Carmine Lupertazzi
Encyclopedia
Carmine Lupertazzi, Sr., played by Tony Lip
, was the fictional
Boss
of the Brooklyn
-based Lupertazzi crime family on the HBO TV
series, The Sopranos
.
's generation. He kept a low-profile for most of his criminal career while operating out of his social clubs and restaurants. Carmine was arrested and acquitted of labor racketeering charges in the 1980s. It was around this time that Carmine's longtime Consigliere
, Angelo "Angie" Garepe and longtime Lupertazzi family captain
Philip "Phil" Leotardo were convicted of various racketeering charges and sent to prison for 20 years each. During Carmine's tenure, the New York
organization maintained close ties to New Jersey
's DiMeo
/Soprano crime family.
Carmine was intelligent, calm, and an opportunist, even in his old age. Despite being a loving father and grandfather, grooming his own son, namesake "Little" Carmine Lupertazzi, by making him a capo
in the crime family that bears his name, he remained foremost a ruthless mobster, making threats and ordering murders. He had a sometimes contentious relationship with his Underboss
, John "Johnny Sack
" Sacramoni: during different episodes in the fourth season, Johnny and Carmine each authorized Tony Soprano
to put a "hit" on the other, although in neither case was the killing actually carried out.
In 2004, Carmine's health began to fail and he suffered a stroke
on the golf course. After some time coma
tose in the hospital, Carmine died, leaving a large power vacuum in the Lupertazzi crime family. The "heir apparent
" for his position was his son, Little Carmine, a fact that became a point of consternation for Johnny Sack, who also sought the position Carmine left behind.
Carmine once told Tony Soprano
that "a Don doesn't wear shorts", after he was seen to be wearing them at a backyard cook-out considering it undignified, Tony never again wore them while Carmine was alive, but did wear them again after Carmine died. Though he regarded Tony and the entire New Jersey crime family
as nothing more than a "glorified crew" in private, Lupertazzi did show some respect for Tony as a man, at one time saying he would be proud to call Tony his own son (right in front of his real son, Little Carmine). This was most evident when he showed genuine concern for Tony's health after hearing rumors that he was seeing a psychiatrist
and having panic attack
s, he asked Tony to do him a favor and look into his attacks, for his own safety.
In the episode "Rat Pack
", Tony
sits with Junior
and makes conversations with both Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri
and Michele "Feech" La Manna, when they suddenly are called up with the information that Carmine has passed during the night. Bobby sees Carmine as a great man, and shares that he heard Carmine was the one who invented "point shaving
", a way to limit the points in basketball games, by players purposely missing shots, betting against the team, and making a huge profit off it. This is also confirmed by Junior, who replies that back in 1951, the CCNY Point Shaving Scandal
Carmine orchestrated, resulted in him buying a Fleetwood
from the small fortune he won betting on the game.
Tony Lip
Tony Lip is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of crime boss Carmine Lupertazzi in the HBO series The Sopranos. He portrayed real-life Bonanno crime family mobster Philip Giaccone in Donnie Brasco.Lip is from Paramus, New Jersey...
, was the fictional
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
Boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
of the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
-based Lupertazzi crime family on the HBO TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series, The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
.
Biography
Carmine Lupertazzi was an old school mafioso of Corrado "Junior" SopranoJunior Soprano
Corrado John Soprano, Jr., played by Dominic Chianese, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually referred to as "Junior" or "Uncle Jun", he is the mentor and surrogate father for capo Tony Soprano. A younger Corrado sometimes appears in flashbacks and is played by Rocco...
's generation. He kept a low-profile for most of his criminal career while operating out of his social clubs and restaurants. Carmine was arrested and acquitted of labor racketeering charges in the 1980s. It was around this time that Carmine's longtime Consigliere
Consigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
, Angelo "Angie" Garepe and longtime Lupertazzi family captain
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
Philip "Phil" Leotardo were convicted of various racketeering charges and sent to prison for 20 years each. During Carmine's tenure, the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
organization maintained close ties to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
's DiMeo
DiMeo Crime Family
The DiMeo crime family, later referred to as the Soprano crime family, is a fictional Mafia family from the HBO series The Sopranos. It is thought to be loosely based on the DeCavalcante crime family, a real New Jersey Mafia family....
