this soprano voice It’s full of belligerent and ruthless gangsters, but Phil Leotardo is brilliant even in that setting. Immediately after his release, Phil became the boss of the Lupertazzi crime family in New York due to the death of Carmine Lupertazzi and the imprisonment of Johnny Sack.
During his tenure as boss, Phil considered himself Tony The Soprano’s worst enemy. Tony deserves credit for always trying to be nice to him. Unfortunately, Phil’s ruthless personality makes him unable to be satisfied with anything other than bloodshed.
“The Sopranos are nothing more than a respectable crew.”
Phil has never appreciated the DiMeo crime family led by Tony. Tony’s many outreach efforts were futile. Boss Lupertazzi yearns for war and has no interest in peace treaties. At the end of the final season, he orders attacks on all the high-ranking members of the New Jersey gang, letting his men know that they will do business with the rest.
At Phil’s instructions, Tony’s brother-in-law Bobby Baccarat is murdered in a toy store, while employee Silvio Dante is ambushed by gunmen while driving, rendering him unconscious. Despite these setbacks, Tony proved that sopranos are more than just a respectable group of people. In the end, they assigned Phil the most brutal murder in the series.
“Did anyone die in your arms? Give it time. See if I can do it for you.”
Tony Blundetto, Tony Soprano’s cousin, was initially reluctant to rejoin the crowd when he was released from prison. Sadly, the poor financial situation in his pocket pushed him back. When he returned to the game, he made the mistake of killing Phil Leotardo’s younger brother Billy to avenge the murders of Lorraine Calluzzo and Jason Evanina.
Tensions escalate between New York and New Jersey, leading to a confrontation between Tony, Johnny Sack, and Phil Leotardo. Not surprisingly, Phil is always preoccupied with the need for revenge. He asked Tony if anyone had died in his arms. When Tony says it hasn’t happened yet, Phil suggests that he can make it happen to him.
“My assessment of John Sacrimoni as a person has just plummeted.”
According to Phil, thugs must be so tough that their tear glands must always be closed. Phil couldn’t help but scold Johnny Sack in front of his colleagues when he cried bitterly when he was taken away by the FBI at his daughter’s wedding.
It all started with a special request from the imprisoned Sack to attend his daughter’s wedding. During the ceremony, the FBI defending him claimed that time was running out and he couldn’t even watch his daughter riding with her husband. This made Sak burst into tears in front of everyone. Tony sympathizes with him because he also has a daughter, but Phil sees this as a weakness.
“I wanted Manicott’, but I compromised. I ate grilled cheese from the fireplace.”
The Lupertazzi and DiMeo families are at odds over a business deal involving the illegal dumping of asbestos from a construction project. Phil asked for 25%, but Tony felt that was too much because his team saw an opportunity. Tony calmly tells Phil to make the right decision, because emotions can affect financial performance.
Phil once again refused to compromise. His usually tough stance was tempered by the fact that he spent two decades in prison. He explained how he ate bad food in prison but never complained. Now it’s his turn to eat well.
“You must never acknowledge the existence of this ‘thing’!”
In other Sack-related matters, Phil loses his mind when he reads a news report that the former leader of the Lupertazzi crime family admits that he is a member of Cosa Nostra. Johnny Sack also pleaded guilty to 47 counts of RICO and was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a $4.1 million fine. Since he pleaded guilty, the FBI was ordered not to seize all of his assets.
Phil doesn’t see this as a victory for the Johnny Sack family. He is furious when Sack acknowledges the existence of Cosa Nostra. His feelings are somewhat understandable, as he himself spent 20 years in prison and never spoke out. Sark’s behavior is also understandable because he is just taking care of his wife and children.
“The Cole heads have prevailed.”
The line is ironic because Phil said it right after kicking Tony off his property. Once again, Tony is trying to defuse the fact that he used a pistol to whip Lupetazzi at street soldier Coco. Tony has every right to do this, as Coco sexually harassed Meadow, the daughter of a New Jersey gangster, during a date.
Carmine Jr. tried to initiate a truce between Tony and Phil, but the New York boss refused to sit down. Instead, he ordered Tony and Carmine to leave. Tony angrily drove away, and when Carmine Jr asked him what he had just done, he said he did the right thing.
“Will not happen again!”
Changes in leadership don’t always please everyone, as was the case with loan shark Lorraine “Lady Sherlock” Carluzzo. After Carmine Lupertazzi died, when Johnny Sack took over as the new boss, she refused to pay him. As a result, an angry Sack sent a newly freed Phil to collect.
Phil simulates her execution with an empty gun. He then gives her time to get the money and promises her that the next execution will be very real.
“People don’t get their fingers pricked there. There’s no sword on the table.”
For the gangsters who aspire to become “made guys” (official members of the mafia), there is usually a swearing-in ceremony. A select few can perform rituals such as placing their hands on fire and drawing blood. This is most evident in the episode where Christopher Moltisanti succeeds.
I’m sure Phil Leotardo felt that the New Jersey crew didn’t even perform the ritual properly. While conversing with street soldier Albie, Phil criticizes the DiMeo family, claiming that they initiate unworthy thugs and perform the ritual cowardly.
“Let me tell you three things.”
Phil’s plan to remove the entire leadership of the DiMeo crime family is an ambitious one. The members of his inner circle weren’t too sure when he told them. Sensing their suspicions, he tells them in detail how much Tony offended him.
His intention was to tell them about Tony’s top three sins, but he ended up talking a lot. Although Phil is clearly annoyed, most of the problems he has with Tony can be said. It’s clear that his hostility stems more from a personal dislike of Tony than from any serious issue.