The Sopranos - Was Little Carmine Secretly a Genius?

Ray Abruzzo, the actor who played Little Carmine, actually responded to this video. Check it out here: • Ray Abruzzo Responds T...
Of all the characters on The Sopranos, Little Carmine is considered the dumbest. But is there more to this mellifluous guy than meets the eye? Despite his appearance, Little Carmine might be more of a genius than we realized.
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Tracks:
Walk Through the Park - TrackTribe
Rodeo Show - The Green Orbs
The Joint is Jumpin - Joel Cummins
King Porter Stomp - Joel Cummins
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Almost a Year Ago - John Deley and the 41 Players
Lost Cowboy - Coyote Hearing
Member's Only - TrackTribe
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[@penskepc2374]

Little Carmine was definitely the smartest of them all. Took his dads money went to Florida and ran legal night clubs, what kind of rich guy wants to be a criminal.

[@MarvinT0606]

Little Carmine did what Tony and Jackie Sr. wanted their sons to do: go legal and get as far away as possible from the mob

[@rasheemthebestfirstone3274]

@HeadshotTatertot93 robert jr isn’t a criminal he is actor

[@asdetailshop]

@@rasheemthebestfirstone3274 you’re being serious? Google is your friend.

[@tuckercarlsonsmicropenis1283]

@@asdetailshop Other than those incidents from his Druggie-Days, how is RDjr a criminal? If those are what you’re referring to - the time he went into the wrong house and slept in the wrong bed, etc - that’s pretty weak, calling that behavior “Criminal”, although it IS, technically, a “Crime”.

[@asdetailshop]

@@tuckercarlsonsmicropenis1283 it’s classified as a crime by the government, which makes him a criminal. Take it up with the DOJ, not me.

[@dmartig1]

Carmine's intelligence comes from realizing he wasn't cut out for the Wise Guy life and had the lack of ego to accept it. Once he accepted his role as a semi-legitimate businessman who lives/works on the edges of crime he found peace and was very successful.

[@trple2]

He also was rich from the start. That's a big difference. He had something to lose from the word go. Same with AJ and Meadow.

[@jrob4795]

He was very allegorical

[@manuel_winde]

@@trple2 AJ and Meadow…. Whatever happened there…

[@trple2]

@@manuel_winde Too much cloak and dagger. Tony hiding everything from them was good in a way. Protected them from certain risks. But also stunted their development in terms of understanding the world. He was always lying so never was honest enough with them to parent well, in my opinion. They turned out ok though. And have some money to figure it out. Really all you can ask in the situation they were all coming out of.

[@jimirsayssponsor5844]

I wouldn’t call it a lack of ego. Right sized is more like it

[@YD-uq5fi]

I always felt Carmine Jr. was brilliant. He ended up the freeest, richest man at the end, and was never present during any bloodshed either. Brilliant.

[@atx1722]

He had over 9 pictures subspecies under his belt

[@ajkoots258]

@@atx1722 the sacred and the propane

[@JulzGein_]

@@ajkoots258 In a stagmire

[@dwaynethemineraljohnson412]

​@@atx1722 10 after Cleaver

[@SairajRKamath]

Little Carmine was the Homer Simpson of The Sopranos. He said and did things that made you think he's stupid, but he led a much happier and blissful life than everyone around him as a result.

[@emanuelven10z]

Bold of you to compare Homer with little carmine

[@johnnyn1671]

That means Tony is Frank Grimes (or Grimey as he liked to be called), embittered and jealous of a person he perceives as an idiot, but in reality, yearns for his care-free life and loving family.

[@thefantasyreview8709]

The overall picture of Little Carmine is that he is generally healthy, is not killing people or really under threat, has geographically removed from the chaos, and has switched to running dodgy but *legal* business. Not only is he generally happy through most of the series, he is still alive at the end, and his character is not in a position where anyone has any interest in killing him. So yeah, superficially dopey, but can see through what's going on with power or ego.

[@pmwest7977]

You forgot to mention that Carmine Jr. was able to analyze his dream unlike Tony.

[@rumble2468]

He correctly interprets the mellifluous box.

[@xxczerxx]

I think that means he just has insight, which I'm not sure Tony really has the capacity to do because he's got a sociopath's brain. He knows he's miserable but he doesn't have the mental capability to deal with it in any meaningful manner.

[@howard5992]

@@xxczerxx Tony measured his identity against the scale of his own aspirations. In other words, he saw himself as the top dog within a certain group. Striving to retain that position was a challenge and was stressful. It was also rewarding - in terms of prestige, power and affluence. Tony is miserable in part because he knows he's trapped. Trapped because of competition that wants to supplant him and trapped by the forces of the government that are constantly pursuing him. His success is illegitimate (achieved through illegal means). That diminishes him. His status doesn't really show itself outside of his own group. Carmine Jr realized he would never rise to a high level in such an environment so he left. That was a better choice for himself but it was mostly possible because he was generally a failure as a mobster.

[@rossl5908]

Because Tony always makes it about himself and plays the victim like Livia

[@pauliewalnuts2527]

You mean extrapolate a meaning he wanted.

[@gizmophoto3577]

There’s a line in “I, Claudius” that goes something like “You may think me a fool, but I have survived with half my wits, when many have died with all of theirs.”

[@OdintheGermanShepherd]

I Claudius was such a great book. So was Claudius the God. 2 of my favorites.

[@johnconway9882]

Excellent analogy - Little Carmine parallels both the literary character and the real Roman Emperor

[@jakep1979]

Little Carmine was a slippery fuck

[@getzata96]

Very allegorical

[@tylernilson7021]

@@getzata96 almost propane

[@matthewbennett3352]

“ A pint of blood is worth more than a gallon of gold” is a legit smart statement

[@ferghalicious1480]

We measuring gold in gallons now?

