Who Was Worse? Ralph Cifaretto or Richie Aprile? - Soprano Theories

#TheSopranos #RichieAprile #RalphCifaretto
There's no question that mobsters are not good people. Between the extortion, murders, lying, cheating, and the evilness that lies within a made member of La Cosa Nostra. But throughout The Sopranos, there seemed to be no two individuals who aggravated us more and proved to us just how evil they could be than Richie Aprile and Ralph Cifaretto. But when we look back at their short lived careers as members of the DiMeo crime family, who was worse? Ralph Cifaretto or Richie Aprile? Paralyzing a longtime friend, or beating a stripper to death while carrying an unborn baby, or even burning a horse alive to collect insurance money? There's no limit to what these mobsters will do to satisfy their own needs...
Comment down below your thoughts about who you think was the more evil mobster was? Richie Aprile or Ralph Cifaretto? Let me know down below! 👇🏻
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[@iAintSayDat]

At least Ralph was an earner. Richie was insubordinate and needlessly violent at almost any opportunity.

[@jamesmorant1406]

Your right Ralph brought more to the table than Richie

[@jfrsnjhnsn]

Being an "earner' on that show was more of a plot device than a real character trait. The writers never had to demonstrate how Ralph was an earner. It was just something they'd say about a difficult character to give Tony a reason not to just get rid of them.

[@iAintSayDat]

@@jfrsnjhnsn These guys were all thugs. Moral character evaluations are all shaky. Ralph killing his pregnant girlfriend is the worst thing we know someone on the show did but Richie was only marginally a better person, worst financially and worst as a member of the crime family.

[@phily8716]

​@@jfrsnjhnsnRalph was running the Esplanade and is shown as smart with numbers. Richie had nowhere near the earning power and was dumb af

[@sir_fapalot]

​@@jfrsnjhnsnlol what do you mean, they showed Ralph doing HUD scams or Vito working construction (ok maybe not actually working) many times

[@DaveLeperre]

Richie was by far the most generous of the mobsters. After all, he did offer to build a ramp up to Paulie’s ass.

[@samspetifore9875]

He’ll put a Lionel up in there. Very generous indeed.

[@fleadoggreen9062]

Lol that’s fricken funny 😄

[@bakashinji]

My estimation of Richie as a man just skyrocketed

[@CrazyCliffClips]

Lol

[@pdog109]

Lets not forget, he also gave Tony a jacket he got off Rocco DiMeo

[@ict113090]

Ralphie is a guy you can work with and just ignore on your own time. Richie’s the type of guy you could unknowingly piss off and sign your death warrant just by looking at him wrong

[@pIayingwithmahwii]

Yeah for real. Apparently this is a big problem in prison, you have to be very careful about how, if, and when you look at people in the can, cause there are a lot of guys in there who will go off on their own crazy interpretations of what a look means and will start plotting your death over it

[@vincentfisher1603]

Richie had to go. Ralphie could be controlled.

[@liammcooper]

yea, ralphie got away with murdering hookers and being a shittalking scumbbag because he was a top earner and dependable; richie got away with shit without being an earner because he was a fuckin psychopath. Also Ralph was hilarious. edit: wow, it's interesting seeing a lot of people saying ralph was clearly the shittier person, which is surprising as I thought richie being an all-time scary madone was widely-accepted

[@jamiepasquariello2652]

Not if you're made. Than you'd fuck Richie up. I know I would

[@jfrsnjhnsn]

Sure, but Ralphie was also the kind of guy who might show up to an after-work function coked up and hit you or your friend in the face with a padlock on a chain, and then murder another friend in the parking lot.

[@hb2862]

What Richie did to Beansie was horrible, but Beansie got the last laugh. Beansie learned how to live in his wheelchair and had a disabled accessible nice house. You saw him smile again after rehab. He had a good woman who stayed with and supported him. Richie had no home. Richie ended up still mean and miserable with Janice, who ended up murdering him.

[@mg9138]

How is it murder if you shoot someone after they hit you? That's fair.

[@raychapman1134]

​2

[@monkeyface6139]

Plus he had a ramp.

[@thelizardkingdc]

@@mg9138 I think murder applies here in a non-legal sense because she killed him violently.

[@craighembree3101]

Richie ended up on a hill, overlooking a little river, with pine cones all around.

[@dreiraven3rvn457]

Who was worse? As a person? Ralph, no question. As a mob subordinate? Richie. Both were loose cannons, unable to control their emotions and caused trouble in the process. However, Ralph has 2 points in his favor 1) Ralph was a good earner and , in his time as Capo whipped the Aprile crew into shape and 2) for all his faults, Ralph never tried to usurp Tony's position. Was he insubordinate? Yes. Did he put feelers out to try to switch his allegiance to NY? Yes, however looking at the Mafia code, after Tony struck him, ralph had a 'legitimate' beef. Ralph had considerable flaws as a leader, he could never have been Boss. Yet he was a great earner, without having to resort to Narcotics like Richie. A subordinate who can succeed in their assigned function while simultaneously not being a threat to the Boss is a wonderful thing to have. Ralph was 'manageable', with the right level of supervision he was a strong asset for the family. Looking at it from the mindset of a Mafia Boss, if one has to pick from 2 loose cannons, the preferrable option would be the one who is a great earner and not actively trying to instigate a mutiny.

