The Sopranos - Why You're Wrong About Davey Scatino

In The Sopranos, mob boss Tony Soprano is a dangerous man to get close to. The gangster has ruined the lives of many people, and one of these people is Davey Scatino, a childhood friend of Tony who becomes indebted to him. Davey has a gambling problem, and he is considered a weak and snivelling character, but today I wanted to argue why I think Scatino is a victim of Tony Soprano.

[@JBrooksNYS]

Nobody ever bring this up. The last scene we see Davy Scartino, he says he is moving a ranch out west. It makes it seem like there is hope that he will start his life over again and get on the right track... until he states that it is only 30 minutes from Las Vegas... so we all know how that is gonna turn out.

[@tgraham1961]

In a hole in the desert...

[@dandavis8300]

@@tgraham1961 --Probably in those sewer tunnels people live in in Vegas.

[@nickhodges4134]

Meadow actually mentions to Tony later that Davey ended up in a mental institution, and Tony is...unsympathetic

[@TronaldTheWizard]

The last conversation dave and tony has, tony gives him a look like "wow this guys guna get fucked up out there"

[@anthonyjohnson6199]

You act like thats a hot take. When its not talked about because yeah no duh that was the point. Its like saying that water is wet.

[@thomasbay5185]

Poor Davey, a 44 year old kid with his whole life ahead of him. Couldn't even place his last bet

[@mondoseguendo6113]

I like to think his last bet was on himself 😂

[@TheRealBelisariusCawl]

Shame when they go so young

[@ElliotNess-jg8gt]

@@TheRealBelisariusCawlwhen they GO?

[@ScbSnck]

44, just a kid

[@busterbiloxi3833]

He never had the makings of a sporting goods store owner.

[@faszikilawang8445]

The reason I could never feel sorry for Davey is the way he took his son's car; finding the tiniest thing wrong to make it his son's fault.

[@gabrielethier2046]

To be fair he's the one who bought it

[@michaelbob937]

​@@gabrielethier2046no excuse to make his son feel in the wrong. He should have been honest that he messed up

[@karlbeaupre6813]

@@michaelbob937 While not to say he was right to do that it's also arguably understandable as he was between a rock and a hard place, you have to remember Tony beated him to a pulp, sent his guys to harrass him or light his dumpster on fire, he was in a life threatening situation. Did Davey brought this upon himself and the whole situation was unfair for the family ? A 100% yes, however as stated in the video Tony just radically amplified his problems and ruined his life in a matter of days (I think), what Tony had done was much worst than Davey as his intentions was to hurt him

[@dionruffin3996]

Tony took advantage of a situation that’s what gangsters do

[@joescott5322]

@@dionruffin3996alcohol company’s take advantage of alcoholics, cigarette companies of nicotine addicts, gambling is legal in most countries, even pharmaceutical companies profiteer from addictive drugs.

[@Darramuss]

"Played by Cyberdyne Systems Model T-1000" 😂

[@OBSVFULC]

Beautiful fkin nod! 😂😂😂

[@vortega472]

@CineRanter, I know I've given you a lot of crap in the past, but this line was brilliant.

[@b-genspinster7895]

Pontiac also had a T-1000 model.

[@brettmajors69karaoke]

Watched this tears after T2 and hoped he would turn into t1000

[@billzco6137]

Have you seen this boy?

[@WisteriaNerium]

I'm surprised not a lot of people think about the title of the episode and the therapy session Tony had with Melfi. Something about Davey's carelessness that rubbed Tony the wrong way. He says to Melfi that he pretty much feels so miserable and angry that he just wants to bring down someone who seems happier than him, and Davey seemed to be doing pretty okay with his gambling addiction and his store. Something about the way Davey could just gamble so much money and still be a family man really set off Tony and pretty much did nothing to stop him from getting into serious debt with him, and ruined him completely. He was the happy wanderer that Tony hated so much.

[@deagle2yadome696]

great point

[@AlephTroll]

He shoulda just tipped his cap and said a salute

[@Asishischudkid]

He did it to himself. He was already behind with Richie. He showed up unsolicited and uninvited to the game. Tony tried to turn him away multiple times. Then he lied to get more house money while Tony was asleep. I’m not saying you’re entirely wrong about Tony’s resentment, but David buried himself without much help.

[@antonchigurh7227]

Look at this guy he thinks he's Frankie Yankovic over there

[@MundaneThingsBackwards]

@@Asishischudkid Literally what sociopaths say to absolve themselves of any responsibility of their actions. Pushing a man with a major problem literally all the way to suicide and financial ruin for your personal satisfaction and financial gain is pure evil. Tony literally calls this shit his "bread and butter" and you're acting like he only stumbles haphazardly into people who can be taken advantage of. lmfao

[@alarikaguilar7543]

“This is how a guy like me makes a living.. this is my bread and butter.” -Anthony Soprano

[@tombrunn-f9c]

yea work on steeling

[@AquarianAngel]

​@@tombrunn-f9cStealing?

[@phil-Leotardo.171]

Where's da Why You're Wrong About Billy Leotardo video?

[@souldreamer9056]

No need for such a video. Nobody would think anything bad of him. Your brother was just a little kid, after all.

[@ViewtifulJocian]

There's no need. You did 20 years in the can. You've got no scraps in your scrapbook.

[@brendanburgess2071]

I know it’s a joke but he does have a “why you’re wrong about Phil leotardo” video

[@MaximillianJ]

you'll have to wait another twenty fuckin years.

[@phil-Leotardo.171]

​@@MaximillianJ Fvckin nauseating

[@erics362]

Carmella didn't blackmail her neighbor's sister, she extorted her. She made her a ricotta pie she couldn't refuse.