[@zxylo786]

@@ferghalicious1480 Maybe the gold is molten?

[@papichulo4493]

A legitimately intelligent statement? The irony of the final comment in contrast to what you were trying to say 😂

[@abasis.baruti9819]

Gold can be measured in gallons, though that would be like weighing air. In fact, one of the ways precious metals are compared is by cubic centimeters of displacement. And, if you don't think a pint of blood is more valuable than any amount of gold, then go have a conversation with anyone that suffers from hemophilia.

[@John-kc4cg]

@@ferghalicious1480 Gallons are a volume unit, which you can measure anything physical in.

[@NeutralGuyDoubleZero]

He possessed a very rare and unique trait for a high status mobster. Humility. The ability to see the limits of what he could push and take. How many conflicts arose from some guy getting pissy or drugged out his mind, and overextending into crap? Any other mafia character in little C's shoes wouldve gotten insecure, petty, and totally get themselves killed/possibly tortured also.

[@monsieurcondottiero2685]

“Seven deadly sins, and yours is pride.” This is the specific quality that Sil said Tony lacks, so it’s interesting that Little Carmine is the only one who ends up happy and alive.

[@mariolisa2832]

If carmine wasnt Carmine sr’s son he would have been clipped long ago…

[@NeutralGuyDoubleZero]

@@mariolisa2832 I mean yeah that's how Mafias generally operate, family connections are the most important. If tony wasn't the son of a caporegime would he have lasted as long as he did? Probably would've beaten the wrong guy and gotten clipped in his car

[@youdoitillwatch]

Little Carmine was definitely not a genius. But he was wise enough to know his own limitations.

[@trple2]

He had too much to lose to play the same game as those nitwits.

[@sushimaster77]

Agreed. Wisdom and intelligence are not always coronated.

[@steveganfish7146]

Knowing your own limits is an intelligence that many lack.

[@JoaoVictor-rg5ix]

The dichotomy of intelligence and Wisdow its fascinating.

[@sonice9020]

He had to be sharp, look at his father

[@oswaldomayberry9260]

People like to make fun of Little carmine but forget he’s had 9 pictures made under his subspecies

[@305donkryder8]

4 in the south beach strumpet series alone!

[@keithm1493]

I saw those. I thought they were bullshit.

[@305donkryder8]

@@keithm1493 🤣 the cuban missile crisis!

[@Macbrother]

@@305donkryder8 Pointed missiles right at us.

[@southpaw1965]

Don't forget he had Dirty Dousand Plus DVD's each in print!

[@SonnyDazeNYC]

He was one of the most self-aware and emotionally intelligent characters between the two families. He was involved with the life just enough to remain relevant but far enough removed that he was never in harm's way.

[@stevekombolis3197]

IDK, that Michael Franceze (spelling?) that does that mob movie reviews said the only way to even have a chance to survive is to be all in or all out. Maybe he was rationalizating his actions but it's seem pretty dangerous to be vying for head of the family or ordering hits without being all in. I'd agree if he stuck to the nightclubs

[@FEWGEE1]

@@stevekombolis3197 probably true for soldiers, but he was the bosses son and a Lupertazzi. He was also aloud to retire to avoid all out war within the Lupertazzi family. That's not unheard of in the mob.

[@stevekombolis3197]

@@FEWGEE1 Yeah the respect for his father was a big factor probably. I remember them saying a lot of the soldiers were loyal to him so it definitely would have been a war. Still I wouldn't say he was particularly smart but he did a smart thing as far as never really making enemies. He wasn't so much a tactician as he was someone that knew his limitations

[@hippiecheezburger5457]

There all sorts of different takes in this show, little carmine did play his cards right, learned to be a legitimate business man without really being a mobster and kind of took on taking his fathers place when he died like The Godfather, idk I maybe wrong he was smart in how he handled his life, son of a mobster and turned out okay unlike let’s say how Tony’s own son handled his fathers life of crime

[@salvador.214]

He stayed out of harm's way because he lived in Miami the war didnt reach that far.

[@Psychology]

"The newly released Shah of Iran" Lol

[@marcelorivera9951]

😭😭😭😭

[@thewalkingquadriplegic7857]

20 fucking 20 years but you know what. He comprised

[@area51ville]

him and some shkefusa got blown back on their keisters

[@Psychology]

@@area51ville Were they sitting at 12 o'clock?

[@area51ville]

@@Psychology nah its askew (by the way hilariously google just the word "askew" and the screen isn't at 12 o'clock anymore)

[@apok1980]

I love the idea of Little Carmine being a high level genius like Keizer Soze. What would be even better, if at some point in one of the last episodes, Little Carmine pulls out a cigar during a conversation with Tony and drops the dumb act for just 5 seconds. And Tony, is blown away, then decides he’s imagining things.

[@Moriningland]

It’s actually an incredibly smart tactic to make your enemies think you’re stupid. Stalin often used this tactic to take power

[@markb5403]

Yes, I'm currently reading Hitler and Stalin by Lawrence Rees. He talks in depth about how Stalin invited his top generals to lavish banquets to ge them drunk and had his servants top his glass up with water only, purely so he could get his general's guard down, ask them their real opinions and then condemn them to the Gulag. These types are absolutely ruthless. I think it pays to never underestimate anyone, however naive or stupid they might appear.

[@carlosamartinezhernandez2191]

Hey. Hate to cut your mellow trip high here, but.... _tactic???_ Dude, come on, Stalin?... ... ..... I mean, have you seen the Oversimplified video talking about him.... he wasn't dumb, or even played dumb, that's for f.....g sure.

[@BiteYourBicep]

Take a look at Joe Biden...

[@gocygo63]

@@BiteYourBicep ...perfect...