[@mantellim5489]

Great analysis. 100% I agree

[@lmnoph]

Ralph did briefly bring up killing tony but it was quickly shot down. But still, I agree

[@sterlingarcher74]

Did Ralph want to be boss? He was making the most money out of any of the Captains and probably almost as much as Tony himself from his construction business.

[@d33763]

​@@lmnoph He neither had sufficient foresight nor was cunning enough to challenge Tony. Over the course of the show he showed disrespect towards Gigi, antagonized Paulie, pissed off Tony, and burned his bridge with Johnny Sacks. Power struggle is all about allies and leverage. And allies he had very few.

[@lmnoph]

@@d33763 very true. He would have quickly been killed.

[@GoodKevin111]

Rich was just ruthless for his own goals, while Ralph just for fun.

[@fadeblac5633]

Then I say Ralph because he killed and hurt people For fun.

[@_zigger_]

Richies goals were shit and he was barely earning, while Ralphie was earning with three hands

[@FistfulOfGabagool]

@@fadeblac5633 is it his fault she was a klutz?

[@ryansmurda1552]

💯 Well said.

[@freebee8221]

Ralphie however is NOT to blame for the jackie robbing the card game like this video said. I think ralphie had a good side to him. He didn't wanna loan artie the money coz he couldnt hurt him if he didn't pay. I think richie was a straight up psycho.

[@redrave404]

Ralph had a sadistic streak. Richie was violent, but there was a logic to it (as flawed as it was). Ralph legitimately enjoyed hurting people, or seeing them get hurt (remember Sil retrieving one of his girls from Ralph's).

[@William-the-Guy]

I think Richie enjoyed it. Look at his face when he runs over Beansie. He was having a great time. I think almost ALL these characters enjoyed hurting people or seeing them hurt. They were in the mafia, and most of them were murderers.

[@moonie1825]

​@@William-the-Guyi think the point they were trying to make is richie enjoys it when its to someone who he thinks fucks him over while ralph just liked seeing people in pain in general.

[@bittmanbobby]

They all enjoyed it, they are sociopaths

[@leonc9760]

Ralph’s face when he’s sat in the car when his guys beat up the dude in his driveway says it all, he enjoys seeing people get hurt or hurting them himself BUT he is capable of expressing emotion other than rage and violence (as seen with his kid) unlike Ritchie who just explodes on everyone and his default setting seems to be psychotic

[@completesentences2125]

The part that always sticks with me (more so than Tracy’s murder, surprisingly) is while Tracy is getting dragged outta Ralphie’s apartment by the hair and getting slapped around by Sil, Ralphie is watching out the window, laughing. She was the mother of his unborn child, she loved him deeply and was desperate for Ralphie to give her security…and he thought it was hilarious seeing her get beat up by another man. That’s some seriously dark shit.

[@marcrodriguez6216]

Richie didn’t do anything wrong he just wasn’t in the mood

[@tonycrown5155]

Bam bam 🔫

[@smellsuperb1]

😂😂😂

[@KOVIDGOON]

Guy did a dime in the can🤷🏾‍♂️

[@Alexander.alhaidairy]

Ralphie is the devil himself Janice is way worse than Tony and Richie

[@GenericProtagonist7]

Ol' Richie's got two moods; 1.) The mood to punch women 2.) The mood to get shot in the chest Richie was in no mood to be shot in the chest by Janice after punching her, it was appalling, she didn't even ask for consent!

[@joemiller7028]

I have been watching TV for 50 years. Can we just conclude The Sopranos was the best series ever made.

[@joshuafult84]

That's been concluded already 10+ years ago where the hell have you been lmao

[@HandsomeBastard]

I think South Park and The Simpsons fans would disagree with you on this. I just realised that all three start with "S". Spooky 😱

[@keithharper1470]

Gotta give Ralph this, when Artie was getting scammed and he went to Ralph for the money and Ralph knowing it's a scam turns him down Ralph: I'm going to pass Artie: Why Ralph: Because when you're not able to pay me back, I can't hurt you That said a lot about Richie,Ralph and Benny Fazio "Criminal Mastermind" that Ralph of all people knew the line on who to not do business with.

[@grbbbc]

Ralph killing the pole dancer made him the most despicable character ever.

[@morrisvalentneflatlander4784]

His action cost Sil 3 grand. Disgusting.

[@kainlives7958]

Not even close

[@66kaisersoza]

He didn't kill. She slipped

[@GaryJ-nt4ov]

@@66kaisersozaand in all honesty, was a hooah

[@nastyboir822]

As bad as Ralphie was, I think he did show remorse at times. You could tell that the hit on Jackie Jr. really did hurt him deep down and he had a son who he cared deeply for. Richie never showed any kind of love to anybody. He was cold and mean from beginning to end.

[@Vion646]

All of Ralph's remorse went out the window after he beat the woman pregnant with his child to death

[@BIGGIANTSGUY]

@@Vion646 It wasn't Ralph's child. As we saw with Janice, Ralph had "strange" sexual kinks (and never actually pleased her in the traditional way, which caused her to dump him.) Not defending what Ralph did, but he was right about that

[@thaphilosopher2012]

@@BIGGIANTSGUY that does not mean he did not get that stripper pregnant

[@topiciobanu]

@@Vion646she was an actual prostitute, who cares

[@sophiawilson8696]

Richie was piss that Janice apply his son was gay. Janice told him, so what IF HE WAS!. That punch was worse holy cow! Police!

