Rat Pack (The Sopranos episode)

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“Rat Pack”
The Sopranos episode
Episode no. Season 5
Episode 54
Guest stars see below
Written by Matthew Weiner
Directed by Alan Taylor
Production no. 502
Original airdate March 14, 2004
Episode chronology
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"Two Tonys" "Where's Johnny?"
Episode chronology

"Rat Pack" is the 54th episode of the HBO original series, The Sopranos. It was the 2nd episode for the show's fifth season. The episode was written by Matthew Weiner and was directed by Alan Taylor. It originally aired on March 14, 2004.

Contents

[edit] Guest starring roles

[edit] Episode recap

Tony meets with contractor Jack Massarone at a small diner to discuss their work together. Massarone presents him with a painting of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. and tries to get Tony to open up about his connections of government officials. Tony avoids direct questioning to his benefit, as unknown to Tony, Massarone is wearing a microphone in his hat, having joined Adriana and Raymond Curto as FBI cooperators. The latter two meet with agents, Adriana complaining about having to snitch on people and Raymond correcting inaudible words that were mistranslated from a meeting he recorded.

Tony is more concerned with the return of his cousin, Tony Blundetto. At his welcome home party, Tony tells the group how important his cousin was in his life growing up and explains how the family called him Tony-Uncle-Johnny and called his cousin Tony-Uncle-Al, a way of distinguishing the two boys by their fathers. Tony-Uncle-Al is not as eager to get back in the business as his cousin wants. Blundetto informs Tony that he was able to get an Associate's Degree in prison and is on his way to becoming a massage therapist. He wants to try to live a normal life and takes a job delivering linens.

Word comes from New York that Carmine Lupertazzi has died. During the funeral services, conflict arises between Little Carmine and Johnny Sack over rosary beads placed in his coffin. Little Carmine asserts that Ginny Sack placed Opus Dei beads in the coffin without his knowledge. Despite bonding with Johnny Sack while his father was dying, Little Carmine announces that he didn't mean the kind words he once said to him.

Meanwhile, Adriana discovers an upside to being a government informant. When Tina Francesco, her purported best friend, flirts with Christopher one time too many, Adriana has a unique solution - she tells Agent Sanseverino that Tina is an embezzler. Being an informant doesn't work out so well for Jack Massarone, however. Tony finds out about him and shortly afterwards Massarone is found in the trunk of his car, a bullet hole in his head and a golf club cover in his mouth. On the Pulaski Skyway, Tony tosses the painting Massarone gave him out his car window, into the river beneath, and drives away.

[edit] First appearances

  • Tony Blundetto: Tony's cousin who was sent to jail in 1986 for hijacking a truck.
  • Phil Leotardo: a capo in the Lupertazzi family.
  • Lorraine Calluzzo: loan shark in the Lupertazzi family.

[edit] Deceased

  • Joseph "Joey" Cogo: killed prior in a payment dispute and deceased photos confirmed by Adriana.
  • Carmine Lupertazzi: died of stroke
  • Jack Massarone: Killed for being an FBI informant.

[edit] Title reference

  • Jack Massarone gives Tony a painting of The Rat Pack.
  • The episode shows Adriana, Massarone and Raymond Curto all working with the FBI. Such cooperators are often called “rats”.

[edit] Trivia

  • The character, Tina Francesco is the same Tina that was with Mustang Sally in the Season 3 episode "Another Toothpick".
  • In the meeting at the cafe between Agent Sanseverino and Adriana, Agent Sanseverino lies to Adriana about having no kids (she has a daughter in 'Unidentified Black Males'). This may suggest her other 'confessions' to Adriana during the conversation may also not be true.
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