[@barbaryn7899]

Paulie and Little Carmine

[@tuckercarlsonsmicropenis1283]

“Sun Tuzzoo, da Chinese Prince Matchabelli” Priceless.

[@Agent1W]

Ironic that Paulie can't even get an actual Italian name right. Oh, well, commendatore. Like a commander. That's respect.

[@rasheemthebestfirstone3274]

It was so funny

[@mrblonde609]

Suntezumas Revenge

[@godamaranth]

孙子 孙子兵法作者

[@Tanzenergise]

"zu! zu! sun zu you fuckin' asskiss!"

[@thomasspengler9044]

He’s emotionally intelligent. He’s preceptive to his own and other’s emotions. He knows Billy’s death is still heavy on Phil’s mind. He says “whatever happened there” like it was nothing. He knew what it would do to Phil

[@hjer731]

Maybe.

[@jackjack3722]

“The shooting”

[@onelividguardsman5681]

"God rest his soul"

[@cosmicmoose6663]

Did it on purpose to pit them agaianst each other so he could take place as boss

[@batchagaloopytv5816]

@@cosmicmoose6663 you entirely missed the point-carmine wants Nothing To Do With Being Boss -its the actual interpretaion of his dream with the box

[@bogdananicescu6051]

Your brother Billy, whatever happened there...

[@deaconblues_]

alright then!

[@jamesdonoughue4557]

That animal blunde.........I can't even say his name

[@zilchbupkis3109]

R.I.P. frank Vincent

[@odinvik7821]

WHATEVER HAPPENED THERE!?!

[@bogdananicescu6051]

@@odinvik7821 the shooting...

[@rickyclover9393]

The so called dumbest mobster was actually the smartest character on the show. He ever was a target, survived the NY/NJ war and ended up happy.

[@BlackFlightNY]

Little Carmine caused lots of “Dysentery in the ranks” as Christopher would say! 😂

[@rickiesanders453]

He was also the "hair apparent" as Christopher would say.

[@ferghalicious1480]

@@rickiesanders453 I know Silvio’s hair turned out to be apparent, if that’s what you’re referring to

[@00_00.1]

I love that malapropism because it kind of makes sense even though he meant dissent

[@nickytommymancinelli8066]

ALRIGHT THEN!?!…

[@jpmnky]

Whatever he was, he was the only major figure not in a cell, coffin, or under indictment. As far as we know he wasn’t coerced into becoming an informant. He wasn’t on the verge of financial ruin.

[@ADAPTATION7]

I've read on another channel that little Carmine had the approach of a woman. So in the end, a smart move from a not so dumb individual after all.

[@w0undedmakers251]

@@ADAPTATION7 are you implying that women are better leaders then men? Because every monarchy has failed throughout all of history.

[@ADAPTATION7]

@@w0undedmakers251 Absolutely not. I was just pointing to the fact that despite his cartoonish exterior, little Carmine resorted to manipulation rather than violence to reach his goals. And he did it in a very allegorical way.

[@keldonmcfarland2969]

Little Carmine lived out the rest of his life as a rich man, sailing between New York and Florida; he had cash stashed away, and had his porn & "Cleaver" monies/royalties coming in; none of the other mafiaos took him that seriously anyway, so when he announced his "retirement" he was soon a non-enmity. And forgotten. I can see him golfing as an old man pitching real estate schemes to other retirees in Florida.

[@Epicdomofilmz]

@@w0undedmakers251 Little Carmine isn’t a good leader he just does well for himself which is what matters most in the end

[@drivernephi2212]

I've always believed Carmine did the "Your brother Billy" thing intentionally and fully aware of the consequences. He even listed less controversial things, waited for a reaction from Phil and when there wasn't any, he dropped the Billy-bomb.

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

Exactly

[@samanthab1923]

He did the same thing while playing golf with his dad & John. Bad mouthing Tony when the dad showed favoritism

[@heisenbergr6881]

@@samanthab1923 that was the father playing his son

[@samanthab1923]

Heisenberg R How did the father Carmine play Carmine Jr. the son?

[@heisenbergr6881]

@@samanthab1923 Carmine knew Jr would favour Tony after his visit of respect. So he made that favouritism remark to change his mind so quickly.

[@ktxed]

Props to the guy who portrayed him for keeping a straight face delivering those mad lines 🤣

[@MsBee]

"It's about being happy" I love this line. I point to this scene every time someone says LC is an idiot. He's a lot more introspective than Tony, that's for sure.

[@mariolisa2832]

It’s easy to be happy when daddy has left millions in a trust fund for you before you even turned 18. Id be smiling too

[@MsBee]

@mariolisa2832 You're missing the point my friend. LC survived. Also, none of these mob guys have nearly as much money as they pretend to have. LC probably made more money from his adult video business than he did from being Carmine's son.

[@rickyhurtado]

Coincidentally, Carmine Sr was the only guy in the whole show that acted like an actual boss. I always enjoyed that Lil Carmine chose to want to achieve happiness over power.

[@josecano9210]

Jackie Aprile Sr: Am I a joke to you

[@youtubegoogleb]

He was the best dressed and he always ate clean and in the end he made the safest decision in the end listening to his wife who really loved him

[@PureKino]

You can see how jealous Tony is in that scene that LC has a loving relationship with his wife

[@franka1621]

Yes, Tony wondered what it would be like to have a wife who loved him, rather than the big house and the money...

[@lukasskywalker6514]

In the end, it doesn’t even matter-Linkin Park

[@nabeelnazeen7546]

people say johnny sac was the best dressed

[@coolpeople4287]

@@nabeelnazeen7546 Sil was the best dressed and most pure gangster.

[@FireOnIce77]

He wasn’t a genius but he had street smarts. Smartest thing he ever did was stay off of them. That’s why he survived and stayed alive & rich.

