Mikey Palmice
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mikey Grab Bag" Palmice , played by Al Sapienza
, was a fictional character
on the HBO TV
series The Sopranos
.
in Corrado "Junior" Soprano
's crew as his driver and bodyguard. After Jackie Aprile
dies, Junior becomes boss, and Palmice is promoted to consigliere
. He is a very loyal, obsequious minion and a suck up to Junior, and is very respectful and kind to those whom he deems worthy; when confronted by people he dislikes or who are a threat to Junior, however, he reveals his true nature — that of a violent, depraved sociopath
. He hates Tony Soprano
, and Tony's feelings toward Palmice are mutual. Tony often teases him with implicit, insulting jokes and one liners such as referring to him as having "fuck-face-itus"; he is one of Tony's first, close enemies on the show. Palmice's wife is named JoJo and he has two sons, Michael Jr. and Francis Albert. Janice
mentioned how Michael Jr. was going through his teenage years on Ritalin. He is usually seen driving Junior's black 1995 Lincoln Town Car
.
When acting boss Jackie Aprile
is diagnosed with cancer
and it is apparent he is going to die, Junior is quick to act to ensure that he becomes boss. Palmice wants to take care of any opposition to Junior Soprano, including Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti
. He works alongside his friend, Chucky Signore, another soldier in Junior's crew. Palmice advises Junior to take care of business and not allow anyone to step over him. He kills Brendan Filone
on Junior's orders after Brendan and Christopher hijack trucks belonging to a firm supposedly under Junior's "protection
", then contracts two Russians to perform a mock execution
on Christopher. Christopher is enraged and wants to kill Palmice himself, but he is warned by Tony not to, because Palmice is a made man
and Christopher, at the time, was not. Tony instead beats Palmice severely using a staple gun
, in retaliation for the hit and for Christopher's mock execution.
Junior discovers his long-time tailor's teenage grandson has killed himself by jumping off Patterson Falls bridge after he took some ecstasy sold to him by Rusty Irish, who just happened to be one of Larry Barese
's top earners. He orders Palmice to have Rusty killed to prevent him from selling any more drugs to kids. Palmice and an associate respond by throwing Rusty off the same bridge the boy fell off of, which doesn't sit well with the caporegimes, especially Larry.
Subsequently, in a meeting, Larry Barese
, Raymond Curto, and Jimmy Altieri complain to Tony about Junior and Palmice's behavior. After word gets out that Tony's own mother
wants him dead, an associate named Donnie Paduana, organizes a hit on Tony. Tony, along with Junior's other capos, were meeting New York underboss
Johnny Sack
behind Junior's back at the Green Grove Retirement Community and Junior felt they were conspiring against him. After being given the task, Donnie's contract killers fail to fulfill the job, as there are too many witnesses. At a later meeting, Palmice shoots Donnie in the latter's car. Palmice then informs his wife about the plan to kill Tony, and tells her that it means much more money for them.
Tony and other caporegimes such as Ray Curto
and Larry Barese
describe Palmice as having been "a disease" since childhood. Junior sets the order in motion the second time around, but it doesn't work since Tony survives the assassination attempt and manages to kill one of his assailants. Tony later decides to get rid of both Chucky and Mikey in order to cut Junior's ability to attempt another hit on him. Tony catches Chucky off guard at the marina and executes him. Palmice is then walking out of his home getting ready to jog and arguing with his wife, his last words to his wife was "Go take a midol!", he is then killed after Chris and Paulie Gualtieri
chase him down while he is jogging, leaving his dead body in the forest.
from an assassination attempt, he tells Paulie and Tony of a trip he made to hell
, where he saw Brendan Filone and Mikey Palmice in an Irish bar and they had a message for Tony and Paulie, "Three o'clock". While not bothering Tony, this greatly upsets Paulie, who thinks Chris went to purgatory
. Paulie visits a psychic
who says he can "communicate" with dead people, including Paulie's victims, giving information that he couldn't have known. Palmice is apparently one of the dead people as the psychic says that one of the spirits mentioned poison ivy
and wanted to know if it still itched. This is a reference to Palmice's death scene where Paulie is infected by poison ivy while chasing Palmice through the deep woods. How the psychic knew such details is left ambiguous.