[@odeleon24]

Carmela’s Pie never hurt no one!

[@darth856]

I like how she acted so much like a mobster in that scene. First a little gift before the intimidation starts (like Tony giving Dr Kennedy a golf club).

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

Joanie Cusamano had a bee on her hat

[@redcuplifestyle5536]

😂😂​@@odeleon24

[@youthinkyouknowme5551]

Carmela got her Karma in the end though when Meadows friend Hunter got into medical school and Meadow was just going to become some generic lawyer

[@johansmallberries9874]

Even Richie tried to give him a way out, tried to ban him BEFORE he got in too deep.

[@nodinitiative]

And gave him an important financial lesson when Davie was not paying him short of $200.

[@odeleon24]

A grown man made a bet, he lost, he made another one and lost again. End of subject!

[@mondoseguendo6113]

He dug his own grave.

[@slactweak]

He was a gambling addict. When you're an addict, NOTHING is black and white. Is he sympathetic? No, he is not. But his descent into madness is the same plight that nearly every addict of ANY KIND faces on a daily basis. Some beat it and go on to live relatively normal lives. Some yoyo for nearly their entire lives. However some, like Davey, crash and burn. You don't know what will be, until it IS. That's the nature of addiction and the plight of addicts. Not an excuse, but an explanation.

[@normie2716]

@@slactweak Take your high moral ground and go sleep in the fucking bus station.

[@joeylaflamme8527]

Like they say in Whiplash: give a calculator to a retard and he'll try to change the channel on the microwave. They gave him the calculator knowing what he was. They are not entirely blameless in this. It doesn't take away that Davey fucked up tho'.

[@TBM1121]

We all read that on Tony’s voice!

[@woodyhorton8537]

idk he literally lied while tony was asleep and took a shit load more money lol he also told dude many times not to come gamble here until dude literally showed up at the games door so eventually tony said fine then go lose

[@ramonserna8089]

He used reverse psychology on him. He knew it would interest him anyways.

[@CollaredConsulting]

@@ramonserna8089So he should have said, “please come play we need your action”?

[@ramonserna8089]

@@CollaredConsulting If he were a friend like with Artie, he could have said "no". He half heatedly discouraged him, but not really. Remember when Artie tries to borrow money from Ralph he immediately says no, because Tony won't let him collect. Richie borrows him money because he knows Tony won't object and he didn't even like Richie.

[@woodyhorton8537]

yes i watched after I made this comment. This comment was my opinion on the topic before watching. He didn't take a little when tony was asleep it was a lot lol since watching the video yea eventually tony said fuck it but dude pushed his way into this in every way so I still don't let him off on his mistakes and i'm not blaming everything on Tony. 80 percent dudes fault and 20 percent on Tony @@darienstubbs2532

[@goodnessduru5302]

​@ramonserna8089 yeah but Davey is a grown man at the end of the day. Besides someone like Davey will not leave you alone. I mean 45 boxes of Ziti cmon, on top of the 8k he owed Richie. Then on top of that, he tried to blame his wife, brother in law and to an extent, his son. It's one thing you gambling your own money, but when you mess up your family's future (son college funds and his wife business) you don't get sympathy. Some people you have to let destroy themselves and clear out of their way, whether they learn their lesson or not. I did not feel bad for him.

[@StevenGilmartin-j9k]

45 boxes of ziti

[@loveaintfree1409]

Did you know one ziti equals 1000 dollars Davy is fucked after 45 boxes of ziti.

[@StevenGilmartin-j9k]

@@loveaintfree1409 only watched show a thousand times

[@lb5818]

@@loveaintfree1409 give me one box of ziti

[@ElGranSanto]

​@lb5818 one box more?

[@greigtoye]

I could use a schvitz..

[@90sNickfan91]

Do you wanna go for a schvitz?

[@Zkkr429]

I can’t, the doctor said heat’s no good for me.

[@storkksoundmedia7778]

Davey shouldn’t have taken that money when Tony was sleeping. Thats the moment

[@contemposuits1983]

Davey also didn't understand that a Gangster like Tony is going to bleed the business dry. That is what they do.

[@ToughBro368]

So he should’ve paid what he owed!!!

[@93_Gato]

He did understand that! He just thought that because he was a childhood friend, Tony would be lenient with him. He grew up with these guys, meaning he knew about the mafia. He knew these guys were scammers and criminals. He knew how they collected when you couldn’t pay. He GAMBLED on Tony being a soft touch and protecting him due to being long time friends.

[@dimulaidari]

Fortunelly Artie's Wife knew about this fact😊

[@loganerb3952]

@@dimulaidaridifference is Tony actually liked Artie and looked out for him for the most part

[@Fanatik4Ever]

David's final scene is where the estimation of him as a man fkin plummets, should have mentioned this. He is divorced and ready to move to a ranch out west. You could actually say he will bounce back, as Tony mentions earlier when they do the bust-out. The problem is, and Tony's face also drops, when he mentions he will be 30 minutes out of Vegas and they should meet up sometimes... LMAO. Yea, Vegas.

[@brettmajors69karaoke]

Yup notice that

[@NateG219]

Davey Got what he begged for, he was warned, several times. After Richie, he should've stopped

[@judywright4241]

Davey kept blaming everyone else for his own compulsions. Vic and his sister had the store in HER name, yet it still didn’t keep him from ruining it, stealing his son’s college fund that VIC had set up.

[@nodinitiative]

Weirdly enough, Richie was actually doing more good to Davie by allowing Davie to make weekly payments. Tony was making sure he would get Davie's business inventory.

