Little Carmine, the son of boss Carmine Lupertazzi, wasn’t introduced until the fourth season of The Sopranos but, by the end of the series, he’d become a major character. As the son of a New York boss and capo in his family, he wielded considerable influence. Tony sought his help on numerous occasions, seeking an intermediary during conflicts with the Lupertazzi family. Briefly, Carmine Jr. even went to war for leadership of the family, though he ultimately backed down and returned to his life in Miami. While a powerful individual, Little Carmine came to be known as a moron and tended to serve as comic relief on the show. Some fans, however, continue to theorize that he may have been more clever than he let on.
While he regularly said foolish things and often seemed to make problems worse, Little Carmine also appeared to personally come out ahead in the end. By the final season of The Sopranos, he had a better life than many of his peers and, even more shocking, seemed to be at peace with himself. Whether it was luck or skill, it’s difficult to argue with the fact that Little Carmine got a happy ending.
Little Carmine Presents Himself Like an Unassuming Buffoon
It’s quite easy to dismiss the son of the New York boss at first glance. A man who seemingly got where he is thanks to nepotism, it’s commonly accepted by other gangsters on The Sopranos that he only rose through the ranks of the Mafia because of his father. The fact that he’s based in Miami, far from the action and the rest of the family’s leadership in New York City further supports the idea that he is simply being taken care of by his dad and was given a job out of the way where he can’t meddle in more important business. Little Carmine often contributes to this image of himself by the ridiculous things he says and does.
Throughout The Sopranos, Little Carmine became famous among viewers for his bungled turns of phrase, misquotes, and odd statements that called to mind lines from Yogi Berra. Nearly two decades after the series ended, fans still enjoy quoting some of his best statements from “the sacred and the propane” to “certain incidents have expired.” His discussion of French history and referring to “Louis the whatever’s finance minister, the something” is another moment that gets plenty of laughs and earns Carmine Jr. a reputation for being less than brilliant. On top of these classic quotes, Little Carmine also stands out for the messes he makes.
In the later seasons of The Sopranos, Little Carmine regularly makes Tony’s life more difficult by creating conflict and stirring up anger and resentment. After taking the time to help mend the relationship between his father and Tony, he goes out of his way to rile up Carmine Sr. all over again. Lashing out after his father complimented Tony and made him feel inferior, he seemingly let his emotions get the better of him. Later in the series, after negotiating a truce between Tony and Phil Leotardo, Little Carmine ruined everything by reminding Phil of his brother’s murder with the iconic line, “your brother Billy, whatever happened there.” Repeatedly, the Miami gangster appears incapable of keeping his mouth shut and constantly causes problems as a result.
While all of these moments would seem to point to a lack of self-control or common sense, they don’t paint a full picture. Little Carmine does say strange things and constantly instigates conflict, but he also seems to regularly come out better for them. Whether intentional or not, he does seem to create circumstances that leave him better off.
Little Carmine Seems to Subtly Manipulate Events to His Advantage
Little Carmine first appears in The Sopranos when Tony meets with him to help mediate a dispute with his father.
After his involvement in that conflict, Little Carmine doesn’t turn up again until after his father suffers a stroke.
Little Carmine again plays a role as a mediator during the last major conflict Tony experiences in the series.
While he may seem like a light weight among mobsters, fans can’t deny that things often work out well for him. When he first appears on The Sopranos, it’s established that he’s running the Lupertazzi family operations in Miami. While the position is less prestigious than some other leadership roles, he gets to live in sunny Florida, doing a job that appears far easier than many others in his family and carries far less risk. Nowhere near the intrigue and in-fighting of New York and generally outside the focus of the FBI, Little Carmine is enjoying all the benefits of being a gangster while facing far less risk.
While he briefly makes a play to take over the family after his father’s death, he quickly gives up and allows John Sacrimoni to become the new boss. This seems like weakness to many other characters but, again, it works out perfectly for Little Carmine. Despite attracting the ire of Johnny Sac, he is able to establish a truce that guarantees his safety and even allows him to keep his position in Miami, ensuring his continued comfort and wealth. Finally, when Johnny Sac is later arrested and put on trial, it becomes clear that Little Carmine dodged a bullet by not taking the job as the boss of the family.
It could also be argued that Little Carmine benefited from keeping New Jersey and New York fighting with each other. As a capo far removed from New York and lacking the respect of many other gangsters, it could be dangerous for anyone to gain too much power as a boss and take notice of him. He had a good situation in Miami, and it would not benefit him for anyone to decide to take what was his. With the constant conflict between the Sopranos and the Lupertazzis, Little Carmine was able to alternate between flying under the radar and being an invaluable asset in helping to mediate disputes. In both cases, he was generally safe from rivals.
Finally, by the end of The Sopranos, Little Carmine was in one of the strongest positions among all the characters. Both his family and Tony’s had been decimated by war and were notably weakened. Leadership in New York was up for grabs with Phil’s death and the Sopranos were in no position to interfere. If he wanted to, Little Carmine was in a good position to step back in and seize control of the family. Of course, he may not have wanted to because, for all his goofiness, he seemed to have the wisdom to want something better for himself.