[@chrisredfield6274]

Ralph had a semblance of a good person somewhere inside of him. He also had a good sense of humor. Richie was literally just a violent psycho that never showed any sort of joy, and he just wanted to have Tony clipped.

[@morrisvalentneflatlander4784]

The difference between Ralph and Richie is easy. Richie threatened to send Sean and Matt to slip and fall school. Ralph actually sent Tracee to slip and fall school. That about sums it up.

[@gregaroivanalininovich9019]

In Raphie's defense A) she was a hooa, B) she hit him.

[@markf.9396]

And C) that wasn’t his kid she was carrying

[@olofacosta3192]

​@@markf.9396D) fucking Miami. Coke all over that place

[@tcbgarage2845]

@@markf.9396 all together that's a couple of three things

[@AR-hw9zi]

@@tcbgarage2845in the end, they clapped him in irons

[@jfrsnjhnsn]

I love this question. Ralph was worse. Ritchie had learned terrible habits in prison, but he could set them aside. I think there were even signs that he wanted to change. Ralph was just a lunatic who blamed everyone but himself for his own actions.

[@dirklerxstpratt2112]

*Richie

[@Gruwg2024]

@@dirklerxstpratt2112cool like we don’t know that’s what he meant

[@DirtyDarnell69]

You killed my horse

[@keithharper1470]

I still believe Tony was giving Jackie Jr a pass but it couldn't come from him he wanted Ralph to do it and he would back Ralph. Giving the order to kill your gf's kid and making his cousin do it was plain wicked.

[@whyshouldwecare3267]

*Ricky

[@Buford_T_Justice1]

Richie and Ralph had another thing in common. They were both wizards. Let me explain. Richie turned Beansie into a shopping cart. Ralph made a sex toy disappear. Philly was also a wizard. He turned himself into a house. But that’s another story.

[@woodside4life]

@nero48 I heard 20 years but that’s just me.

[@johansmallberries9874]

Hey Vito got turned into a pool table, I heard they found a 3 ball in his side pocket

[@michaelbanes3833]

​@@johansmallberries9874ooooh thanks for that image

[@hexagonshorts2186]

@nero48 you should consult the shah of Iran.

[@jacksmith3148]

All those satanic black magic users are fuckin queeahs (🪑)... whatever happened there

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

Ralphy was my favorite character in the entire series after Johnny Sack. What, its Ralphy's fault she's a klutz??

[@joshflynn2173]

richie was great. My favourite character too

[@darknes2742]

He was wise too, did you know they didn't have flat tops in ancient Rome?

[@morrisvalentneflatlander4784]

Speaking of Johnny Sack Ginny Sack is having a 90 pound mole removed from her a--

[@joevlam1055]

​@@darknes2742I say that way too often in situations that absolutely do not call for it

[@user-le9ww1cj7p]

I loved the Ralphamale

[@LKaramazov]

How is Richie trying to shake down scatino? Scatino asked for a loan and Richie very courteously gave it to him. it was a card game. I don’t see a shake down.

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

I agree. Now taxation by government is far more extortion than what Richie did for Davey. He even asked him several times "are you sure" and Davey jumped in head first. Davey was a total low life.

[@NoName-cz3wn]

​@flightofthebumblebee9529 Taxation is extortion? By that logic, any law that could lead to financial penalties is extortion. Libertarian? Enjoy your theoretical Utopia where no one pays taxes, but we all build roads out of our own pockets, have totally fair arbiters to decide property rights, and community-based councils prevent the country from devolving into Feudal Warfare. In the end, the richest will still have everything, and you won't have any public services. I hate how they spend our tax dollars too. The issue isn't taxes, it's the people we vote for.

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

@@NoName-cz3wn if voting made any difference whatsoever they wouldn't allow us to do it. Then when it finally does work they simply cheat and lie anyways

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

@@NoName-cz3wn I didn't say no taxes but today's taxes are paying for wars and problems most of us never saw and had no part in creating

[@jurgengosch3915]

​@@flightofthebumblebee9529tAxAtiOn iS tHeFt!!1 🤡

[@andrejvidovic1]

Ralph was involved in literally twice as many episodes and had a serious drug problem which definitely clouded his judgement in some of the situations mentioned, while Richie was as sober as a judge in all his malevolence and cruelty.... The fact that Richie is even compared to Ralph just shows how evil Richie was in his short time at the show. Richie was more evil, hands down, IMO.

[@1ButtonDash]

it's too bad they didn't overlap and we got a few episodes with both of them interacting, that coulda been pretty sweet

[@thedog8995]

That would have been interesting to say the least

[@jfrsnjhnsn]

omg what if they teamed up...

[@fluffylittlebear]

@@jfrsnjhnsn Never would have happened. Richie would have despised Ralphie and probably ended up killing him himself.

[@olofacosta3192]

​@@fluffylittlebearlol true

[@olofacosta3192]

​@@fluffylittlebearI bet Ralphie would make fun of Richie's height and would get attacked over ir

[@RedefineOurPrime]

Ralph was worse as a person whereas Richie was worse for Tony directly. Richie posed a threat to Tony’s leadership and wanted to overthrow him. Ralph may have said he wanted to to Johny Sack or his friends, but he was truly not interested in overthrowing Tony or becoming boss. I’d say Ralph is worse overall and Richie is worse for Tony while Ralph is a pounding headache for him.