[@steve5810]

Tony only ok’d the first five grand. The line Christopher says, “He grabbed them by the ten while you were sleeping…”

[@JesusH.Tap-Dancingchrist7328]

He's got a channel analysing the Sopranos but it's 90% incorrect

[@blackfox4138]

My view of Tony's involvement is somewhere down the middle. I genuinely believe Tony initially had Davey's best interest at heart when refusing to let him join the game. However, once Tony realized that Davey wasn't going to let this go, he then sensed an opportunity in it all. I think of it less as Tony being a master long-term manipulator, and more as an opportunistic snake. He didn't initially intend on slow-rolling Davey for everything he's worth, but he did see an opportunity to do it.

[@Klinfran]

Funnily enough, Richie did more for Davey by banning him from his games than Tony ever did for his supposed friend. Problem gamblers are "similar" in a way to people with OCD but instead of having the need to set straight every single pencil in a desk they have the need to gamble/lose money in chance games, both know its not normal, both know they shouldnt be doing it but they just cant help themselves.

[@TheWhippingPost]

RIP Norm

[@cane6074]

Despite the t1000 being Robert Patrick's most iconic role and deservingly so, he's actually a talented guy with lots of range, and it was nice to see him do something different. Here he's barely recognizable despite no makeup, really disappeared into his role. Despite his Terminator role being his most well-known, when I see him on screen I don't think of in terms of that role.

[@dailydrivenmiata8760]

I didn’t even know he was in the terminator until this video, really shows how well he can play two different roles

[@freeplax17]

So are you going to pretend Tony is a normal human being and not a violent sociopath who has no real friends. Tony did warn him which is probably more than he does for any of his other victims. Thats why Artie’s wife is constantly reminding him who his childhood friend really is. Artie hangs around him and still manages to stay out of the bust out by not owing Tony anything. Davie did that to himself, he knew who and what Tony was and even went further down the rabbit hole after Richie (king of the dead eyes) told him not to take it personal but when the envelope is light its a sign of more excuses and stopped him from participating in any more of his games till he caught up. Yes Davie had an addiction but expecting a Mafia guy to respect his mental health is like expecting a shark not to bite you with blood in the water.

[@erniericardo8140]

Great post 👍

[@breelboxing9383]

Artie got a major pass, but he could’ve been in debt for life after borrowing the money for the champagne that ended up being a scam.

[@Galvatronover]

Actually he agrees with you

[@ronsmith9822]

If only Davy would have been on as his cyborg character, Tony would have felt the pain. Lol

[@Mr_Oggie]

If you take Tony out of the equation... things wouldn't have gone any different for Davey, except maybe he would have been killed as a statement and example by Richie.

[@jaymee8657]

“Why’d you let me do it ?” Davey asked . Oh please

[@anfeariontach]

get back in your fn hole lol

[@sean5558]

Reminds me of on Sopranos home movies when Tony blamed Carmela for not INSISTING he stop drinking

[@willissudweeks1050]

To be fair if you enable someone’s addiction you are screwing them. It’s a pretty fair question. Tony didn’t need to help him gamble.

[@JoshTha1]

@@willissudweeks1050it’s still Daveys fault for starting in the first place he’s not a little kid he’s a grown man who has to make his own decisions

[@bakashinji]

@@willissudweeks1050 he told Davey multiple times NO, Davey is a shmuck

[@TanmaiKhanna]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the Artie Bucco situation. He spells out pretty clearly how Tony's mind works in these situations. He sees someone about to make a stupid mistake (in this case Artie thinking of loaning the guy 50k) and his brain goes into overdrive planning how he can profit from it in the long run. If he can do it to Artie, his oldest friend - he can definitely do it to Davey.

[@brettmajors69karaoke]

Plus Tony felt bad about gloria’s suicide

[@brettmajors69karaoke]

He let Artie off light

[@cynthiaslater7445]

Gambling is an addiction and Tony, the master of psychological manipulation, made the most of Davey's weakness. Tony knew that the more he told Davey to stay away from the high roller games, the more Davey wanted to get in the big league.

[@Eggy79]

He's still a grown ass man who made every decision that led to his downfall

[@donnyjay9046]

Gamblers gonna gamble....

[@nothingineternityterms]

@@Eggy79 So is everyone, but others in our lives can help us in our weakness or take advantage of us. Guess which one Tony is

[@jessegarbee5860]

He was not A master he kept going to see Melfi because she gave him the good ideas.

[@mikenayers5981]

Then later on Tonh developed a gambling problem so bad, he almost defaulted on Hesh for a whole lot more than 45K.

[@tiki_vegas]

I really enjoyed how Tony and Ritchie came together during the bust out it was great to see them on the same side for once

[@Youtubeaccount369]

If Ritchie could've swallowed his pride a little more and Tony been a little less of a hard ass, they really would've been a formidable team.

[@tomjones5650]

Fuck the blue coolers Red Sells.

[@Ontonaut]

He never came back after Richie got through with him

[@BigMuff520]

You nailed it. Tony is a predator. That’s how he makes his living in his own words. Davey was an easy target for Tony. Davey was weak and Tony preys on that and says so. “Scorpion and the frog…” I know people love Tony but he was a POS of course, all mobsters are. Their talk of honor is all BS, they shoot each other at the drop of a hat if someone gets busted, just in case. There’s no honor in it at all BUT it’s fun to watch.

[@dimulaidari]

But for this case,Tony has gave warns over and over.

[@ayumu_osaka]

No different than Paypal and other "legitimate" payment processors offering pay later option and similar stuff for compulsive spenders.