[@ashrafasmal6290]

He came to that conclusion after he was at the precipas of an enormous crossroad

[@JossParkerPopArt]

And his sub species money 💰

[@88hyperman]

He was a great 😊 👍 happy 😃 guy

[@penskepc2374]

@Otto_Maddox no, hes a genius or he would be up there with those other idiots in NY/NJ, his only downfall was his loyalty to his dads legacy.

[@MRIDDLE72]

People like to think he was dumb because of his lingo but.... but he said shit on PURPOSE to cause issues at times, making it seem like was just dumb.

[@jupiterrising887]

Carmine is a great example of how intelligence does not equate to wisdom. There are plenty of high-IQ fools.

[@jamesteegardner2273]

I don't think he had a high iq either...

[@gweiloxiu9862]

He was wise but not intelligent.

[@unknown-p5j5x]

He was at the precipice of an enormous crossroads.

[@Sam-xr8ne]

@@jamesteegardner2273 ummm

[@benaldridge6341]

Malcolm from malcom in the middle. Genius. Fucks up heaps.

[@bigalsnow8199]

I always liked "little Carmine " I noticed that he could manipulate his dad and in spite of what they said about him, behind his back, all knew that he was a powerful man with backup.

[@groundhogday1]

I think his best attribute was that he knew when enough was enough and to let it go. Every leader is perpetually unsatisfied when they hit an achievement, so they just want more and more. It has been the frequent downfall of many of the Sopranos characters (as well as other similar shows). He gained on the upside but without the stress and risk of death that came with it. That lunch scene with Tony at the golf course was great.....while Tony viewed success as being on the top, Little Carmine viewed success as just being happy, something that few of the characters managed to be.

[@littlecarminelupertazzi952]

Who said I wasn't a genius? I produced the thought provoking film Cleaver, with the sacred and the propane

[@topshelfstuff]

perhaps some, if as old as i am, after hearing all the word fumbles might think back to The East Side Kids, AKA = The Bowery Boys, you would hear similar like example, instead of saying "APPRECIATE" would say "I really Depreciate all the help you're giving me" -LOL There was always at least 5 in an episode.

[@NautilusGoose]

That was real? I saw that movie I thought it was bullshit

[@sartainja]

At least he did not compromise.

[@rickiesanders453]

Don't forget the other 9 pictures under your subspecies.

[@shaneludwick2139]

You sure did Mr. Lupertazzi, hope all is well on the flip flop.

[@ThisHandleWasTheOnly1Available]

"Sometimes, you just have to play the role of a fool to fool the fool who thinks they are fooling you."

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

You just said it. FACTS

[@Alvin-1138]

Carmine may have been a Vincent the Chin type? I don't claim he's a Genius; but smarter than was apparent. One thing all his 'slip ups' had in common, _They ALL made him seem Non-Threatening!_ None of the characters would have believed in our "Genius" Theory and that's just the way he wanted it.

[@dudeabides23]

this is the sacred and the propane

[@shinmarcorp7846]

Very ALLEGORICAL

[@hectorsanchez1377]

My best friend is like carmine. He is smart but fucks up sayings like “ I’m such a good salesman I can sell ice to ... somebody who has a lot of ice”. Actual quote.

[@thecoolwaffle4908]

He might have just been avoiding saying “Eskimo” since it’s somewhat of a slur

[@hectorsanchez1377]

@@thecoolwaffle4908 nah he just had a brain fart.

[@guyfromaucklandnz]

He probably just wanted to avoid propagating a negative electrolyte

[@rossl5908]

He was inspired by George W and that line “it’s going to be hard to verify that I think I’ll be more effective!” Is a direct quote lol. The actor who played him said that he played Carmine as a deluded man who inwardly thinks he’s Michael Corleone but really he’s Fredo. Great character and wonderfully acted, David Chase’s original idea for this character was for him to be 250 pounds with a squint eye and to be always profusely sweating 😂

[@trple2]

Some people/characters just naturally have it. No matter how you cut the thing he was a genius behaviorally.

[@kathygrosvenor4464]

Every single actor in this phenomenal series was perfectly cast and delivered perfectly executed (excuse the pun) dialogue. As in the few other likewise wildly successful series, the talent in this ensemble must make the line between reality and delivering script is almost non-existent. James WAS Tony. He consumed his character as his own. That’s acting at its highest form. Edie WAS Carmela. Junior WAS Junior. Not one portrayal in this masterpiece was off. Each scene drew us into worlds we otherwise would never know. For 6 seasons we are treated to something which doesn’t come along often; a look into the Mafia from imagined lives acted out in the comfort of our living rooms. Out of thousands of the known and unknown talents in the business, this ensemble was chosen. Brilliantly, I may add! Although it was dissected by those who were in the Mafia as inaccurate in many scenes, for novice crime watchers as myself, it was accurate enough and still had me fast forwarding in hard to watch scenes. There isn’t an ending of The Sopranos. The obscure end chosen ending by its creator, David Chase, had no way of knowing James would suddenly pass away. All hope of a returning character are moot. However, this will be discussed and dissected for generations by lovers of film, writing, acting, directing, wardrobe and props pros, dialect coaches etc. The brilliance of The Sopranos continues to amaze me regardless of the number of times I’ve watched it. There’s always a subtle nuance I’ve missed.

[@ITILII]

Dumbya didn't inspire anybody, that moron would line up the cars in a 1 car parade wrong. Wasted many billions and killed many thousands in his "war on terrah", should have been tried and executed as a war criminal. Shrub was an idiot who only got into office because of his father and his brother stole enough votes in Florida. Don't insult Carmine Jr., he was very street smart, perceptive and wise enough to survive and prosper in such a bloodthirsty world. And as a man Carmine Jr. was far better than W., who is NOT a real man, just a low iq puppet, that The Emperor, Dick Cheney, another war criminal, pulled the strings of, that's why Daddy Bush put him there !