[@johnrose1641]

As volatile as both Richie and Ralphie were, both of them lacked support in their opposition to Tony. In that sense, Feech was actually every bit as much of a threat since he was, as Silvio said, “well-liked,” whereas these two were almost universally-despised among the family. Luckily, by the point Feech was becoming an issue, Tony had learned such matters need nipped in the bud and he did so through more unconventional means.

[@sophiawilson8696]

There an argument if Feech was after his job many people think no he wasn't.

[@paul-dq6lk]

Feech was well liked but his run ins with casper gomez and the Diaz brothers cost him dearly

[@xthewated]

Richie’s psychosis genuinely got in the way of him being a functional human being. Ralph can also least function properly in society.

[@melvert33]

Ha, yes he can function properly in society....cue Ralph entering the Bing coked up to his eyeballs screaming Gladiator quotes and hitting Georgie with a stick before blinding him in one eye with a swinging chain!

[@dylanwesley3964]

​@@melvert33yeah but richie was sober pulling all his shit haha.

[@ericlehman53]

Functioning properly in society is the antithesis of mafia fugures.

[@brettmitchell1777]

Ralph had a sense of humour and acted within his own set of rules. Ritchie had no redeeming features

[@markf.9396]

Agreed. They were both monsters, but Ralph was a charming and likable monster. Richie was just as brutal, but with absolutely none of the charisma. He was definitely more intimidating than Ralph though due to the fact that literally anything could make the guy beat you to death. With Ralph, (when he was in a good mood anyway) he seemed like a genuinely fun guy to be around.

[@brettmitchell1777]

@@markf.9396 The prank phone call alone shows Ralphie knows how to have a laugh.

[@markf.9396]

@@brettmitchell1777 That scene will forever be in my Top 5 funniest scenes ever. And really, in most scenes he’s in where he’s in a good mood he seems fun. He was basically like a cool stepdad to Jackie Jr. while he was dating his mom. A cool stepdad that casually gives you a pistol with the serial numbers filed off and makes you an accessory to assault lmao

[@brucetucker4847]

@@brettmitchell1777 "A gerbil, ma'am." I was rolling on the floor at that point.

[@kainlives7958]

Their both sick monsters, but Ralph genuinely loved and cared about his kids. Ritchie had no redeeming qualities at all. Ralph is near-pure evil but Ritchie is pure evil 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@hannibalbarca7902]

Richie was a psychopath but he had something about him that was badass... Ralphie was despicable throughout his storyline but strangely we got a mini redemption arc through the "son in hospital" incident. I just wish Richie had gotten more screentime.

[@alexmuenster2102]

>>a mini redemption arc through the "son in hospital" incident

[@melvert33]

He did beat a woman to death for insulting him and also killed her unborn child, hard to have any redemption after that!

[@fluffylittlebear]

@@melvert33 Yeah but she had it coming.

[@AA-cf4es]

​@@fluffylittlebearok incel. Go off yourself ❤

[@earlpipe9713]

Nah, Richie only attacked those he viewed as too weak to pose a threat to him, and on top of that, only hurt the family with his insecurities and instability, while not even being able to even partially make up for his disruption to the family by earning well. He was a net negative in every way

[@tonyclifton2230]

Richie was more generous. He gave away leather jackets. Ralphy never gave anyone a jacket.

[@ststst981]

Ralph is worse because he was a good earner. He truly showed the "rules" and "honor" of the family didn't actually matter and only money matters at the end

[@eagleman1542]

Yet again, it needs to be pointed out that neither Ralph nor Richie had the makings of varsity athletes.

[@maxjulien2647]

What are you tawkin about? Ralphie smoked vito in a game of 1v1 bball

[@eagleman1542]

@@maxjulien2647 You got me there, Max; well stated and duly noted.

[@jerriotglencamp7562]

Ralph was a serial killer yet Richie couldn't sell it.

[@MaceAhWindu]

On a moral level, Ralphie was definitely the worst. He had a nasty streak that very few characters in the show could match. But as a mobster, Richie was the bigger threat to Tony. There were times when Ralphie challenged Tony’s authority but I don’t think there was ever a moment where Ralphie seriously considered trying to supplant Tony’s rule. He was a good earner and he seemed content with just being a captain. Had he and Tony been on good terms I could see him making it to the end of the show and even behind. Richie was actively trying to move against him.

[@ericlehman53]

And he was an Aprile, the family who had the reins before Tony.

[@STONESGAM]

Ralph was more unstable and the coke use made it way worse. Ritchie had a huge chip on his shoulder after doing 10 years and was just a hardened criminal. He had a hard time taking orders from Tony...still thinking of him as his younger brothers little buddy. What he did to Beansie was really terrible though. He had no issues with threatening non made guys even if they were close to Tony and involved in OC(Christopher in season 2, Beansie) . Quite honestly they were both pretty bad but I think Ralph was slightly worse overall. I think he was smarter than Ritchie though and also at times would have been a lot more fun to hang out with as a fellow mob guy than Ritchie who had no humor whatsoever and was totally out of touch with the rest of the guys. Ralph at least most of the guys had some good times and laughs with. He knew the rules well though and most of his terrible deeds as bad as they were didn't break any mafia rules. He also was a huge earner. I know none of this has much to do with what kind of person they were but Ralph was a lot more valuable to the family and as Sylvio put it "there wasn't anything to be gained by keeping Ritchie around".