In "Whoever Did This", Tony and Christoper take Ralph Cifaretto's severed head to be buried in Palmice's hospitalized father's farm in Upstate New York.
Al Sapienza's last appearance as Mikey Palmice was in the fifth season episode "The Test Dream". Tony dreams he is riding in the backseat of his late father "Johnny Boy" Soprano's 1959 Cadillac Eldorado
. Other deceased Soprano crime family members present include Big Pussy Bonpensiero, Ralph Cifaretto, Richie Aprile
, and Gigi Cestone. When Tony looks at Palmice and tells him he knows he's dreaming, Palmice simply replies, "I got no opinion. One way or another."
Al Sapienza
Al Sapienza is a prolific American actor, who has had numerous roles in television, stage and film productions. He is most well known for his role as Mikey Palmice on the HBO series The Sopranos. He played the role of Dr...
, was a fictional character
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...
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...
.
Plot details
Palmice starts out as a soldierSoldato
A Soldato is the lowest level of the formal Mafia hierarchy, both in America and in Sicily. However, a soldier is much greater in rank and prestige than any ordinary associate of the crime family. In order to become a soldier, the primary requisite for an associate is to become a made man...
in Corrado "Junior" Soprano
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...
's crew as his driver and bodyguard. After Jackie Aprile
Jackie Aprile, Sr
Giacomo Michael "Jackie" Aprile, Sr., played by Michael Rispoli, was a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He was the first Acting Boss of the DiMeo Crime Family, after longtime reputed Boss Ercole 'Eckley' DiMeo was sent to prison in 1995...
dies, Junior becomes boss, and Palmice is promoted to 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...
. He is a very loyal, obsequious minion and a suck up to Junior, and is very respectful and kind to those whom he deems worthy; when confronted by people he dislikes or who are a threat to Junior, however, he reveals his true nature — that of a violent, depraved sociopath
Antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is described by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition , as an Axis II personality disorder characterized by "...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood...
. He hates 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...
, and Tony's feelings toward Palmice are mutual. Tony often teases him with implicit, insulting jokes and one liners such as referring to him as having "fuck-face-itus"; he is one of Tony's first, close enemies on the show. Palmice's wife is named JoJo and he has two sons, Michael Jr. and Francis Albert. Janice
Janice Soprano
Janice Soprano Baccalieri, played by Aida Turturro, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is Tony Soprano's elder sister. A young Janice has appeared in flashbacks, played by Madeline Blue and Juliet Fox.-Biography:...
mentioned how Michael Jr. was going through his teenage years on Ritalin. He is usually seen driving Junior's black 1995 Lincoln Town Car
Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size luxury sedan that was sold by the upscale Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company; it was produced from 1981 to the 2011 model years...
.
When acting boss Jackie Aprile
Jackie Aprile, Sr
Giacomo Michael "Jackie" Aprile, Sr., played by Michael Rispoli, was a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He was the first Acting Boss of the DiMeo Crime Family, after longtime reputed Boss Ercole 'Eckley' DiMeo was sent to prison in 1995...
is diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and it is apparent he is going to die, Junior is quick to act to ensure that he becomes boss. Palmice wants to take care of any opposition to Junior Soprano, including Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
. He works alongside his friend, Chucky Signore, another soldier in Junior's crew. Palmice advises Junior to take care of business and not allow anyone to step over him. He kills Brendan Filone
Brendan Filone
Brendan Filone, played by Anthony DeSando, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Background:On The Sopranos, Brendan Filone was Christopher Moltisanti's friend and partner in crime and an associate of Tony Soprano. Brendan was addicted to crystal meth, and often used it with...
on Junior's orders after Brendan and Christopher hijack trucks belonging to a firm supposedly under Junior's "protection
Protection racket
A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a criminal group or individual coerces a victim to pay money, supposedly for protection services against violence or property damage. Racketeers coerce reticent potential victims into buying "protection" by demonstrating what will happen if they...