[@HOTD108_]

250 pounds and profusely sweating? Isn't that half of the characters on the show?

[@SuperBrictson]

​@@HOTD108_ does this guy ever stop breaking balls?

[@Aywusgod]

I'll always defend Little Carmine. He outlived everyone and seemed happy.

[@mahavishnuorchestra]

Little Carmine was smart in many ways: he ran things from the shadows, manipulated everyone playing dumb, made a ton of money with movies under his ‘subspecies’, led a happy life in sunny Florida, never had to run away from the feds (in the snow, like Tony). In the end, he won it all. He might be compared to Octavian, the later Cesar Augustus who made an astonishing career while being totally underestimated in the first place. He made others believe to be a pawn in chess and turned out to be the king.

[@1noetic]

"I'm talkin about Augustus"

[@mariozd971]

I don't buy it, he really tried to negotiate peace between Tony and uncle Philly after he beat Coco . Butchie laughed to his face that they don't need their drills. When Carmine Sr said he would be proud if Tony was his son, he was hurt and he manipulated his father but i think it was just because he felt hurt at that moment.Remember later in the last episode of season 4 when Carmine Sr and Tony brokered peace and percentages from their businesses , Carmine Sr said to Tony his son convinced him to make compromise with him and that Tony shouldn't forget it even when he dies. Little Carmine probably realised he shouldn't undermine their long time good relations because of his hurted feelings, he made his point and moved on.

[@mahavishnuorchestra]

@@mariozd971 Absolutely plausible - maybe Little Carmine was just incredibly lucky that things turned out to his favor in the end. Fact is, at least IMHO: he had the best life of all the mobsters in The Sopranos!

[@mariozd971]

@@mahavishnuorchestra Lol, i guess he had the makings of a varsity nightclub owner, producent of porn and B horror movies and malapropists ( actually lot of his malapropisms had sense, like the one with pint of blood and gallons of gold, we all understood what he tried to say, the one with the sacred and the propane too, melliflous box) i think his father wanted to protect him from involving in the dangerous NY deals , so he send him to Florida to enjoy fixing of wet shirt contests, i think he wouldn't last long as the boss of Lupertazzi, i think that they wouldn't respect him at all, they were all hardened criminals and murderers and out from nowhere he just shows himself in father's shoes . Maybe it would be different if he listened to Rusty about taking the crown , they would have to kill Johnny Sack and Phil but he wasn't designed for bloody decisions. He caved after Angelo's death and he did it in the right moment because Johnny became ruthless fuck who started the whole internal war. If i was in Tony's position i would tell about Johnny's plans to whack him, Johnny would enter " witness protection" and Carmine Sr would be grateful for that, there wouldn't be Shah of Itan near, New Jersey would work smoothly with Rusty, Angelo and Little Carmine.

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

He played dumb

[@lewev32]

I believe that Little Carmine was playing the long game and secretly trying to become boss. When he famously says "your brother Billy, whatever happened there" and sabotages the negotiations, Tony says "what reason could you possibly have to say that?!" Tony's line is deeper than you think, it's David Chase hinting to the audience.

[@owenanderson2633]

Or he could just be an idiot who read the room completely wrong!

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

Even Tony knee this guy was smart. Their final convo told it all

[@amandamna5407]

and the dream he had with his father and all, i do believe he "understood" that "its not ALL about the power" so he continued to take care of himself and other aspects of his life. While, from the beginning os the series, we see the CHAOS in tony's life, and how, he not knowing how to handle the issues he had, turned to mess up his boss life as well. little carmine seemed to know that, you know, taking care of the other things he could pay the attention needed to be A Boss. Don't know if he wished it all the time long, but he definitely saw the chance when it came, and didnt waste it. misusing words at social situation is not a sign of strategic dumbness

[@NEWARK767]

He pulled a Kaiser Soze.

[@kingstarscream320]

@@owenanderson2633 Little Carmine is smarter than you. Get over it.

[@freeaccount6770]

He never had the makings of a varsity mob boss.

[@PureKino]

Small hand, that was his problem

[@dinosdiscountsmokesjoe2747]

Well, you oughta know sweetie!

[@blackwolverine1]

@@PureKino Hey Kino, do a video piece on Livia and her manipulative tactics towards Junior Soprano. Thx

[@diligentsun1154]

Shoulda sent him to get his shine box

[@johnpaixao3806]

@@PureKino oh yeah. Daddy always said that.

[@joelspringman7748]

Phil was a pretty scary character! Frank Vincent, like all of the actors in this series, does a PHENOMENAL job!

[@DarkLordofTheSith69]

I liked it when he turned into a house

[@calimanduff]

“You are on the precipice of an enormous cross roads” is probably the best “dumb guy trying to sound smart” line ever. It’s not like he’s flubbing a well known saying or something, he’s trying to come up with his own cool sounding saying but he simply cannot keep up lmao. It’s just so real and subtle, especially the way people react to it. I first watched the show with my dad and after that line we both just looked at each other in silence making sure we heard it right and then burst out laughing. So fucking good.

[@Saffrone221]

He is. He stirred a conflict in the families that got every powerful member whacked and sat in his mini mansion with consistent cashflow to his underlings.

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

Exactly

[@dayvancubensis]

As someone who has seen the entire series several times over, I agree about Little Carmine. Definitely overlooked, and ultimately was one of the few characters that ended up actually happy and fulfilled. I wish more YT channels made Sopranos content like this...I'm surprised by how little Sopranos analysis or discussion videos there are about the show and its themes, characters, etc.

