# What real Mafia family do the Sopranos represent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2001, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-mafia-family-do-the-sopranos-represent/50269 "2001-01-16T03:28:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2001, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-mafia-family-do-the-sopranos-represent/50269/1 "2001-01-16T03:28:53Z")
I know the series is fictional. But the Soprano family has a certain territory in New Jersey that must be covered by some real-life group of the Mafia (right?). Anyone have any idea which one that would be? ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2001, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-mafia-family-do-the-sopranos-represent/50269/2 "2001-01-16T06:05:39Z")
There is an ancient Sicilian proverb for people like you, my inquisitive friend: “A good cure for he who asks too many questions is a bullet to the back of the head.” If you must know, the predominant Mafia family in Northern Jersey appears to be the DeCavalcante family, under indirect control of the Gambinos in New York. The Big Cheese is alleged to be John “Jackie Nose” D’Amico, John Gotti’s former bodyguard. As for your “Sopranos” connection, the closest thing I can find is that there was a flunkie named Anthony “Tough Tony” Provenzano (Tony Soprano?) who may have whacked Jimmy Hoffa. By the way, you didn’t hear any of this from me, if you know what I mean. Blame the following link: [http://www.americanmafia.com/Cities/New\_York\_New\_Jersey.html](http://www.americanmafia.com/Cities/New_York_New_Jersey.html) And keep your mouth shut about all this, if you know what is good for you. Kabish? Keep in mind, Smack Fu, some of the moderators on the SDMB are freinds of ours, and we can find out where you live. ---
**Author:** ![Silvio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Silvio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvio)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2001, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-mafia-family-do-the-sopranos-represent/50269/3 "2001-01-16T06:17:58Z")
I really haven’t been able to find any real family that would clearly be represented by the Sopranos. As far as I can tell, New Jersey seems to split up between the New York and Philadelphia mobs. There is an outfit called the DeCavalcante family which is based in Newark, which I believe the Soprano family controls on the show. This family is now run by John “Jackie Nose” D’Amico, who is a capo of the Gambino family and a close associate of John Gotti. At one time, Atlantic City was controlled by the Testa family of Philadelphia. Testa is the “chicken man” was blown up in the Springsteen song “Atlantic City”. Maybe New Jersey was an ideal place to put a fictional mob family because it doesn’t really have a strong mob family in reality. I can see the Sopranos as a mostly Newark based mob more or less loyal to the Gambino family of New York, represented by the flashy New York mobster who appears from time to time,and whose name I can’t recall. By the way, the charecter of Hesch seems to be roughly based on Morris Levy, record company owner and loan shark who was infamous for using mob influence for extorting money from up and coming musicians. He gave himself so many phoney songwriting credits that on paper he is one of the most prolific and profitable songwriters ever. A good site is [http://www.americanmafia.com](http://www.americanmafia.com), which gives a city by city rundown of mob activity. ---
**Author:** ![Silvio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Silvio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvio)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2001, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-mafia-family-do-the-sopranos-represent/50269/4 "2001-01-16T06:19:36Z")
Vinnie just beat me to the punch…but that doesn’t mean we’re going to the matresses or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2001, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-mafia-family-do-the-sopranos-represent/50269/5 "2001-01-16T12:25:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vinnie Virginslayer \* > **Kabish?** :shakes head: I think you just translated an Italian word into Hebrew. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Silvio \* > **represented by the flashy New York mobster who appears from time to time,and whose name I can’t recall.** Johnny Sac! Show some respect, or you’ll never get your button. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-mafia-family-do-the-sopranos-represent/50269/6 "2001-01-16T15:02:45Z")
I seem to remember hearing in the news that some real mob family was a little upset about supposed coincidences between their family and the Soprano family. I don’t remember the name of the family, or where they’re from, but it would be interesting if someone here remembers what I’m talking about 🙂