Junior Soprano

Grew up… in the good old days when people actually showed respect for their elders. Northern New Jersey looked a lot different back then, and Junior (or Uncle Junior) is full of longing for the ways of the past. “My father told me to never get old,” he says. “I should have listened to him.”

Living… at the top of the family food chain, at last. Junior always wanted to be boss, and now he’s finally living the lifestyle of the head honcho. But how long will it last?

Profession… official boss of the DiMeo crime family. Junior has his throne, though he suspects that he’s not actually the one calling the important shots: “Some people are so far behind in the race that they actually believe they’re leading.” Junior’s nephew Tony Soprano is basically the de-facto boss already, and Junior may not be willing to accept that.

Interests… the family business. Without a nuclear family to call his own – he never married or had kids – Junior’s primary connection to other people is through his business dealings. As he once said, “If you can’t get your friends jobs, what’s the purpose of attaining success?” For Junior, friends, family and business are all intertwined.

Challenge… making sure that he’s the only real boss of the family. The one thing that Junior wanted from life was to be put in charge, and now he sees that this honor is in jeopardy. His nephew, Tony, might be the one who’s actually controlling things in North Jersey.

Personality… old school, sometimes to his detriment. Junior likes to reminisce about the old ways, about the idea of honor and the code of silence. “We don’t run,” he says. “It’s embarrassing.” But this is a new day, and with the FBI on the hunt and the other families fighting over ever-diminishing turf, sometimes running – or at least turning one’s cheek every once in a while to a perceived slight – might be the wise strategy.