[@subosgotit]

His speech about his wife and the pool was one of the smartest things ever said on the show.

[@levinascimento1995]

It's amazing to me that so much time time has passed since The Sopranos have ended and still there is discussion to be had . It's got to be the GOAT when it comes to television. Great video, subbed!

[@branhun]

The way Little Carmine talks is like us foreigners first learning English, and trying to have conversations after just a few lessons

[@mikem591]

Little Carmine had two personalities. The dumb one was his bumbling alter ego. He could act normal when he wanted too and had a passive aggressive cunning streak. When he seemingly quit the war with Johnny Sack he said ‘That’s not the way I want to play it..’ when Rusty was advocating force. He didn’t say: ‘I’m quitting the war.’ In Little Carmine mind the war was ongoing...Far trickier fellow than would appear. He understand the power of allusion being in the movie industry. He also realized it was a better deal to work behind the scenes.

[@trple2]

You pulled 20 Little Carmines in here. I think you mean "illusion". Good points though.

[@kurtwpg]

He was no genius, but smart enough to know not to try and beat the street guys at their own game. So he waits, manipulates, and doesn't risk.

[@rickwrites2612]

Yes, he WAS the trompe de 'oleil

[@rickwrites2612]

​@@kurtwpgyea not an actual genius, just relative

[@SmilingSynic]

Little Carmine was a genius in that he realized that he did not need to be boss to be happy. He had plenty of happiness through his family, especially with his wife. Love conquers all.

[@johansmallberries9874]

He did have arguably the hottest wife.

[@Rise2Resist]

His dad was one of, if not the oldest boss on the show, kept a low profile and was very cunning, Lil Carmine definitely learned a lot from his pop on how to keep his nose clean and his house in order.

[@johansmallberries9874]

It’s interesting because carmine sr had a knack for cutting through the bullshit by possibly feigning ignorance himself. Like anytime somebody tried to come at him clever, he’d vex them with his old man routine and they’d end up getting to the point.

[@Censored4UViaGoogle]

For as empty headed as Carmine seemed, he was able to find peace of mind and happiness that Phil and Tony never had. Carmine found balance and never looked back.

[@BeneathTheGold]

That “fundamental question” speech has me in hysterics every time. Great character

[@DonCarlosDonCarlos]

He was probably the smartest, played dumb but stayed alive, out of trouble, enjoyed life, wife who loves him, he's the guy you lowkey want to be.

[@goriflex2441]

And that wife was hot as hell

[@straightletterz2596]

that was actually really nice he thought about Chris' problem with drinking! great video!

[@tonyclark3913]

Little Carmine was just smart enough to realize he can afford a loaf of bread to go with the Virginia Ham he had placed under his arm.

[@magicargo1232]

Sharp as a cueball

[@argylemanni280]

A loaf of bread costs more than a gallon of milk.

[@mariozd971]

Best is when Tony says it to Richie, he looks at him confused like wtf are you try to tell me

[@tykosteamboat5570]

I never understood the narrative against Carmine Jr. … Guy was in Florida. Handsome. Healthy. Young. Respected as a type of Consiglieri. He made the right choices. I would have wanted his life of all of the characters in the show 💯

[@johnoriley4669]

“What are you the freaking Cardinal?” Had me dying

[@Vgomes-go6ht]

😂😂

[@landofthesilverpath5823]

There is only one Cardinal. "The" something rather.

[@Mr_Clean]

He just said on the talking sopranos podcast the other day, a couple of his dumbest lines were actually direct George W Bush quotes.

[@EBK_iN_MY_DNA]

Makes perfect sense

[@doublea6586]

Which ones?

[@EBK_iN_MY_DNA]

Double A the dumb ones he doesn’t use in the correct context... just take a look at any KZbin comment about little carmine lol

[@parimabartender]

I'd believe it

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

Reasonable to believe

[@salbonpensiero3837]

I bet writing his lines was fun. The actor probably got his script and was like wtf kinda character is this? Lol

[@novadhd]

watch talking sopranos. He made it his own.

[@Britton_Thompson]

He did eventually become the boss. One of Tony's conditions for the sit down with Brooklyn in the final episode was for Little Carmine to be present, and to finally assume the mantle of boss. At the sit down, Butch looks to Little Carmine first before agreeing to any of Tony's demands. Little Carmine was also evidently very unhappy here- perhaps even depressed -in this scene from the final episode. This suggests that Carmine now realizes he can't run from his responsibilities anymore, and that he must sacrifice his own personal happiness by becoming boss after all. The Brooklyn family needs leadership only the more polished and restrained racketeers such as himself can provide so that no more street thugs like Phil Leotardo can drag the whole family down with him in a hail of bullets and federal indictments.

[@24kRobot]

Little Carmine was one of my favorite characters. He always made me laugh, but there is a lot to be said that he is constantly sought out for to broker peace deals and meetings. That does say a lot. You made an excellent point.

[@kurtwpg]

This video asked why was he always mediating between New York and New Jersey. I'll tell you why: New York is the part that's important to him. When he makes himself the pipeline to New Jersey, he doesn't have to turn anyone against Phil. Whoever turns against Phil will seek him out.

[@Histerix]

3:25 I will NEVER not laugh at Phil being called the Shah of Iran

[@gregorywilson1510]

I would argue Little Carmine was different from everybody else because, he showed "EQ" (Emotional intelligence), something that mob members lack and has been stressed through dr. Melfi and her associates.

[@giorgiogazzola5972]

They should've done more with the judges in those wet t-shirt contests who little Carmine paid off... Very underrated characters.

[@franka1621]

Those other movies under his sub-species would have been interesting to see.

[@jaylenbrownfan2112]

Lol Chris and Carmine together was gold. Robbing Lauren Bacall for her swag bag. They could have had a spin off show together.