[@Lady_Boo]

Good points!

[@dirklerxstpratt2112]

Well said, but it's *Richie and *Silvio.

[@Lady_Boo]

@dirklerxstpratt2112 giggles...not Silvio. Although he did seem a little psycho at the soccer match😗oh, and when he did the garrotte thing. Whatever happened there.

[@STONESGAM]

@@dirklerxstpratt2112 Thanks Professor. I didn't realize KZbin comments were being so closely graded for spelling and grammar. I will make sure to proofread more closely next time.

[@LDis1]

I agree with this in my view. Ralph brought in significant money for the family. Richie didn't.

[@pikkon899]

Ralph could earn you millions and can be ignored on your own accord where as Richie was a ticking time bomb who had no respect for anyone - not even the boss. You can't keep a guy like that around and expect things to go smoothly. Ralph is also far more manageable if one appreciates his earnings. Remember, he went to Sack and asked if he could work for Carmine because he felt underappreciated by Tony. If that were Richie, he'd take it out on your sister, which is what he did....

[@LKaramazov]

To me,the only thing Richie did wrong was running over beansie, but he warned beansie. To me beansie kind of had it coming. Beansie thought he was protected, but the actual protection wasn’t secured. Ralph was a piece of shite who was the worst of the worst.

[@alxra]

Well, had Janice not put an end to him, he probably would've continued to beat her. He put Tony's waste management routes at serious risk by selling narcotics on the routes. He tried to get hit sanctioned on Tony, but failed. He did plenty worse than just Beansie.

[@LKaramazov]

@@alxra Junior was ok with the narcotics so that was sanctioned, I think. Junior also sanctioned the hit if he could get Albert to join, so that was within reason as well. Punching Janice once wasn’t really a beat down like most real domestic abusers beat their wives. That was a love tap by old school standards, but Janice was this great feminist hippie and made more out of it than expected. I never said he was an angel, but compared to Ralph, most of his things were normal in that world.

[@Mike37551]

Beansie forgot that level of protection is directly related to how much he kicks up. His protection dried up as soon as he got of the heroin business. It’s like taking on a pack of dogs to help you hunt, then deciding to stop feeding them once you have you have enough meat in the freezer. Eventually you’re going to wind up on the menu 😂😂😂

[@LKaramazov]

@@Mike37551 he must have lost his mind when he told a made guy he wasn’t rolling over. That was nuts.

[@keithharper1470]

​@Mike37551 Watch the convo Tony and Richie have about Beansie. Beansie had Tony's protection because his pizza joints were a pure cash business easy to launder money. Richie just didn't care he wanted money from Beansie because Beansie got out of dealing H and invested his money and Tony had a piece of the business.

[@elchupacabra8669]

Ralph was the reason why season 4 was one of my favorite seasons 😂😂. Especially the phone call prank lol

[@magallanesagustin4952]

"A gerbil, ma'am."

[@tonyreyes3780]

Ralph had major utility. He earned more than probably anyone else on the show. But he had a sick sadistic side. Richie could probably be one of those guys who could’ve been controlled if you just figured out how to stroke his ego. Plus Richie really didn’t hurt anyone who wasn’t “in the game”. Beanie wasn’t a made guy but he was a heroin dealer and owned multiple mob businesses, so he signed up for the possibility of rubbing shoulders with psychos like Richie. Tracy was just a dim witted 19 year old girl.

[@koseisan]

Sopranos antagonists were something else. Livia, season one Junior, Rich, Ralph, Feech, Phil. I even liked Mikey.

[@matthewthompson6033]

I always felt Ritchie was getting worse and worse and was killed off before we got to see him fully unleash in the ways Ralph actually did

[@lanemeyer9350]

Richie offered to put Matt Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte through Slip n’ Fall school which was actually very nice

[@morrisvalentneflatlander4784]

And he said let me know if there's anything you can do for me

[@Itsthatguy24]

“He wasn’t so tuff after I was trew wit him”. I love Ritchie and the jacket story 😂

[@00_00.1]

Richie was "overzealous" definitely more ruthless/tougher than the average mobster. Ralphie was pure evil and extremely intelligent, he was one of the smartest mobsters but also probably the most unhinged

[@TooLooze]

Tony buried Richie on a hill overlooking a little river, but sent Ralph to Santriale's to become gabagool.

[@hb2862]

To me Ralph was worse because he killed his own blood. His unborn child. I think what happened to his son was kinda Karma for what he did to his baby.

[@minoritygroyper8341]

It wasnt his baby he never slept with her.

[@Dead_Again1313]

It's sad, when they go young like that.

[@jameswallace5235]

@@minoritygroyper8341 That's blatantly not true. You see him taking her from behind when him and the cop are spit roasting her.

[@zxylo786]

​@@jameswallace5235Could've been anyone's kid. She was a whoah

[@jameswallace5235]

@@zxylo786 I'm not disputing that, I'm saying its a obvious lie to say Raphie never slept with her.

