"Commendatori" is the seventeenth episode of the HBOoriginal seriesThe Sopranos and the fourth of the show's second season. It was written by David Chase and directed by Tim Van Patten, and originally aired on February 6, 2000.
goes to Naples with Paulie and Christopher to negotiate the smuggling of stolen luxury cars from the United States to Italy with a local Camorra family distantly related to the Sopranos. His contact there is Furio Giunta, a local mobster who speaks English. Tony learns that Don Vittorio, boss of the Naples family, is senile. His son-in-law, Mauro Zucca, had been in charge but is now serving life in prison. It is hard for Tony to accept that Annalisa – Vittorio's daughter and Mauro's wife – is the de facto head of the family. Tony negotiates with Annalisa, naming his price for the cars, asking that Furio be sent to work for him in the United States, and asking that others be sent in the future as he requires. Annalisa scoffs at his proposition. Later, Annalisa comes on to him but he tells her he wishes to keep their relationship professional. Tony then lowers his price for the cars in exchange for Furio and any subsequent men; she agrees. In Naples, Paulie tries to rediscover his roots only to uncover a distaste for Italy, while Christopher is high on heroin almost all the time. Carmela is resentful that Tony has not taken her to Italy. She has lunch with Rosalie Aprile and Angie Bonpensiero, where Angie shares how unhappy she is that Pussy has returned. He is indifferent to her even though she is awaiting the result of a biopsy. She says she has thought of suicide and that she intends to divorce him. Carmela later visits her and urges her not to break the sacrament of marriage. While with his FBI handler, Skip Lipari, Pussy runs into Jimmy Bones, a Soprano associate. They concoct a cover story, but Pussy is afraid that Jimmy does not believe it. He goes to Jimmy's home and beats him to death with a ball-peen hammer. Pussy then goes home with a bunch of flowers. When Angie told him earlier that her tumor was benign, he brushed it off. He gives her the flowers, but after a short pause, she beats him with them. Tony returns home. Carmela is upstairs, doing housework. He calls her. She pauses before she goes to greet him.
First appearances
Furio Giunta: a made man from the Naples Mafia headed by Don Vittorio and Annalisa Zucca. He is sent to America after a successful trade between Tony and Annalisa.
This also marks the first recast appearances of Angie Bonpensiero and Gabriella Dante. Previously, both of these characters appeared very briefly in the season one episode "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti", played by different actresses.
Deceased
Jimmy Bones: an Elvis impersonator and Mafia associate, whom Big Pussy beat to death with a ball peen hammer after running into him when talking with his FBI handler.
Title reference
The episode's title is a plural of the Italian language word commendatore, which is an honorable title in Italian society. Tony and his crew are given this greeting in Italy, which Paulie hears and then tries to use throughout the episode.
Series creator and head writer David Chase makes a cameo appearance in the episode as an Italian man, sitting at a cafe with other men. When Paulie says "commendatori" to the table, Chase glances at him indifferently and then turns away.