[@FEWGEE1]

He had a stunning wife who genuinely loved him dearly, money, and influence. He lived in florida out of harms way, and retired from the life without doing any jail time. I'd say he's winning at life.

[@ledzep1023]

That was the kind of life the other mobsters dreamed of having. Yet they couldn’t despite being far “smarter” than Little Carmine

[@nickbologna7121]

I agree irrevocably (unequivocally). [how he would likely have said it, misusing the wrong word]

[@yannick245]

He didn't retire! He's a captain throughout the whole show... He just kept a low profile.

[@nickbologna7121]

@@yannick245 and what about the way he stirred the pot at that sit down by bringing up Phil’s brother at the moment when they were about to shake hands and get along. Absolute genius.

[@raimondspadaro8211]

I agree. What we have here is really a discussion of what is success, what does it look like, does being the Boss matter more than anything else? Anyone can deal drugs, kill, steal, etc... Who is it that gets away with it?? That's the real mastermind.

[@MrGeforcerFX]

He seemed to be the luckiest of all the characters by the end still had his personal family and his business's with no major losses. He tried to help out a few times realized he didn't want to deal with the family drama bullshit and keeping everyone faithful to him. The scene where him and Tony meet at the golf course for lunch and Tony is trying to convince him to take over his families business is prob my favorite scene in the whole series. The way he realized he didn't want to follow in his fathers footsteps and live a life he decided to live was great.

[@thesupervisor3270]

Starts at 5:47 for those of you who seen the series and just wanna see how is Carmine a genius

[@williamb8091]

I think Little Carmine is a great character. He kind of had one foot in the gangster world as the other in business a little like Stringer Bell from The Wire. What's interesting about Carmine is that he's very different from the other characters like Tony, Phil and Johnny. He was given power and money because of his last name. He never had to earn it. I like how he ended up neutral to the conflict. He was pretty far removed from the street violence. Because of his money and status he had that luxury. He may not be a genius but I think he was more emotionally intelligent than a lot of the other characters. He knew to step away from the crown because he didn't have a street mentality and he had nothing to prove.

[@trple2]

"Nothing to prove" is the key.

[@harisubbo7069]

Hesh was another character that mostly benefitted from both worlds. Until he decided to lend Tony money.

[@JSWang-ii8kd]

I bet he watched god father 3, but rather than remembered "just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in" like other mob members, little Carmine put "Power wears out those who do not have it" deep into his heart.

[@PureKino]

The first quote is Silvio's territory. He knew better than to try take it over

[@JohnDoe-yi5wt]

Sun te zoo predicted all this. But I'm reminded of Quasimodo who was verified as a more effective predictor of enormous crossroads we will be facing. Sadly, little Car.. I can't even say his name, that animal, caused all this. Regrettably.

[@bigbird2170]

The Sacred and the propane

[@305donkryder8]

John doe... this comment is gold 👌

[@2025-e4n]

'The Meteors did the dinosaurs in' " *They were ALL Meat-Eaters* !" said the Captain

[@ConyCees]

Thanks John Doe. Because of you, I dissloged a rib from laughing so hard at that comment.

[@acvaticlifE]

Great comment...Now go get your shinebox

[@shadow12k]

He was able to find the meaning of life because he thought so simple of things. He didn’t over complicate his moments.

[@babysinclairfan]

The irony was that Carmine jr was a moron, but he somehow not only survives, but thrives. The only way to win in the magia is not to play

[@sillygoose9791]

What are you talking about, AJ couldn't even drown in 8 feet of water and he tried

[@empac8631]

Jackie Jr almost drowned at the penguin exhibit in 4 inches

[@Marksman_12]

Not cool. A bad joke.

[@neilgerace355]

It was a pretty deep secret. He did come out of the war alive and healthy. I reckon that makes him pretty smart.

[@crimony3054]

While others were boosting trucks of suits and power tools, Little Carmine was giving away washer/dryers. And the big scene with the "whatever happened there" actually saved Tony's life. Agreeing to peace with Phil without resolving the Billy thing was just a trap.

[@MrAitraining]

Getting rich, staying out of prison and not being killed was pretty genius in that life.

[@mr_clean91]

Little Carmine hung out in Miami sipping Mojitos while all his rivals destroyed each other in the power vacuum. He's a master manipulator that made sure to keep them all at each others throats while appearing to pose the least threat to any of them. He may sound dumb, but never does anything dumb. He runs multiple companies in Miami by himself while most of the other mobsters need Tony to help ties their shoes. He's been around these people all his life. He knows they are compulsive, violent, and egotistical. He's seen how this plays out and knows the game is Last Man Standing.

[@irishmacky8773]

“ what i’ve learned is a pint of blood costs more than a gallon of gold” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@abdullayaser700]

It's make sense in a way

[@derekazyan9942]

He’s an idiot savant

[@chickenman7801]

A gallon of gold is like $1 million.

[@Fafafohi]

@@abdullayaser700 I always thought it did lol

[@CadillacCush]

@@chickenman7801 never heard of anyone measuring gold by the gallon .. unless they liquified it first I guess

[@gweiloxiu9862]

Out of every adult male character on the show, Little Carmine is the only one I could imagine not ripping me off or putting me in danger. He's not a predator.

[@Tommy88-]

He wouldn’t do anything violent to you, but would try to get over on you financially I’m sure (that is if he was a real person.)

[@MrStephenRGilman]

Tell that to the girls in his movies.

[@kopilit]

@@MrStephenRGilman The girls in his movies have convinced themselves they are in charge of their lives and it's exactly how they want it. Try to 'rescue' one of those girls and see how that ends. Exceptional racket.