[@jonsweeney4347]

Richie was just Feech with manson lamps, Ralph was a genuine psycho.

[@BirdGang6]

Ralphie was incredibly charming and by the time he was killed I was actually rooting for him when it came to his kid. Richie was pure evil, and he had no intentions of changing

[@melvert33]

Which kid, the one who got seriously injured playing with a bow and arrow while under Ralph's supervision or the unborn kid he murdered after beating the mother to death?

[@therodentryresistance95]

Richie and Ralphie, whatever happened there...

[@19kilo241]

Richie you loved to hate. Ralph, you hated that you loved

[@rickyandreou]

A coked up Ralph committed arguably the most heinous single act in the entire series & he was generally a sleazy scumbag but Richie was a violent psychopath, through and through. He took pleasure in hurting people & looked for any opportunity to do so. Despite still being a terrible person, I could actually see Ralph getting by in the legitimate world, considering his business skills earned more for Tony than anyone but Richie on the other hand could never be anything other than a lowlife thug. Both awful people but Richie is definitely the guy you would least want to be around.

[@happycompy]

Agreed.

[@DixiePokerAce]

I wish we could have seen Ralph and Ritchie together in the show.

[@Sammydx1]

One thing to remember.... He couldn't sell it

[@oldschooldogy316]

When it came to being all-out scary to me Richie was easily the scariest. When it came to being trouble I think they were both problems but Ralph was worst.

[@jayciejaybee7872]

Ruchie was worse. John Sack would never invite Richie to his house. Ralph was somewhst respectable, Richie was was a psychopathic loser, Tony didnt even want Richie around his kids.

[@ratsoupchef]

Always thought Tracee's death was for shock value, Richie was on the hit list after his mutiny while Ralph got killed in Tony's fit of rage. Ralphie was definitely a scumbag but not as disruptive as Richie.

[@user-tp7mx6vc3t]

Thanks for this page.

[@simonlhill-si4sx]

Ralphie had a wig, but Richie had the Manson lamps

[@blackfox4138]

I think it all boils down to which is worse: A psychopath who's got a code or a psychopath who's effective at their job. Richie was seemingly needlessly cruel, but only when provoked and given a justification to be cruel. However, he wasn't all that effective of a gangster. Meanwhile, Ralphie would kill and hurt people just for funsies, but he was the best earner in the entire family. So when asking who's worse, it really just boils down to whether or not you prefer the short leash on Richie or the money being made by Ralphie.

[@timorthelame1]

Neither adhered to the rules very well. I think both fell well short of living by any code.

[@William-the-Guy]

I felt it was Richie without a doubt, it never even occured to me to question it. At least from within the twisted mafia-logic of the show, Richie was constantly bad for business, but Ralph (mostly) hurt innocent bystanders who did not have mob connections. Richie didn't make good money, he shook down guys who were paying Tony and he actively tried to get other mobsters to kill Tony. Ralph was the best earner and his worst crimes were killing a pregnant girl and a horse, yeah those are horrible, but they didn't really effect the mob's bottom line. And Ralph had this burst of humanity at the very end, he really seemed to be trying to turn his life around when his kid got hurt. He was trying to change in a way Richie never did. Basically they both did horrible things, but it's a show about the mafia, every character is a psychopathic murderer, Ralph has SOME redeeming qualities within the logic of the mafia, Richie has none.

[@TheSuirad]

Imagine if Phil owed Richie some money and if Ralphie had a scene where he jokes with Phil.

[@mr.duckplucker5353]

He was catching, not pitching! 😂

[@ramirobenavidez1975]

Let's not forget Ralph only wanted to be a capo.Richie wanted to kill Tony to be boss. Sure Ralph played both sides and did far more heinous stuff that bothered Tony both personally and professionally, but Richie envolked more fear, he was a brutal old school mobster who showed little respect when it came to following order's. While Ralph was more of a loose cannon and both we're psychotic. Richie was the kind of person you didn't really want to see the worse of. He had alot more anger, rage built up. Coming out of prison. Felt thing's we're owed to him. Unlike Ralph who was a better earner with poor leader skills.

[@lukashood25]

Agree with what you said I also feel like this was a survival move for Tony knowing one day Ralph would try to MOVE UP so to speak, very similar to Richie Aprile.

[@Tfwd1891]

I couldn’t wait for both to get theirs. Wild ponies.

[@scan8501]

Tony actually benefited from Ralph and wasn’t a threat to him, Richie was trying to overthrow Tony.

[@youthinkyouknowme5551]

Phoning Paulie Gualtieri's mom (or the woman he thought was his mom) in the middle of the night and telling her the Police arrested Paulie and found a small rodent up his ass was total savage gangster 🔥

[@brucetucker4847]

"A gerbil, ma'am."

[@ruskerdax5547]

I've never been convinced Ralph actually killed the horse. It's not impossible, and he had some small reason to, but his reaction to it all and the things going on in his life made me suspect he really didn't. What he's actually "guilty" of in that scenario is being dismissive about it. It seems likely he really didn't kill the horse, but because he was so dismissive about it -- "so what if I did?" -- Tony ended up killing him anyway.