[@smickeyYT]

@@dimulaidari Doesn't matter, he still let him in the game. It's not like warning your friend not to go to Vegas and they still do, it was completely up to Tony whether Davey gets to play or not

[@drue_tube9357]

Always wished that Davey made a cameo in Tony’s season six trip to Vegas. Something subtle like working as a janitor or security guard

[@slappytheclown4]

It's stated in like season 4 or 5 by Meadow that Davey ended up in a mental institution after he left for the ranch in Vegas.

[@aunch3]

Idk, at the end of the day, Davey’s a grown man. When Davey was winning during the executive game, Tony made it clear that he could cash out if he wanted to. Like T said, if Davey had played it smart it could’ve easily been him paying Dave 45 boxes of ziti. If you’re going to fault Tony, then you have to fault every legitimate casino for being evil because they do the exact same thing; take advantage of peoples gambling addictions

[@Mark-uh4zd]

The only reason gambling at the state level and not like in the show is that the right people are getting paid (the state).

[@smickeyYT]

I think most people wouldn't mind faulting Casinos as being evil lmao. Casinos might be more evil than Tony in this case since they will ban you if you start winning too much

[@dwshank]

I've known a few addicted gamblers, and the portrayal of Davie was perfect. They try to manipulate and nothing is ever their fault. It was bad luck, the person who won't help them out, etc., etc.

[@lb5818]

the actor went to gambler's anonymous meetings for research, he really got the mannerisms down pat

[@sole__doubt]

Tony didnt plan to rinse Davey, he merely took advantage of the opportunity.

[@19145_hw]

Tony told him multiple times no he kept pressing, Davey got what he asked for

[@allenrubinstein3696]

I'll copy what I said below: Think of what Tony doesn't say: "You have a compulsive gambling problem, and you need to get help before you destroy everything you've built in your life and alienate everyone you love. What are you avoiding in yourself by engaging in this behavior?" Davey was hooked and just fobbing him off with "This is too high stakes a game" would make him fight harder to get in on the action. That description isn't a discouragement, it's a lure. It's in Tony's job description to know how to keep a desparate fish on the line.

[@goodyeoman4534]

But what about the mythical disease of "addiction" that wields an intangible force over him and robs him of all free will?

[@allenrubinstein3696]

​@@goodyeoman4534 I'm not sure where you're being sarcastic here, but there's nothing mythical about addiction. Addicts are responsible for their behavior and have to take responsibilty for recovering and changing their behavior, but they are not in control when they are in the grip of their addictions. They are out of control. The outside world has to try to cope with the destruction they cause. The need for the fix is much stronger than any exertion of will power.

[@Xxrocknrollgod]

You’re a bad person. Theres good and bad people thats why this is a debate

[@Xxrocknrollgod]

@@goodyeoman4534so you know more than the leading scientists

[@franciscojuarez6280]

The addiction with the highest suicide rate is gambling.

[@CollaredConsulting]

I thought it was Russian roulette

[@goodyeoman4534]

Most of these people are far too selfish to commit suicide. Suicide rates are probably higher in male divorcees than gamblers.

[@MahcusSmahrt36]

Lmao yeah but gambling addicts are the biggest morons. I understand drug dependence, but gambling is the one where it’s a consistent choice over and over. With this example as well, davey is hoping to make his losses smaller by gambling more and more with money he doesn’t have. He knows he was never going to be in a winning position

[@goodyeoman4534]

@@MahcusSmahrt36 Druggies don't also choose to take illegal drugs?

[@alainportant6412]

@@goodyeoman4534 are you still seeing your other woman, Lorenzo ?

[@samhansen6320]

One big point here..... Tony had to come out of pocket the 44k the night of the poker game. So getting paid back for the losses at the poker game would be a higher priority than say, David had lost a sports bet with Tony.

[@antoniom4099]

When it comes to Davey Furio says it best. “Don’t bitch to me!”

[@BrokenHomePoets]

Get Pudgy Walsh on the horn, He'll straighten this out

[@friendpapijaded1466]

I think just like we can’t blame Dave for gambling we can’t blame Tony for eventually taking advantage of him.

[@mgm8822]

I respect your analysis but disagree. I think Tony was genuinely upset that David went behind his back to take more chips. I’m sure he sized David up early on, but I really do think that Tony didn’t want to have to start threatening David to pay his debt. I think he actually did like David. I also think that Tony’s attitude toward David change, first because David took chips behind Tony’s back, and second, after Tony learned that David was in debt to Richie as well. I think that made Tony then feel justified in busting David out. I also think you’re a bit too harsh on David. He was a successful guy who had an addiction that dragged him down. He ran a store so he had to have some level of intelligence

[@eagleman1542]

Tony was just pissed off because Davey didn't have the makings of a varsity athlete...

[@brettmajors69karaoke]

A varsity gambler

[@eagleman1542]

@@brettmajors69karaoke Good one.

[@gabagool_and_psychiatry4856]

i had an addiction problem with drugs and binge drinking. "a grown man made a decision, he lost"- Tony. i dont blame the dealer i blame myself.

[@SubManifest]

Tony even says that he knew Davey had the store and that it’s in his nature I.e. the scorpion and the frog. That’s the overarching parable.

[@mikenayers5981]

The one thing that makes me think Tony did this grudgingly, but still needed to hold up appearances, is right before he goes into Davy’s office to shake him down. He was dreading what he was about to do, because at that point it was probably different for him when they were friends.

[@brucelston]

Davey doesnt realized he easily could had been clipped had he not known tony from childhood.

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

Oh he knew. Someone who wasn’t Tony’s “friend” wouldn’t have told Christopher Tony had given him an unlimited line of credit.

[@chriskoshinski]

"Clipped" people can't pay off debts....