", then contracts two Russians to perform a mock execution
Mock execution
A mock execution is a stratagem in which a victim is deliberately but falsely made to feel that his execution or that of another person is imminent or is taking place. It may be staged for an audience or a subject who is made to believe that he is being led to his own execution...
on Christopher. Christopher is enraged and wants to kill Palmice himself, but he is warned by Tony not to, because Palmice is a made man
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
and Christopher, at the time, was not. Tony instead beats Palmice severely using a staple gun
Staple gun
A staple gun or powered stapler is a hand-held machine used to drive heavy metal staples into wood, plastic, or masonry. Staple guns are used for many different applications and to affix a variety of materials, including insulation, house wrap, roofing, wiring, carpeting, upholstery, and hobby and...
, in retaliation for the hit and for Christopher's mock execution.
Junior discovers his long-time tailor's teenage grandson has killed himself by jumping off Patterson Falls bridge after he took some ecstasy sold to him by Rusty Irish, who just happened to be one of Larry Barese
Larry Barese
Lorenzo "Larry Boy" Barese, played by Tony Darrow, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He is the only one of the five original captains of the DiMeo crime family that remains in that position of the crime family throughout the show...
's top earners. He orders Palmice to have Rusty killed to prevent him from selling any more drugs to kids. Palmice and an associate respond by throwing Rusty off the same bridge the boy fell off of, which doesn't sit well with the caporegimes, especially Larry.
Subsequently, in a meeting, Larry Barese
Larry Barese
Lorenzo "Larry Boy" Barese, played by Tony Darrow, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He is the only one of the five original captains of the DiMeo crime family that remains in that position of the crime family throughout the show...
, Raymond Curto, and Jimmy Altieri complain to Tony about Junior and Palmice's behavior. After word gets out that Tony's own mother
Livia Soprano
Livia Soprano , played by Nancy Marchand, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the mother of Tony Soprano. A young Livia, played by Laila Robins and later by Laurie J. Williams is sometimes seen in flashbacks...
wants him dead, an associate named Donnie Paduana, organizes a hit on Tony. Tony, along with Junior's other capos, were meeting New York 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...
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...
behind Junior's back at the Green Grove Retirement Community and Junior felt they were conspiring against him. After being given the task, Donnie's contract killers fail to fulfill the job, as there are too many witnesses. At a later meeting, Palmice shoots Donnie in the latter's car. Palmice then informs his wife about the plan to kill Tony, and tells her that it means much more money for them.
Tony and other caporegimes such as Ray Curto
Ray Curto
Raymond "Buffalo Ray" Curto, played by George Loros, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. An older Capo in the DiMeo Crime Family, Curto was an FBI-informant throughout almost the entire series....
and Larry Barese
Larry Barese
Lorenzo "Larry Boy" Barese, played by Tony Darrow, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He is the only one of the five original captains of the DiMeo crime family that remains in that position of the crime family throughout the show...
describe Palmice as having been "a disease" since childhood. Junior sets the order in motion the second time around, but it doesn't work since Tony survives the assassination attempt and manages to kill one of his assailants. Tony later decides to get rid of both Chucky and Mikey in order to cut Junior's ability to attempt another hit on him. Tony catches Chucky off guard at the marina and executes him. Palmice is then walking out of his home getting ready to jog and arguing with his wife, his last words to his wife was "Go take a midol!", he is then killed after Chris and Paulie Gualtieri
Paulie Gualtieri
Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri played by Tony Sirico, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is a caporegime and later underboss in the Soprano crime family.-Plot details:...
chase him down while he is jogging, leaving his dead body in the forest.
