Artie Bucco vs Da Giovanni

[Suetonius]

No one mentioned the fact that Tony would rack up six figure bills “on his tab.” That entire episode he’s telling Artie he should do two-fers if his business is so bad. Artie even tells him “how about paying your tab.” But the logic in show goes that the reason Tony isn’t paying his tab is because he forgived Artie on the money he loaned him after Artie tried to off himself. But thats not even to mention that Tony gave him the money in the first place knowing he’d fuck up and lose it. “It’s in my nature Davey…you know, frog and the scorpion and all that.” Also a funny note is when Phil has his sons confirmation party at Da Giovanni, Tony goes “Why not go to Arties? He’s a friend and i’m trying to throw him some business” as if Phil went there he would even pay for the meal.

Artie really was such a great character. I love the final scene has has with Tony. Him and Charmaine are back together and start asking Tony and Carmela how life is. They have to say “Yeah our daughters dating a mob lawyer who’s a kid of Tonys underling, and our son just tried to kill himself and wants to join the army.” Their family is just so fucking miserable all the while Artie was envious of Tonys success and life from the start.

Tony was constantly told what was wrong with him through the show. Even 6 years of going to therapy didn’t make him realize shit. It took Tony one conversation telling Artie he was annoying for him to basically 180 his life.

 

[Udders]

NJ Zagat would disagree.

Warm and convivial host.

 

[LingerLonger]

No one mentioned the fact that Tony would rack up six figure bills “on his tab.”

His debt to Artie from food was not even close to six figures. It was only a little over $6K which is how much Tony charges Artie to assume responsibility for the $50K loan he took from Tony to give to the Frenchman (which was entirely a scam). Most of the time the guys pay to eat at Vesuvio's because the boss basically forces his underlings to patronize his best friend's restaurant. Tony loved paying Artie out of guilt for burning down his first restaurant like when he hired him to cater for his hospital fundraiser.

Tony was constantly told what was wrong with him through the show. Even 6 years of going to therapy didn’t make him realize shit. It took Tony one conversation telling Artie he was annoying for him to basically 180 his life.

Doing a 180 from being an annoying restaurant host is easier than completely changing your life from being a mafia boss. Tony is locked into the mafia forever. He either dies or goes to jail as the boss. No other outcome. Tony knew what was wrong but changing it means becoming a rat as the only other ways to leave the mafia are life sentences or a bullet in the head.

 

[Sam Bankman-Fried]

Da Giovanni must've really been something. Phil hated fish, but his, with the aguadolce..

 

[guest]

When Tony was in the coma, his dream wife's voice sounded more like Charmaine (who he has the summer fling with) than Carm

I'm pretty sure it was Katherine Narducci doing the voice. He also dreams about fucking her in the Test Dream in front of a cheerful Artie (after nuisance calling her irl from his Plaza suite.) Safe to say he thought of her as the one that got away.

 

[LingerLonger]

I'm pretty sure it was Katherine Narducci doing the voice. He also dreams about fucking her in the Test Dream in front of a cheerful Artie (after nuisance calling her irl from his Plaza suite.) Safe to say he thought of her as the one that got away.

It's an actress named Wendy Hammers who did the voice uncredited. Also Tony had sex dreams about Charmaine because he actually did have sex with her a bunch of times as a kid. It's implied that Artie doesn't even know which is hilarious.

 

[guest]

It's an actress named Wendy Hammers who did the voice uncredited.

Aha. Don't think it was coincidence that they sounded alike.

Also Tony had sex dreams about Charmaine because he actually did have sex with her a bunch of times as a kid.

Sure, but he also seems to like that she doesn't want him or his money/freebies (opposite of Carmela) but otherwise fits the archetype of Italian Madonna mother figure. Her cracking tits don't hurt either.

It's implied that Artie doesn't even know which is hilarious.

Also funny that Artie's basically coaching him fuck his wife in that dream. "What I tell ya? Da best, huh?"

 

[LingerLonger]

Sure, but he also seems to like that she doesn't want him or his money/freebies (opposite of Carmela).

It's not the free stuff or big house or money. It's the murders. And uncertainty if your husband is going to come home any night because he's either in jail for life or murdered. Plus the mafia by the 80s was regularly killing women and even children. Once RICO happened it was pretty much open season on anyone suspected to be a rat. Don't forget....Charmaine was willing to take their money for the catering or big business at their restaurant when she knows that it was mob money. And willing to spend time on their boat as well.

Like those scenes in Goodfellas after the Lufthansa Heist where Jimmy Burke is killing everyone including wives and girlfriends. That stuff was known to pretty much all mafia wives in the 80s and 90s. And it only got worse once the RICO laws were passed as it meant that you could literally get charged with "being in the mafia" as a crime and go to jail for life. It made it so that every other guy arrested would rat people out. But also so that the mafia would just whack anyone who even spoke to police over anything.

In places like Italy, Russia, Colombia, or Mexico it's far more insane. Wives and children of rival gangs are regularly murdered, kidnapped, raped, tortured, or disappeared often.

 

[guest]

It's not the free stuff or big house or money. It's the murders. And uncertainty if your husband is going to come home any night because he's either in jail for life or murdered. Plus the mafia by the 80s was regularly killing women and even children. Once RICO happened it was pretty much open season on anyone suspected to be a rat. Don't forget....Charmaine was willing to take their money for the catering or big business at their restaurant when she knows that it was mob money. And willing to spend time on their boat as well.

Like those scenes in Goodfellas after the Lufthansa Heist where Jimmy Burke is killing everyone including wives and girlfriends. That stuff was known to pretty much all mafia wives in the 80s and 90s. And it only got worse once the RICO laws were passed as it meant that you could literally get charged with "being in the mafia" as a crime and go to jail for life. It made it so that every other guy arrested would rat people out. But also so that the mafia would just whack anyone who even spoke to police over anything.

In places like Italy, Russia, Colombia, or Mexico it's far more insane. Wives and children of rival gangs are regularly murdered, kidnapped, raped, tortured, or disappeared often.

I thought it would be taken as read that she didn't want the criminal shit that went along with the fake generosity

 

[Chive Turkey]

Wasn't he always giving Tony and the boys leftovers as a slight towards them

He'd either offer them ugats or delicacies. I think it varied because the mobsters would run up very high tabs because they're nigger rich throwing cash around, but they'd also routinely be tardy in paying off those tabs. So depending on Artie's financial situation and state of mind at the time, he'd either try to convince the guys to order the ''X of the Day'' or something from the "tasting menu'' (both restaurant shorthand for "shit that we were going to throw out anyway") instead of something expensive; while at other times he'd offer them high price class shit unprompted like quail and imported burrata and other stuff the NJ wop trash clearly weren't interested in, and it's obvious he's trying to milk them knowing full well that price isn't an issue for them.

It's a neat little detail but it could just be an unintended consequence of the writers coming up on the fly with funny interactions for Artie to have with the Jersey mob.

 

[LingerLonger]

He'd either offer them ugats or delicacies.

Artie would use stuff that Tony stole as well. Like when he starts ordering Ramalosa bottled water through David Scatino's sporting goods store. Then in the next scene Scatino's wife and Carmela are at Vesuvio's. And Artie comes over and says "I got such a deal on this Ramalosa" and gives them two free bottles".