longer seeing Rosalie Aprile, Janice responded by flying into a rage, pushing him down a flight of stairs and screaming at him to leave.

Some time later her brother asked her about Ralph's bizarre sexual fetishes, of which he had recently become aware. She refused to tell him anything at first, ostensibly to protect Ralph's privacy. When Tony offered her money, however, she immediately told him everything he wanted to know.

Following Ralph's disappearance, she fixed her intentions on the newly-widowed Bobby Baccalieri, yet another of Tony's capos. Initially, she cooked Bobby's dinners and informally dated him. However, frustrated with Bobby's refusal to commit, she sent Bobby's children some instant messages via her PC, choosing a user name that appeared satanic, and indicated to them that she was watching them by referring to things in their room (which she was able to see from her window) and succeeded in scaring them badly. She subsequently rushed over to help comfort the bawling Baccalieri kids and win points with their bewildered father. Her and Bobby eventually married, and she became a strict but caring stepmother to Bobby's two children.

She attacked a mother at a peewee soccer game and injured her badly enough to require hospitalization, garnering her an assault charge and, to Tony's displeasure, unwanted TV news coverage. Bobby also insisted that she attend anger management counseling, although it is unclear whether that had its desired effect.

Although she would never admit it, Janice is a great deal like her mother; she is at heart a manipulative narcissist who, unlike the other mob wives, openly discusses business with both her brother and her husband.

Most recently, in season 6, we learn Janice has given birth to a baby girl, Domenica.

In the episode "Moe and Joe", Tony, as part of another arrangement, convinces Johnny Sack to sell his McMansion to Janice and Bobby at half-price, to make up for Tony's unfair treatment of his sister and brother-in-law.

[edit] External link

• HBO Profile: Janice Soprano