Appearances
- Appears in: "46 Long", "Denial, Anger, Acceptance", "MeadowlandsMeadowlands (The Sopranos episode)"Meadowlands" is the fourth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It was written by Jason Cahill, directed by John Patterson and originally aired on January 31, 1999.-Starring:* James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano* Lorraine Bracco as Dr...
", "Pax Soprana", "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti", "Boca", "Nobody Knows Anything", "IsabellaIsabella (The Sopranos episode)"Isabella" is the twelfth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It was written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, directed by Allen Coulter and originally aired on Sunday March 28, 1999.-Starring:* James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano...
", "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano", "The Test Dream".
Posthumous mentions
In the episode "From Where to Eternity", when Christoper is revived after being pronounced clinically deadClinical death
Clinical death is the medical term for cessation of blood circulation and breathing, the two necessary criteria to sustain life. It occurs when the heart stops beating in a regular rhythm, a condition called cardiac arrest. The term is also sometimes used in resuscitation research.Stopped blood...
from an assassination attempt, he tells Paulie and Tony of a trip he made to hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, where he saw Brendan Filone and Mikey Palmice in an Irish bar and they had a message for Tony and Paulie, "Three o'clock". While not bothering Tony, this greatly upsets Paulie, who thinks Chris went to purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
. Paulie visits a psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
who says he can "communicate" with dead people, including Paulie's victims, giving information that he couldn't have known. Palmice is apparently one of the dead people as the psychic says that one of the spirits mentioned poison ivy
Poison ivy
Toxicodendron radicans, better known as poison ivy , is a poisonous North American plant that is well known for its production of urushiol, a clear liquid compound found within the sap of the plant that causes an itching rash in most people who touch it...
and wanted to know if it still itched. This is a reference to Palmice's death scene where Paulie is infected by poison ivy while chasing Palmice through the deep woods. How the psychic knew such details is left ambiguous.
In "Whoever Did This", Tony and Christoper take Ralph Cifaretto's severed head to be buried in Palmice's hospitalized father's farm in Upstate New York.
Al Sapienza's last appearance as Mikey Palmice was in the fifth season episode "The Test Dream". Tony dreams he is riding in the backseat of his late father "Johnny Boy" Soprano's 1959 Cadillac Eldorado
Cadillac Eldorado
The 1953 Eldorado was a special-bodied, low-production convertible . It was the production version of the 1952 El Dorado "Golden Anniversary" concept car, and borrowed bumper bullets from the 1951 GM Le Sabre show car...
. Other deceased Soprano crime family members present include Big Pussy Bonpensiero, Ralph Cifaretto, Richie Aprile
Richie Aprile
Richard 'Richie' Aprile, Sr., played by David Proval, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Richie was a capo and the older brother of former DiMeo crime family acting boss Jackie Aprile, Sr...
, and Gigi Cestone. When Tony looks at Palmice and tells him he knows he's dreaming, Palmice simply replies, "I got no opinion. One way or another."
Murders committed by Palmice
- Brendan FiloneBrendan FiloneBrendan Filone, played by Anthony DeSando, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Background:On The Sopranos, Brendan Filone was Christopher Moltisanti's friend and partner in crime and an associate of Tony Soprano. Brendan was addicted to crystal meth, and often used it with...
- Shot in the eye while in his bathtub on Junior's orders for hijacking trucks under his protection. (1999) - Rusty Irish - Thrown off the Patterson Falls pedestrian bridge for selling drugs to Old Man Capri's teenage grandson, Ralphie. (1999)
- Donnie Paduana - Shot on Junior's orders for making jokes about Tony's motherLivia SopranoLivia Soprano , played by Nancy Marchand, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the mother of Tony Soprano. A young Livia, played by Laila Robins and later by Laurie J. Williams is sometimes seen in flashbacks...
wanting him killed. (1999)