[@synthmalicious7541]

Sometimes I wonder why a video like this was made, why someone who watched the show would need to be explained how Davey was a fool but still being fucked over then I see a comment like this. No one is getting clipped. The whole point of a person like Davey is to keep them alive through the beatings so that they can continue to make money off them. The worst they’ll do is break a few body parts. They die = loanshark gets no money. Do you think the person in debt would have the debt collector in his will or something?

[@cambodianbreastmilk2980]

Nah Tony's whole plan was for Dave to be in debt to Tony, so having him clipped made no sense at all.

[@snex000]

If it wasn't to Tony, he would have gambled it off somewhere else. They always do.

[@ayandak47]

An got killed for being unable to pay and running away instead of working it off.

[@ShaunHopkinsAVFC]

Davey was complicit in his own downfall, yes. But if you had a friend who was a heroin addict, you wouldn’t hand him a loaded spike, no matter how many times he asked. What Tony did was no different than exactly that.

[@andrewreisinger6860]

Maybe, maybe not. If you had a friend that was going through extreme withdrawal and in pain, you just might.g

[@ShaunHopkinsAVFC]

@@andrewreisinger6860 I understand compassionate assisted suicide. Completely different from what I was referencing though

[@ResistanceQuest]

The future was not Bowden well for Davey

[@tavarisp452]

On my initial watch I felt bad for Davey but thought it was his own fault. But after I rewatched the series I felt he was a victim. I also didn’t think he was actually Tony’s friend. When Arty tries to borrow money from Ralph, Ralph declines because he’s Tony’s friend and he can’t be hurt to recover the money. Remember, you don’t sh!t where you eat, and you definitely don’t sh!t where Tony eats. But given Tony/Richie relationship it’s likely Richie just didn’t care about the friendship. Who knows

[@plyingspace5025]

The cause of Davey's downfall is obviously Frank Sinatra Jr.. He knows the Dealer controls the game.

[@murraymclean9072]

Old Davey had a window more than once.. Tony kept on telling him that the game was out of his league.. he got involved, and at one stage, he's well in front, could have paid his debts.. Ritchie, Tony..but no..and the rest was down hill.

[@JCC503]

The way Tony did Davey so dirty is really one of the best portrayals of how willing gangsters are to prey on anyone who gives them the opportunity. Definitely one of my favorite subplots from the entire series, My only complaint is that it didn't stretch out longer.

[@rezamotori5709]

In my country there was this big real estate guy who did big projects. He always ran into trouble with squatters who delayed everything so he hired this known mobster and his gang to get them out while the real estate guy kept a clean image. Long story short is they slowly turned on him, took his business over and when he went to the media to tell his story, his life was ended by a hired hitman from ex-yugoslavia

[@TS-qr3rk]

being addicted isnt a choice. GETTING addicted IS.

[@jessiestoss2687]

As an addict who is in recovery, I agree.

[@allenrubinstein3696]

Your binary doesn't make sense unless you judge people who don't walk the path of complete abstinence their entire lives. Nobody thinks to themselves, "I think I'll enslave myself to this substance/activity I'm being offered." Plenty of recovering addicts will share that they "poured alcohol into an alcoholic's body". There's a bit of science that a proclivity towards addiction is genetic. The same behavior exhibited by two separate people will have very different impacts. You can AVOID an addiction if you have the prior awareness and education, lots of self-knowledge and a support system around you, but that's not a plentiful combination of factors. It's perfectly plausible and very common for someone to be influenced by their culture and piles of unprocessed pain they're carrying around and find a preferred coping mechanism without really knowing what they're inviting in. Addiction isn't only inheritable, it's deeply understandable.

[@nathanmcandrew4778]

That’s a good way to put it. Everyone is different, that moment when it’s no longer a choice is different for everyone. It’s not worth flirting with

[@50PullUps]

Da fvck does that even mean?!

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

@@50PullUps Don’t do addictive things, and you won’t become an addict. In Davey’s case even though he was already an addict he had a manageable debt to Richie who had already told him he couldn’t gamble anymore until he paid him back. And for what it is worth if Tony had known Davey was so in debt to Richie he likely wouldn’t have loaned Davey anything since he already owed Richie and by extension Tony money. The piranhas try not to eat each other.

[@harrysachz6395]

It is continuously disappointing that fans think Tony hadn't zeroed in on him like a hawk. Tony even admits it!

[@irisharan3038]

I never bought that - the frog and scorpion story is just to show he is tough when falling in the debt. He was incensed when Davey basically stole from him and told him to stay away. Selling discounted plastic sports goods on the streets is not a good way of reigning in that level of debt.

[@smickeyYT]

@@irisharan3038 This is delusional im ngl lmao, Tony says out loud "yeah I wanted to extort you" and you're calling him a liar? How about just admit yeah, Tony is a scumbag?

[@MahcusSmahrt36]

Nope Davey literally did it to himself. He took 50k while Tony was asleep. I have 0 sympathy for him. He knows exactly what he was doing and he thought he could get off easy because his kid was friends with Tony’s.

[@felphero]

At the end he was so deep in debt he had to sell his entire body to military technological corporations, where it was stored in a database for "human likeness" for machines to build androids from

[@ThatGuy-ky2yf]

Lmao

[@vincentcrowley5196]

Even after Davey has lost his store and is going to leave New Jersey to go to work on a ranch out west he says they have planes to Vegas regularly . So clearly he didn't seem to learn anything. There's no helping him , if it wasn't Tony benefitting from him it would be someone else , or he'd owe credit cards , bank loans , whatever else.