[@FixedFace]

@@MrStephenRGilman y o u w i I I n e v e r b e a w o m a n

[@sliptrikk3018]

@@MrStephenRGilman Yea I was gonna use this to make the argument that he's capable of being manipulative.

[@mattparee]

Oh I laughed out loud when I heard, " The newly released Shah of Iran." Well done, and good work slipping that one in.

[@davidconnellan6875]

Carmine is like Claudius both played the fool and it allowed them to survive while those around them were getting killed

[@drummer2443]

The smartest people know what they know, and know what they dont know. Perfect example of that

[@AApril261992]

This is great, glad you poked holes through this theory. Little Carmine was one of my favorite characters and seemed to be the only one happy towards the end of the show.

[@claywilliams2610]

I always thought that Little Carmine was attempting to run things from the shadows for the same reasons you stated. It started for me during a rewatch where I noticed his manipulation skills. I think that when he realized he could manipulate his father in a jealous moment of weakness he may have realized he had a slumbering social "skill" which he then put in to practice with the Phil-Tony peace meeting and so on. I don't believe he's overall a hyper intelligent strategist but you don't have to be a technical genius to realize how to manipulate people to get what you want. There's a reason why they refer to different areas of intelligence as "book smarts" and " street smarts". Either way you look at it in the end Little Carmine had his cake and ate it too.

[@VinceVegas6]

He has to be a genius, his father invented point shaving. Like Father, like son.

[@akultisgod5538]

this video was the mixture of the sacred and the propane.

[@charles-y2z6c]

There are many kinds of genius. Staying alive, staying out of prison and making a lot of mob money is a genius. It may be a warped one, but it is.

[@jaylenbrownfan2112]

He almost got Sir Ben Kingsley to star in his movie. That's pretty impressive.

[@pointcuration1278]

Little Carmine, whatever happened there

[@PureKino]

WHATEVER HAPPENED THERE?!?

[@waltermontoya4304]

At 9:11, I'm convinced that Lil' Carmine was actually an instigator shaking things up to slide his way over to the throne. I've seen instigators in action and how they perform to get two people to squabble.

[@flameguy3416]

Little Carmine as Boss Jackie Jr as Capo Benny Fazio as Consigliere Brendan, Sean Gismonte and Matt "Drinkwater" Bevilaqua as Soldiers The East Coast Crew

[@MsNatiBug]

He’s a jolly derp. He’ll live til 100.

[@thewalkingquadriplegic7857]

Lil Carmine the house whisperer

[@PureKino]

Phil should have transformed into a house more often

[@thewalkingquadriplegic7857]

@@PureKino yes because it be hard to whack a house Except termites and fire

[@HeWhoRemaiins]

@@PureKino he would had never been wacked if he had turn into a house ..

[@francisalbert1799]

Little Carmine knew everything he was doing. Great character!

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

Always said he did. Guy knew what he was doing and took safest road there.

[@slider292]

This is a great take, man. That meeting at the golf course with Tony, where LC all of the sudden sounds as smart and insightful as Melfi always jumped out at me!

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

Exactly he was very smart. Golf course scene told it all man.

[@theusu7178]

No you got him wrong and not analysed his scenes well. He’s very self aware of who he is and how he comes across, but he’s also very aware of everybody else. That’s his strength he played everybody not because he’s playing 5D chess. He’s just honest with himself and is aware of others shortcomings which in itself is highly intelligent.

[@TheOrangex88]

Little Carmine is the Michael Scott of the Sopranos, as Dunder Mifflin (New York/Jersey Mob) crumbles due to leadership Michael (Carmine) is the last one standing not because of how smart he is but he was smart enough to stick to what he knew high sales (wet tshirt contests, movies, porn, etc)and that made him the last man standing.

[@animecrunchtime]

I always thought that Carmine lowkey knew what he was doing by fanning the flames of certain events.

[@lordoffaiyum9727]

He did

[@glenboylan4213]

Louis the whatever's financial minister The... something

[@SantomPh]

D' something

[@franka1621]

The guy who lived near Ver-Sales...

[@STONESGAM]

I think this was his greatest line.

[@area51ville]

@@franka1621 did he mean Versace?

[@franka1621]

@@area51ville No Johnny - he was referring to Versailles Palace in Paris. The humor comes from his English pronunciation, rather than using the correct French pronunciation where the “L”s are silent (pronounced as “Ver-sigh”). In much the same way he did when pronouncing King Louis as “Lewis” instead of “Louie”.

[@lagautmd]

Or, he realized early in life, like AJ's age when he starts to figure out his father is a mob boss that the only way out is to appear useless to the mob bosses. The only way out is for them to decide you don't matter, you can't hurt them, they let you go. So, he's not a genius so much as he is someone who acts dumb and weird so that he's just omitted as time goes by.

[@sickofguysnamedtodd2293]

In other words he’s a slightly smarter Fredo Corleone

[@300thNPC]

@@sickofguysnamedtodd2293 Hell no. Fredo is more like Jackie Jr

[@Falor5151]

Little Carmine living life with the Wisdom 10, Intelligence 1 build.

[@BotzaBrand]

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. He's a bit of a poseur, you ask me."

[@Sockimus]

BTW: AJ couldn't even successfully drown without fucking up, so would that put him at the bottom of the list?

[@ionioakinioanette5729]

It was a parasuicidal act. He never intended to kill himself, he just thought he wanted to.

[@Sockimus]

@@ionioakinioanette5729 yes, but drowning? That's a long stretch but not one I disagree with, because of how the scene played out. From my recollection, he didn't think anyone was home for the attention. He and Tony were just lucky that the latter was there at the moment.

[@Macbrother]

He's clearly top two or three, that much I do know.

[@Sam-xr8ne]

Aj was an insightful fool. A secret genius.

[@Papawill13]

AJ is probably one of the worst long term characters in any show ever.