Rosalie Aprile

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Rosalie "Ro" Aprile, played by Sharon Angela, is a character on the fictional HBO TV series, The Sopranos.

Rosalie is the widow of Jackie Aprile, Sr., and the mother of Kelli and the late Jackie, Jr.. She is good friends with mob wives Carmela Soprano and Gabriella Dante, to whom she offers characteristically frank advice.

Rosalie was always frank with her friends that she knew Jackie had affairs but seemed to have made her peace with his infidelity. During her marriage to Jackie, Ro had an affair with a man named Steve from her gym, which remained a source of guilt.

Two years after Jackie Sr.'s death, she started a relationship with Ralph Cifaretto. Ralph had been a friend of Jackie's growing up and later a soldier in Jackie's crew before he moved to Miami. Their relationship became romantic after Ralph returned from Miami following the death's of both Jackie Sr. and Rosalie's brother-in-law Richie Aprile. Ralph encouraged Jackie Jr. as he became more and more involved in the family business, providing him with a gun, accepting payments from him and offering advice. Jackie Jr. tried to make a name for himself by robbing a card game, but the heist went awry and a contract was put out on him. Unbeknownst to Rosalie, it was Ralph who ordered her son's death. Vito Spatafore handled the killing, and the official story (as told to Rosalie and the rest of her family) was that Jackie Jr. was killed by drug dealers.

Following her son's death, Rosalie sunk into a prolonged period of mourning. Ralph began an affair with Janice Soprano. Rosalie's friend Karen Baccalieri died soon after Jackie Jr., and Ro's depression worsened. Ralph chose this opportunity to break up with Rosalie, claiming he was tired of her constant grief. Rosalie, angered by his selfishness, ordered him out of her home (he left and attempted to move in with Janice). She eventually forgave him, though, and visited him when his son was in the hospital.

Rosalie has always been a loyal friend to Carmela, and her advice to her friend is generally loving but blunt. Of particular note was their discussion of AJ after he dropped out of college in season six. Rosalie told Carmela to be firm with AJ, because she didn't want Carmela to make the same mistakes she had, and end up burying her son. Rosalie also advised Carmela through her flirtation with decorator Vic Musto - warning her of the dangers of infidelity and the guilt from her own experience but supportive of the difficulties of living with the double standards inherent to a mafia marriage. Rosalie is considered an aunt by Carmela's children.

Rosalie had severed her relationship with Angie Bonpensiero following Big Pussy's disappearance (he was believed by the wives to have entered the witness protection program). but they have now reconciled and Angie discusses her increasing business involvement with the Soprano/DiMeo crime family with Rosalie. Rosalie is a member of the same church as Carmela and a friend of Father Phil Intintola - she thinks of him as a sweet man. After Carmela pulls back from her relationship with Father Phil he seems to replace her with Rosalie. Rosalie was also friends with Adriana LaCerva (to whom she was related to by marriage through Richie Aprile) and attended her wedding shower.

Rosalie was supportive of Ginny Sacrimoni when her husband John was arrested; she attended the wedding of Ginny's daughter Allegra, and took part in a birthday celebration for Ginny at her home.

Rosalie accompanied Carmela on a trip to Paris in the Season 6 episode Cold Stones. They visited many of the city's sights and Ro lit candles for her late husband and son in a church. While there she pursued a brief relationship with a much younger Frenchman named Michel. Carmela upset Rosalie by asking about her grief over her son and husband while they were supposed to be enjoying their trip but Rosalie was quick to forgive her friend. She also comforted Carmela through some difficult moments while they were away.

[edit] External links

• / Rosalie Aprile on Myspace.com