[@magnanimousj]

Tony's not innocent. But Davey took just as much advantage of Tony as Tony did of him. He acted shocked when Tony came to collect on the debt. I think he believed that since they were childhood friends, Tony would let it slide. Part of the disease of addiction is that addicts will do ANYTHING, say anything, screw over anyone in their lives, to enable the addiction. Besides, would Davey's story have ended any differently if he had run up that debt on credit cards or bank loans? The worst a mobster can do is kill you. A bank will hunt down that debt for generations.

[@chris.fyourman2648]

sub-plots like this are used ( I think ) to remind us of these peoples true nature. During a series we can get too close to them and even relate to them on some levels. This serves to remind us they are very different to the rest of us.

[@LesterBrunt]

You missed the part where Tony has a grin of sheer pleasure as he beats up Davey. You can see he really enjoys hurting Davey.

[@souldreamer9056]

I don’t gamble, but I’ve spend the last month trying to understand gambling addiction and the minds of addicts. I now understand how little control they have. Tony too knew. He knew what he was doing and what would happen to David, Eric and Christine when he let David into the game. This episode showed how little regard he had for those he called friends. Gamblers should face their consequences, but at the same time, friends of gamblers should not let them dig their own graves, especially while profiting from it. Had Tony been a friend, he would have placed David in a rehabilitation program, not a high stakes executive game.

[@aleNoyz91]

Tony said no multiple times...scatino is a dumb.

[@allenrubinstein3696]

@@aleNoyz91 Still would have been possible for Tony to turn him away in the room in the moment, but he chose otherwise. Think of what Tony doesn't say: "You have a compulsive gambling problem, and you need to get help before you destroy everything you've built in your life and alienate everyone you love. What are you avoiding in yourself by engaging in this behavior?" Davey was hooked and just fobbing him off with "This is too high stakes a game" would make him fight harder to get in on the action. That description isn't a discouragement, it's a lure. It's in Tony's job description to know how to keep a desparate fish on the line.

[@CollaredConsulting]

“Ya know Tone how much money is in that rehab game? Madone 🫨” - Silvio

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

@@allenrubinstein3696Tony did fall asleep and was genuinely surprised the guy had run up a $45,000 line of credit before he woke up and cut him off. Now that said the arc is a bit weird. The guy’s total debt to Richie and Tony is $52,000. The car alone, even assuming Tony is not going to give a fair value for it, would be enough to knock 10% or more off the debt. His house looks at least as nice as Tony’s house so a second mortgage or home equity loan from a bank with a manageable interest rate would have easily paid off Tony and Richie. Surely some time in the apparent weeks it took to ruin the business he would have thought of this.

[@allenrubinstein3696]

@@donkeysaurusrex7881 Assuming he hadn't already stretched those assets to their limit with prior losses.

[@elliotleboeuf9268]

The way you punctuated it with the coffee machine really was beast AF! 😂😂😂

[@scottrubright850]

Tony also resents that Davey seems to be a respectable businessman in the community but yet he's a gambling addict.

[@businesssecretsofthepharao8901]

Great Vid as ever and good effort, but nah fuck this dude.

[@Flegpuppy-pi8yf]

In the real world, there are plenty of individuals who are really good at borrowing money but are really bad at returning them on time, returning the whole amount, or returning them at all. So in this fictional world of the Sopranos, witnessing one of those bad barrowers getting what they deserve by the hands of the wise guys, is satisfying especially considering the fact that the paths of most people do not cross with the real life wise guys but do cross with the bad barrowers a lot

[@sole__doubt]

Its not his sons car, he paid for it and allows the son to use it.

[@oddguys178]

I think the real reason Tony was mad that he borrowed an extra 10k was because he thought he could squeeze around 30k from him, so adding 10k increases the risk and makes things more difficult

[@DaSlotho]

1:30 wait WHAT ???

[@ajbianchi85]

Honestly I don’t think Tony preemptively planned on busting out Davey, it just kinda fell into his lap. Tony gave Davey outs and I believe the warning was sincere but once Tony was owed money it was over for the T-1000. Alternatively Tony doesn’t bust out Artie when he owes Tony but he does make Artie’s life arguably worse

[@Exar_Kun]

The irs would’ve done WAAAYYY worse to Davey.

[@tedwojtasik8781]

I hate the mob & organized crime, but let us not make this out to be something it is not. If you do not actively associate with these people they will never touch your life, plain and simple. Mobsters don't go after those not involved in the life as it would bring way too much attention, and require way too much effort. The beauty in the mob is that people always come to them, always. There are no innocents.

[@erniericardo8140]

So true.

[@Gator159]

Lol. I did not know that was Robert Patrick, it's amazing what 10 years will do to a guy.

[@DemeterTelphousia-Erinyes]

Tony is a kind of Iago figure; he looks for a weakness and works on it until it destroys the victim.

[@B.tt.ne_A]

I like that you take a different view on this topic especially when people think Tony is blameless. However I don't personally think Tony baited him - in my opinion Tony earnestly tried to keep him away in the beginning and only changed his mind when he saw him for the gambling addict he really was. Still great video.

[@TheWhippingPost]

The strongest argument here is the 35 to 45 boxes of ziti. Tony knew about him going 35 large into debt and was only surprised by the additional ten because it was overkill. The bust out is going to make whatever it makes, no matter how in debt T1000 is. I'll also add that Sal is a ringer in the game. He pretends to be frustrated by the cheese and all, but it's an act. The doctor and Frank jr know this but put up with it because they get to eat away at the fresh meat too. Those two enjoy being adjacent to the mob and getting to play along in the swindling is part of that

[@iluvj50]

I think Tony would have been equally fine with him walking away versus talking his way into the game.