[@isaacster5027]

Tony clearly thought he did though. And while I would agree with you that he probably didn't, I think Chase explicitly said that he did

[@ruskerdax5547]

@@isaacster5027 Oh wow, really? I'd never heard that. I think the story is somewhat more interesting, fitting perhaps, both for his character and with the themes of the show, if he didn't, but got blamed for it by Tony anyway. Interesting that David Chase said that, though.

[@isaacster5027]

@@ruskerdax5547 I agree

[@ruskerdax5547]

@DillsyYourDaddy67 I guess I interpreted that as him just showing he didn't care about the horse and trying to (poorly) appeal to Tony's business sense, which was obviously the wrong move. I didn't take it as a confession. To me he seemed a little too distracted with other stuff going on in his life to have bothered with it. But I guess it's up to interpretation! (Or not, if you go by David Chase's intention it turns out you're probably right!)

[@goblinman7]

Forgot to mention the part when Ralph's last gooma Valentina, told Tony about Ralph's very weird "habits" lol. That was hilarious. Then Tony stole her and had his way with her..lol

[@smellsuperb1]

Richie: delusions of grandeur Ralphie: delusional period 🤣

[@fionnmaccurtain8896]

Richie was obviously a scum bag,but only went for people who he felt wronged him

[@spirituallyconscious7774]

He went for weaker people that didn’t have any power

[@spirituallyconscious7774]

He went for weaker people that didn’t have any power

[@tylerlittle499]

Ralph was definitely way worse then Richie. Ralph was a scum bag through and through and would do horrible things just to do them. Richie was just stubborn and was trying to move up the ladder.

[@BENNY_MAC]

A. She was a whore B. She hit him first Also that wasn't Ralph's kid she was carrying.

[@jonathanvega613]

@@BENNY_MAC😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

What did Ralph do besides beat a woman who abused her kid, to death? Richie was way worse. At least Ralph had some love for things other than himself, like the Anti Italian Defamation League and the love he has for his son Justin.

[@BENNY_MAC]

@@flightofthebumblebee9529 he also loved Coke. That shit was everywhere when he was in Florida.

[@johnsmith7298]

Richie was a "better" person, worse mafia associate. Ralph was a worse person, "better" mafia associate.

[@rapaholicz]

What a plot twist it would've been had Richie tried whacking Tony, especially since Janice was in his ear convincing him to do so

[@tacitus6384]

Neither did anything wrong.

[@abeard1]

Ralph beat up woman to death over... what was that?

[@LKaramazov]

@@abeard1 I agree if we’re playing by the rules of normal human beings, but even the underboss of two families didnt see anything wrong with it. Johnny Sac said she was a Hoowh, and Sil said “ she wasn’t related to you and she wasn’t you goomar. The only rule to me he broke was that girl was owned by Sil and was therefore protected by Sil. It wasn’t a matter of disrespecting the bing, it was a challenge to Sils authority.. Knowing how much Ralph made for the family, I doubt it would have been a capital offense, but Ralph should have been made to pay more than being barred from the bing.

[@brucetucker4847]

@@abeard1 A. She was a hooah. B. She hit him. Also that wasn't his kid she was carrying. It was the f@&*in' coke.

[@bungalowfeuhler1541]

Ralph took pleasure in his behavior. Richie didn’t.

[@bdbdkbdbd]

‼️

[@JuveVinny]

Ralph was my favorite character of the series. It was always fun when he was on screen.

[@rodbelding9523]

Richie by far was more scary than Ralph. Ralph was a weirdo but Richie was a loose cannon with no warning signs of when he was gonna snap.

[@meekmozart5216]

“It was the coke” 🤣🤣🤣

[@PJB-bh8bn]

I've never seen Tony as pissed as he was when pie o my was killed in the fire😢

[@Stingball22]

Ralph and Richie were both really bad, but Ralph was worse. Richie was capable of restraining himself (a little bit at least) and did make some attempts to follow the mafia's rules. But Ralph was a total loose cannon incapable of any restraint or subordination to anyone.

[@Halberstramshaberdashery]

Who’s worse really comes down to one act for me. Ralph beating Tracee to death was the most despicable thing either of them did on the show so for me, it’s Ralph. If that hadn’t happened, it’s EASILY Richie.

[@hylobateslar4151]

I thought it was really interesting how Tony kept having to deal with ticking time bomb insubordinates or rivals all throughout the show. Most of these people would last about a season before getting dealt with, each in their own way. Richie, Ralph, Feech, Tony B, Christopher, Phil, Vito. Most of them would be insubordinate and unwilling to deal with Tony, getting on his nerves over and over before their respective downfalls.

[@VideoGameAutopsy]

They’re both equally terrible. Richie demanded to be treated as a king, and Ralph had zero redeeming qualities whatsoever.

[@Ry-dy8xr]

On average you would be in much more danger coming across Ritchie than Ralph imo

[@wyldhowl2821]

I say Richie was worse. The guy has no back-down, gets violent over petty shit, is a sadist, and respects nobody. An all-out thug, with dangerous ambitions. Ralph is more annoying, sneakier / more manipulative, definitely callous and sadistic too, but is actually more willing to live within the rules and command structures, as long as he is getting paid & laid. Both of these guys needed to be gone, but Richie is more of a threat.

