The Sopranos was one of the best things to ever happen to HBO, let alone television in general. With an innovative storyline and interesting characters to follow, the mafia violence tied it all together in a nutshell. It brought television into a new era, often referred to as the Golden Age. The Sopranos did a great job of creating characters that audiences could root for. Fans got to see the rise of several supporting characters who helped keep the North Jersey mob going. One of those characters was Vito Spatafore, played by Joseph R. Gannascoli.
Vito had a different storyline than most of the characters on The Sopranos but faced the same turmoil that most of the supporting characters faced. Vito seized the opportunity to become a moneymaker and worked hard to earn his place in the world of organized crime. He also had a private life that few knew about, until it caught up with him. Although Vito had a brave start in the North Jersey Mafia, his downfall was one of the most tragic events on the show.
When Vito first appeared on The Sopranos, he was trying to get justice for his brother who was beaten into a coma. His story started slowly, but viewers learned that he was legally related to Phil Leotardo, and that he worked under Richie Aprile, along with Ralph Cifaretto. Tony ordered the assassination of the man who put Vito’s brother in a coma, something Vito appreciated.
Gannascoli first appeared in an episode with Imperioli’s character Christopher, who was an extra before he was cast as Vito.
Gannascoli suffered from hip problems during filming, which was written into The Sopranos.
In season three, Vito is tasked with killing Jackie Aprile Jr., which is not an easy decision for Tony. Aprile’s father was a respectable man, but his son was a troublemaker and killed people he shouldn’t have. Vito’s assassination was gruesome and sneaky, but it was done quickly. He sneaked up behind Aprile Jr. and shot him in the back of the head. This showed his dependence. In season four, due to the murder of Ralph Cifaretto, Vito was promoted to captain of Aprile’s group.
In The Sopranos, Vito seems like a typical mafia guy. He has many ways to make money. He is considering how to move up in the crime family and he is taking care of his family. He even considers replacing Tony if Tony doesn’t come out of his coma. When Tony is injured by his uncle, everyone theorizes who will replace Tony. Vito is willing to pursue this, even if it means trouble with other members like Paulie Gualtieri. However, for all his ambitions, he is living a double life.
The idea to explore Vito’s sexuality came from Gannascoli after reading a true story involving the Gambino crime family.
The moment Vito falls after a chair breaks in the episode “Pie-Oh-My” of The Sopranos was not staged.
Vito works as a contractor, and Tony helps his daughter’s boyfriend get a job there. Finn, Meadow’s boyfriend, has a number of awkward exchanges with Vito. The first awkward exchange is when Finn catches Vito performing oral sex on a security guard at a construction site. Fearing for his safety, Finn only confides in Meadow about the situation. Vito knows he’s been caught, so he continues to try to win Finn over by doing things like inviting him to a football game. However, being a veteran of the mafia, Vito passive-aggressively threatens Finn, so Finn keeps quiet.
In season six, Vito has lost a lot of weight and even brags to others that he’s the right man for Tony’s job, if Tony doesn’t recover from his coma. Later, Johnny Sack, a New York crime boss, organizes his daughter’s wedding. During the wedding, Vito tells them that he’s not feeling well and leaves the wedding with his family. However, when he gets home, he tells his wife that he has to pick up a package that’s on hold.
Instead of picking up the package, Vito goes to the club. There, he enters his other life, wearing a leather suit with a leather biker’s hat to complete it. He kisses a man while dancing with him. Unfortunately for him, the rival crime family, who have had a little trouble with Tony, notice Vito on the dance floor. Vito tries his best to play the moment off as a joke to the men who spotted him, but they have seen too much. Vito decides to run away to New Hampshire, hoping the two guys will spread the news to everyone else.
Season six of The Sopranos is the only season to be split into two parts.