[@bryan3487]

Davey was not a victim of anyone but himself. He knew better than to mess with tony and his money but could not stop himself. Tony was even ok about the fact that he lied to chris about tony saying he could get the money. That alone could have got him killed, but davey insisted on ruining his life

[@joseyeastwood]

Meadow always with the dramaaaaaaaaaa

[@markoutwithmark]

My main exoneration for Tony in this case is the fact that when he finds out that Davey has gotten more boxes of ziti without permission, Tony is pissed, not happy.

[@Ms.Yana83]

I've seen the Sopranos a million times and have always looked at what happened to Davey as his fault. But watching that scene again where Tony is talking to Davey and he starts to cry I look at it a little differently now. He is to blame for being a degenerate gambler but he was also a mark for Tony that did seem to have a plan from the beginning to take advantage of his gambling addiction. Davey is 80% and Tony is 20% at fault. It used to be Davey 100% for me so your video changed my views slightly lol

[@JohnMoog-ug6bk]

Nah, Davey is a victim of a terrible addiction but not of Tony. Today especially he’d just as easily destroy his family through legal gambling (widespread sponsor on KZbin incidentally) & predatory lending in place of traditional shy.

[@hasancasperlabuschagne7579]

In my opinion, the fact that Davey had a function and even thriving business at one point, proves that he is capable of getting a grip over his compulsive desire to gamble, and yet he let go and went down a dark path. He's equally liable in his own destruction. He pissed away his kids' inheritance.

[@ricardotorres1527]

awesome video per usual keep it up

[@littlecozettescrew6818]

Tony begged him not to play multiple times ! Tony wanted nothing to do Davey, business wise. Totally Davey’s fault. At some point you have to take accountability for your actions. And there’s only so many times you can poke the bear (Davey begging to be let in the game), before Tony said ok.

[@Deyv1d]

My step-father is a gambling addict , a full-blown degenerate gambler that won't stop for nothing. A similiral thing happened to him a couple of years ago . Apparently, he took money from 5 different people, and in the course of 3 nights, he blew about 5 thousand on slots , poker, and god knows what other gambling games. After about a month of him dodging the people he owed money to got together and waited for him infront of a bar on a Saturday, they fractured his skull broke a rib and did something to his left shoulder , I never felt sorry for him even though I did help him a lot after it. Help is out there , you just have to go get it.

[@EndoftheTownProductions]

Exactly, Tony knew exactly what he was doing baiting Davey and then trapping him in the executive game where Sil played him, making sure that he stayed all night. Tony saw weakness and took advantage of him.

[@joez203]

I disagree with the video's premise. You can talk all you want about how Tony "baited" Scatino into the game. I don't buy it, but let's assume that's true. The fact remains Tony told him FOUR times not to play. Moreover, Davey didn't have to play. He could have walked away at any time. Ask yourself a question: Would YOU have risked your entire net worth and then some to play in a poker game with a bunch of seedy criminals? Especially after a mob boss told you multiple times "don't play"? Absolutely not. As for the fallout from Davey Scatino's very unwise decision to get in the game, let's review: 1. Davey gambled away his son's car and college fund. So, his son probably hates him. 2. His wife divorced him. Can't say I blame her. 3. He lost his business. 4. He declared bankruptcy. 5. Winds up in a mental institution. To sum it all up, he LITERALLY ruined his life over a card game. Bad move, Davey.

[@landrec2]

A true degenerate gambler, his son will never forget that moment he flippantly sold his car. Sopranos really flushed-out the tragedy of addictions - all the lies, selfishness, shame, harm to others. I mean, the Sopranos did an excellent job portraying addictions and mental health problems way before it was fashionable. With Davey's story it goes so much further than that... They show it from a criminal's or a sociopathic predator's view- "This person is weak and I will exploit their weakness to take everything from them, use them, exploit them, make sure they never get better." Its very scary to me that predators like Tony or anybody else -exist, and see this as business-as-usual, they can fake empathy, but have zero remorse or guilt about their actions.

[@ahammer607]

Cement your analysis by reviewing Tony’s comments about Dave’s to Dr. Melfi. Tony called him the Happy Wanderer and admitted to ruining him out of spite.

[@bupkis1445]

I understand that Tony was dangling the carrot in front of Davey. Which is evil in of itself, to prey on a vulnerable persons problems. But we all know Tony to be an evil, manipulative, psychopath. So it would be wasted breathe on Tony. Davey knew exactly what Tony was about, he knew the how he made a living. Davey knew he had a gambling problem. He was going to Gamblers anonymous, so he knew for a fact that gambling and him do not mix at all So anyone that knows they, for a fact, have a problem, like drinking or gambling or drugs. Should actively avoid ANYTHING that could bring that problem back. Tl;Dr I have sympathy for the guy, to an extent, but he is culpable in his own issues. And Tony is a scumbag, but we all knew that already

[@Steve-lb2gm]

Everybody who comes within Tony's orbit ends up wrecked. Just like Donald Trump.

[@eaglewinnings8003]

I’m an addict in my 30s. 10-12 years people didn’t know much about addiction. They considered it a choice, not a disease. Fortunately for me I was a successful bookie which paid for my massive gambling debts. I used to visit those happy ending massage places multiple times a week, I became a Roxy contin addict and eventually I became an IV heroin addict. My friend who got me into heroin was my best friend since 2003. He died in 2017 due to ODing after getting out of prison and I haven’t once mourned him. I got lucky to not end up like Davey or my friend. Ironically enough I turned my gambling into a positive and became a winning sports bettor. It’s not nearly as fun as betting every game on the board and there’s plenty of jobs I could do that would have me working half as much but I still love it. It makes me feel alive. Again, I’m one of the lucky ones. 99% of people aren’t that lucky. I’m glad people are taking addiction more seriously.