[@Dragotto]

Ralph was worse. Richie had issues but he still followed the command structure and kept his mouth shut and served his time. Sure he messed up Beansie but he wasn't about to step around the command structure without permission from above when he wanted to make a move against Tony. Hell he even chased off the shithead who shot Christopher. He caused problems for the family but only in front of the family. Ralph had a horrible drug addiction, almost caused a war over his words, would badmouth the boss behind his back to his subordinates, and tried switching families b/c he felt he deserved a promotion.

[@erics362]

Turn off the Manson Lamps.

[@GasGotti]

Ralph was completely fearless. Richie and him were equally hilarious.

[@shadowman2192]

Tracy’s story was very sad and tragic. She was a minnow swimming with sharks.

[@Gumbocinno]

Richie made me feel uncomfortable whenever he was on screen, dude had an instability about him, you know, the sacred and the propane.

[@FirstLast-yc9lq]

Richie was a man still behaving like it was the 70s. Ralph was a legit psychopath.

[@matthoward1174]

At least Ralph had a sense of humor. All Richie had was the jacket.........

[@whitecloak11]

The rats were treated like stand up guys and the real gangsters who did their time shut up and came home expecting something for their loyalty they were looked at as a problem, richie said it best how can you give me what's already mine, cheers Tony b, Feech, Angelo, Richie and Phil.

[@bireland2012]

I would say Ritchie was worse. He had no patience expecting everything to be handed to him and no respect. He was out of place in a world that moved on without him and he couldn’t adapt.

[@BethHarmon-yh8ms]

I honestly can't decide. Richie running over Beansie was horrible, but Ralph beating Tracee to death was just monsterous, especially considering she was pregnant at the time. Had Richie been anyone other than Jackie's brother, he'd have been whacked after the Beansie incident. Had he not been such a great earner, Ralph's goose would have been cooked a lot sooner, if not for Tracee's death, then over the joke he made about Ginny Sack. Remember Carmine Sr. refused Johnny's request to have Ralph killed because Ralph was bringing in the money. I'll have to call it a draw in this instance. They were both out-of-control psychos. Though you can't deny they made the show exciting to watch.

[@ShadowKing1993]

Ralph obviously. Richie gave Tony the jacket 😂

[@BarrywHiteFTW]

Richy's accomplishments 1.) Being Jackie's brutha 2.) Knocking down Janice (I know, I know, bad.) 3.) Taking the jaaackkeet! 4.) Going to the can 5.) Dying

[@brucetucker4847]

3 1/2.) Building a ramp up Paulie's ass.

[@shyguy9615]

I think Ralph was a worse person, but Ritchie was a worse mobster. They’ve both done terrible things to other people, but Ralph was more successful and brought in money to the family. Ritchie always seemed cold and distant, Ralph was a lot more entertaining and I loved his sarcasm. I do like the character of Ralph better, even though he caused a lot more trouble for everyone.

[@seanbhoycfc4834]

A great question. I was just watching Season 3 again yesterday in my latest revisit to the show and was thinking the same. It's not completely fair to compare their influence as characters as Richie's time was shorter and Ralph's debut wasn't directly connected to another character's adult debut. Janice overshadowed and was a reason for some of Richie's behaviour and his constant insubordination. Ralph's time isn't so closely connected to his time with Ro. I wonder what would have happened if when Richie is showing gratitude to Tony helping him financially with start up cash and Janice didn't make it seem so insignificant. I also wonder if Pussy was right. Was Richie always like that and Tony just didn't see it when he was younger or did those 10 years really change him? I go with Ralph. Not by much though. Richie's act on Beansie is horrible but a lot of his frustration seems to come from how different things are and now he has to take orders from a once little brother figure. Ralph constantly uses the fact that this is a business after all and as a made guy and top earner he plays on that to get away with so much to the point that even Tony warns Paulie about that very thing ironically before killing Ralph himself. Richie and Janice also seemed to be making a go of something they once had while Ralph notes that making her happy would be the worst thing for his career but she satisfies his strange sexual needs and provides shelter from Rosalie's mourning. Thanks very much for this video. If you haven't done it yet I'd really like a video discussing Richie before and after. Was he different before prison or was Pussy right about him always being like that? Thanks again. Great work

[@PhilMiCoochie]

Imagine if Richie and Ralphie Cakes stayed alive and we're in the war with the New York crew.

[@brucetucker4847]

Richie probably would have made a deal with Phil to doublecross Tony.

[@mrdobby33]

Richie: beats up Beansie, puts Beansie in a wheelchair, and smacks Janice, and then the whole Davey Scatino incident. That being said, he did have one redeeming quality…. He wanted to kill Christopher for smacking around Adriana I hated how he treated her. Ralph: kills a stripper, kills a horse, laughs at Tracee getting smacked by Silvio, almost starts a war because of the Ginny Sack joke, prank calls Paulie’s mother, disrespects Tony’s orders to keep Jackie jr out of the mob. This is a no brainer….. Ralph is worse!

[@TakeNoteOfThat]

The guy who beat a pregnant teenager to death.

[@jerriotglencamp7562]

The thing that Richie and Ralph have something in common: no respect for Tony and the rules set in place by the commission yet commission rules are never respected by true criminals. Great video. Love sopranos

[@JohnDaker_singer]

Richie was a complete piece of garbage with no redeeming qualities. Ralph was an asshole, but his heart was usually in the right place.

[@magallanesagustin4952]

Yeah. Richie is always assaulting people for no real reason. Ralph only attacks people when he's on the C.