/Soprano crime family.
Carmine was intelligent, calm, and an opportunist, even in his old age. Despite being a loving father and grandfather, grooming his own son, namesake "Little" Carmine Lupertazzi, by making him a capo
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
in the crime family that bears his name, he remained foremost a ruthless mobster, making threats and ordering murders. He had a sometimes contentious relationship with his Underboss
Underboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
, John "Johnny Sack
Johnny Sack
John "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni, played by Vince Curatola, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was the longtime underboss and later the boss of the powerful Brooklyn-based New York City Lupertazzi crime family...
" Sacramoni: during different episodes in the fourth season, Johnny and Carmine each authorized Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
to put a "hit" on the other, although in neither case was the killing actually carried out.
In 2004, Carmine's health began to fail and he suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on the golf course. After some time coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose in the hospital, Carmine died, leaving a large power vacuum in the Lupertazzi crime family. The "heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
" for his position was his son, Little Carmine, a fact that became a point of consternation for Johnny Sack, who also sought the position Carmine left behind.
Carmine once told Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
that "a Don doesn't wear shorts", after he was seen to be wearing them at a backyard cook-out considering it undignified, Tony never again wore them while Carmine was alive, but did wear them again after Carmine died. Though he regarded Tony and the entire New Jersey crime family
DiMeo Crime Family
The DiMeo crime family, later referred to as the Soprano crime family, is a fictional Mafia family from the HBO series The Sopranos. It is thought to be loosely based on the DeCavalcante crime family, a real New Jersey Mafia family....
as nothing more than a "glorified crew" in private, Lupertazzi did show some respect for Tony as a man, at one time saying he would be proud to call Tony his own son (right in front of his real son, Little Carmine). This was most evident when he showed genuine concern for Tony's health after hearing rumors that he was seeing a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
and having panic attack
Panic attack
Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset and of relatively brief duration. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly, reach a peak within 10 minutes, and subside over the next several hours...
s, he asked Tony to do him a favor and look into his attacks, for his own safety.
In the episode "Rat Pack
Rat Pack (The Sopranos episode)
"Rat Pack" is the fifty-fourth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and was the second of the show's fifth season. It was written by Matthew Weiner, directed by Alan Taylor and originally aired on March 14, 2004.-Guest starring roles:...
", Tony
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
sits with Junior
Junior Soprano
Corrado John Soprano, Jr., played by Dominic Chianese, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually referred to as "Junior" or "Uncle Jun", he is the mentor and surrogate father for capo Tony Soprano. A younger Corrado sometimes appears in flashbacks and is played by Rocco...
and makes conversations with both Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri
Bobby Baccalieri
Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri, Jr., played by Steve R. Schirripa, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a Capo and later the acting underboss of the DiMeo Crime Family, as well as Tony Soprano's brother-in-law...
and Michele "Feech" La Manna, when they suddenly are called up with the information that Carmine has passed during the night. Bobby sees Carmine as a great man, and shares that he heard Carmine was the one who invented "point shaving
Point shaving
In organized sports, point shaving is a type of match fixing where the perpetrators try to prevent a team from covering a published point spread. Unlike other forms of match fixing, sports betting invariably motivates point shaving. A point shaving scheme generally involves a sports gambler and one...
", a way to limit the points in basketball games, by players purposely missing shots, betting against the team, and making a huge profit off it. This is also confirmed by Junior, who replies that back in 1951, the CCNY Point Shaving Scandal
CCNY Point Shaving Scandal
The CCNY point shaving scandal of 1950-1951 was a college basketball point shaving gambling scandal that involved seven schools in all, with four in Greater New York and three in the Midwest...
Carmine orchestrated, resulted in him buying a Fleetwood
Cadillac Fleetwood
Lawrence P. Fisher was the Fisher brother most closely involved with Cadillac in its early years. In 1916 he joined the Fisher Body Company which had been formed by two of his brothers in 1908. Larry was one of four of the seven Fisher brothers who brought Fisher Body Corporation under the General...
from the small fortune he won betting on the game.