[@TS-qr3rk]

yea a disease that you give to yourself...on purpose

[@osr29]

Thanks for sharing. I´m happy you landed on your feet and came out of it stronger.

[@eaglewinnings8003]

@@osr29thanks, but I’m very lucky. My dad died of addiction 6 years ago at only 58. He had received a liver transplant and drank on it, stopped for 7 months and unexpectedly one day within a few hours he was on live support and never came to. I laid out everything I’ve been through because I want people to understand that addiction isn’t a choice. No one wakes up one day and says, “let me spend $30 on these pills that are known to increase tolerance very quickly guaranteeing I’ll be spending about $240-$300 a day within 3 months to get a high. Then I’ll go broke start shooting heroin into my arms. People treat addicts like they’re subhuman. In the US, every hour the same amount of people die from OD as how many people died when BOTH towers went down. But no one talks about the drug addicts dying because “they made a choice”. Yes, addicts choose to spend all their money, ruin all their relationships, go bankrupt and eventually overdose…..Because all of that sounds like such a blast. If you know an opiate addict that wants to quit, google methadone clinics. It saved my life and it’s saved the lives of many heroin and pain pill addicts I know. Thank you for having the care to respond and I hope you have an amazing day.

[@chrismemphis8062]

I've seen many like you, drugs, booze, gambling. As long as the government gets their share from you it's a perfectly fine....

[@eaglewinnings8003]

@@chrismemphis8062 yes; I remember one time going to the hospital dehydrated from withdrawing for a full day and I thought I just had food poisoning. The paramedic couldn’t find a way because I was so dehydrated so he asks me, “hey, since you’re such a pro, do you want to find a vein and inject yourself so we can setup the IV?”. Turns around and smiles at the female paramedic that was with him. At the hospital, no one made one mention about the methadone clinic. Why? Because hospitals want me to keep coming back with withdrawals, give me some. crap that gives me close to no relief at all instead of helping me find a long term solution to the problem like methadone.

[@mrDamonCDS]

Fact: Davey is pathetic. Davey is the one with the problem and the one who ultimately has to get the help to stop gambling (easier said than done, I know). However, I agree, Tony IS NOT innocent by a long shot. The fact Tony warned Davey a couple of times is his justification in his mind to put the hook in Davey. Tony is a gangster after all and gangsters will exploit any and everybody as he admits, “its in my nature.” I really like your comparison of Davey and Bubbles. The differences in how each of their stories are told does make you feel more sympathetic toward Bubbs than Davey. I had empathy for Davey, but I gotta admit, when he sold his son’s car and spent his son’s college fund, I was irritated with him not sympathetic. Great analysis.

[@93_Gato]

Tony played Davey AND it’s Davey’s fault. Both statements are true. Just because he’s a gambling addict that doesn’t excuse the choices he made as an adult with a business and a family. There’s always someone preying upon you. If you make deliberate decisions to lie in the dirt with them, it’s your own fault when you’re bitten. Davey knew the rules of the game he was playing. He knew the people he was playing with. He knew the risk of getting into debt with these people. He still played. How can you have sympathy for that? I understand sympathy for his family, they are victims of Davey. But sympathy for Davey, no.

[@novat9731]

I don't get the impression that Davey HAD to gamble in order to square his debt with Richie. I get the impression that the debt was modest, and that Richies reaction to receiving a light envelope was reflective of that. Davey isn't telling Richie he can't have his 100 000. Hes telling Richie he can't have his 10 000. And Richie is not a beginner in the loan shark business, he knows how to keep a guy borrowing and repaying at the correct pace. In fact, i have seen many comment on how amicable Richie is in the scene with Davey where he tells him he is banned from his poker table until he is 'caught up'. Richie doesn't even want the full amount before fronting him more gambling debt, he merely wants Davey to catch up with where he is supposed to be. He could have stopped at any time. Tended to his business. Paid back Richie. And continued on with his life. But he didn't.

[@cameronwilliams9845]

Tony said that bleeding guys like Davie was his “bread and butter”, “that’s how I make a living”. It was still on Davie. He fell for the con and he paid for his actions. End of subject.

[@roscoedash6673]

I don’t think Tony and Davey were really childhood friends. They went to school together and knew each other, but that doesn’t mean they were good friends. We never hear of Davey or see him around until his gambling issues arise. This tells me they were more like acquaintances.

[@BuxarooBanzai]

Love your channel, keep it up. But although Tony is despicable, Davey was a weakling. As soon as he saw the "famous" people in the game, his wannabe tendencies kicked in, as evidenced by his comment to Sinatra about "got a lot of new ideas", as if he was going to get "connections" or something because he was a pretender/wannabee in a "big" game. He was a wannabee and I despise wannabees even more than the predators. Predators are obvious (not to mention all of the warnings Tony gave him which any sane person would have listened to), but Davey thought just because he runs a relatively successful sports goods store (lol) he was smart enough or good enough to handle a big game. Like gangsta wannabees, he's just a failure waiting to happen. His first thought should have been his family and business, not trying to be a wannabee big shot. Too bad his family had to suffer because of his weakness.

[@lindsaymcdade310]

Didn't Davy and Arty pick on Tony in high school when they played football? I'm sure Tony mentions something about that. playing the revenge long game. lol

[@Max-nt5zs]

The logical roller coaster ride people take to justify the existence of a disgusting animal like Tony Soprano boggles my mind. How can you be so dense to miss that the show is about how a guy like Tony is evil! It’s crazy.