Nino Schibetta
Encyclopedia
Tony Musante
Anthony Peter Musante is an American actor.Musante was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Natalie Anne , a school teacher, and Anthony Peter Musante, an accountant. He attended Oberlin College and Northwestern University.Musante has acted in numerous feature films, in the United States...
, is a fictional character in the HBO series Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
.
Character overview
Prisoner #95S604. Convicted December 12, 1995 - Two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Sentence: 120 years, eligible for parole in 70.Schibetta is a mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
Don and former leader of the prison's Italian gang.
Until his death, Nino is the most powerful prisoner in Oz; his influence is greater than even several of the unit managers. Anything he wants, such as a single cell in Em City, is given to him without question. Warden Glynn has respect for Schibetta's ability to efficiently run the prison kitchen. Schibetta ends up dying a slow, painful death at the hands of Ryan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily is a main character in the television series Oz. He was portrayed by Dean Winters from 1997 to 2003.-Character overview:Prisoner #97P904. Convicted July 12, 1997 - Two counts of vehicular manslaughter, five counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance,...
and Simon Adebisi
Simon Adebisi
Simon Adebisi is a fictional character played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on the HBO dramatic series Oz, set in an experimental prison unit.-Character overview:Prisoner #93A234. Convicted May 2, 1993 - Murder in the first degree...
. After he dies, his son Peter Schibetta
Peter Schibetta
Peter Schibetta is a fictional character on the HBO series Oz, portrayed by Eddie Malavarca.-Character overview:Prisoner #98S112. Convicted May 19, 1998 - Five counts of extortion: money laundering. Sentence: 35 years, eligible for parole in 20....
arrives at Oz seeking revenge
Revenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
.
Schibetta is unlike most typical prisoners and also unlike the stereotypical mob figure: he is quiet, thoughtful, restrained and cultured. He is deeply in love with his wife and is devastated by her illness and death.
Season 1
Nino is head of the Italian prisoners and manages them with an iron fist. He oversees a successful contraband business and is capable of getting any prisoner any item, legal or illegal. He has connections to several Italian and non-Italian staff members, such as prison investigator Lenny BurranoLenny Burrano
Lenny Burrano is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz, played by Skipp Sudduth.-Character overview:Burrano is an Italian-American lead investigator who previously served as a correctional officer.-Season 1:...
, who are more loyal to him than to their jobs. Nino treats other inmates fairly for the most part but has them killed immediately if they do anything to disrespect him or his Italian gang members. Prisoner Dino Ortolani
Dino Ortolani
Dino Ortolani, played by Jon Seda, is a fictional character who appeared in three episodes of the HBO series Oz. Although he dies in the first episode of the series, which is more or less centered on his character, his death has a strong impact on the rest of season 1.-Character overview:Prisoner...
is his key enforcer, nephew, and a major problem. Dino beats a homosexual inmate who happens to be the brother of Jefferson Keane
Jefferson Keane
Jefferson Keane aka Tizi Ozuo is a fictional character in the HBO prison drama Oz played by American actor Leon Robinson.-Character overview:...
, leader of the Homeboys
Homeboys of Oz
The Homeboys are a gang of black prisoners in Oz involved in the prison drug trade. As 78% of Oz's prisoners are black , their membership is larger than any other prison gang in Oz.-Overview:...
gang in Oz. This causes strife between the Homeboys and Italians which leads to the deaths of Ortolani and Homeboy Johnny Post
Johnny Post
Johnny Post is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz.-Character overview:Johnny Post is a member of the Homeboys, Oz's African American drug dealers. He despises the Italians, an attitude he displays up until he is murdered by them.-Season 1:Post is Jefferson Keane's right hand man in the...
. At this time Schibetta's son Peter visits. Peter is worried about his mother, Nino's wife, who is dying of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
After all the deaths and a warning about drug dealing from Tim McManus
Tim McManus
Tim McManus is a fictional character on HBO's prison drama Oz, played by Terry Kinney.-Character overview:McManus, the idealistic manager of Emerald City, is unlike the rest of the staff members at Oz as he has never been a CO, has a college education, and generally believes in the inmates as...
and Warden Leo Glynn
Warden Leo Glynn
Leo Glynn is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz. He is the warden of the Oswald state correctional facility-Character overview:...
, the Italians and Homeboys make peace for the time being and work together. In the meantime, Ryan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily is a main character in the television series Oz. He was portrayed by Dean Winters from 1997 to 2003.-Character overview:Prisoner #97P904. Convicted July 12, 1997 - Two counts of vehicular manslaughter, five counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance,...
is involved with each death and plays both the Black and Italian gangsters at the same time. CO Mike Healy has an operation with O'Reilly that is competing with Schibetta. Schibetta tells O'Reilly that he will become a permanent ally of the Italians if he shuts down Healy's operation. O'Reilly does this and pretends to be loyal to Nino but conspires with Simon Adebisi
Simon Adebisi
Simon Adebisi is a fictional character played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on the HBO dramatic series Oz, set in an experimental prison unit.-Character overview:Prisoner #93A234. Convicted May 2, 1993 - Murder in the first degree...
to take over the drug trade. The two sneak ground glass into Nino's food over the period of a few months. Nino eventually dies from internal hemorrhaging. His son Peter comes to Oz in Season 2 for a money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
conviction and proves to be nowhere near the man Nino was.