Silvio Dante
Encyclopedia
Silvio Manfred Dante, often referred to as "Sil", played by Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...

, is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 on the HBO TV series The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...

. He is the consigliere
Consigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...

 to Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...

 in the Soprano crime family. Silvio has one of the lowest profiles on the show. He is usually a behind the scenes figure and tries not to draw much attention to himself. He does very well at maintaining a legitimate business image as the manager and owner of the Bada Bing
Bada Bing
The Bada Bing! is a fictional strip club from the HBO drama television series The Sopranos. It was a key location for events in the series, named for catchphrase "bada bing", a phrase popularized by James Caan in The Godfather. The popularization of the fictional club benefited the real-life go-go...

 strip club. Silvio usually keeps his cool in even the worst situations but has been known to unleash his terrible fury and excessive anger when necessary (or when playing poker), revealing a temper comparable to his peers'. Silvio is a movie and film connoisseur and has an encyclopedic mind for movie lines. Throughout the series, he is most notably known to quote the famous line from The Godfather Part III
The Godfather Part III
The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American gangster film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who tries to legitimize his criminal empire...

: "Just when I thought I was out...they pulled me back in." Silvio usually gets in character and spouts the line for his friends as they get a really good kick out of his Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...

 impression. Silvio is one of the most loyal mobsters in the Soprano crime family. He is notorious on the show for executing F.B.I. informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...

s and traitors.

Plot details

According to The Sopranos, A Family History, Silvio was born in November 1960; his father was Joseph "Beppo" Dante (Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....

n origin), a soldier who was "gunned down" in 1959. Silvio was a childhood friend of Tony and his early criminal activity often involved Tony, Ralph Cifaretto and Jackie Aprile, Sr. His original career plan was to be a professional singer, but this dream never materialized. Despite this, Silvio has maintained a connection to show business through ownership of numerous clubs in North Jersey over the years, and in backing aspiring young starlets who come up through his clubs. Silvio's support was instrumental in ensuring Tony took over as capo
Capo
A capo is a device used on the neck of a stringed instrument to shorten the playable length of the strings, hence raising the pitch. It is frequently used on guitars, mandolins, and banjos. G.B...

 following his father's death. Throughout his association with the Soprano crew, Silvio formed friendships with Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero and Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri
Paulie Gualtieri
Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri played by Tony Sirico, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is a caporegime and later underboss in the Soprano crime family.-Plot details:...

.

It was Silvio who reported to Tony that his Uncle Junior planned to murder Pussy Malanga in Artie Bucco's restaurant and who was later entrusted with starting the fire which would ensure the original Vesuvio's burnt down, therefore not ruining its reputation. In the short and bloody war of 1999 with the Junior Soprano crew, Silvio helped Tony to plan hits on Chucky Signore and Mikey Palmice
Mikey Palmice
Michael "Mikey Grab Bag" Palmice , played by Al Sapienza, was a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Plot details:Palmice starts out as a soldier in Corrado "Junior" Soprano's crew as his driver and bodyguard. After Jackie Aprile dies, Junior becomes boss, and Palmice is promoted...

 and remained supportive when his friend revealed that he had been seeing a therapist. Silvio is one of the more level-headed associates of Tony Soprano. Where many of Tony's men immediately become hot-headed and resort to violence, Silvio generally helps to mediate many situations and gets along with everyone. He accompanies Tony to most of his "sit-downs" - a formal venue in the organization to resolve disputes. Because of this, Tony relies on Silvio to be a clear-headed thinker and someone he can trust. Silvio's move to consigliere, once Tony becomes acting boss, seems completely natural. Indeed, Silvio remains Tony's most reliable adviser and enforcer, and tends to confine aggression to mob hits and poker games. However, over a remark made by Fat Dom Gamiello about the late Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore, Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito, Jr., and was a closeted homosexual...

 and implication that Carlo Gervasi was gay, an enraged Silvio attacked Fat Dom by hitting him in the back of the head with a handheld vacuum. Silvio then grabbed the stunned Dom from the back, holding Dom's arms back, so that Carlo could begin attacking his front; presumably by punching him. However, Carlo stabs Dom repeatedly in the abdomen with a large kitchen knife. Despite Silvio's relatively even temper, he is also known for his foul mouth and paranoia when playing poker. Silvio's criminal interests include loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....

ing and bookmaking. Pandering
Procuring (prostitution)
Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. Examples of procuring include:*trafficking a prostitute into a country for the purpose of soliciting sex...

 is also included among his criminal activities, as implied by his "management" roles at the Bada Bing
Bada Bing
The Bada Bing! is a fictional strip club from the HBO drama television series The Sopranos. It was a key location for events in the series, named for catchphrase "bada bing", a phrase popularized by James Caan in The Godfather. The popularization of the fictional club benefited the real-life go-go...

.

Silvio's day-to-day role is that of managing the Bada Bing, the most recent in a string of strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....

s that he has operated. "The Bing", as it is often referred to, is not only one of the crime family's major meeting spots, but also doubles as a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...

. The most notable instance of Silvio's club's doubling as a house of prostitution
Procuring (prostitution)
Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. Examples of procuring include:*trafficking a prostitute into a country for the purpose of soliciting sex...

 is perhaps episode "University
University (The Sopranos episode)
"University" is the thirty-second episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the sixth of the show's third season. The teleplay was written by Terence Winter and Salvatore J. Stabile from a story idea by David Chase, Terence Winter, Todd A. Kessler, Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess...

", wherein Silvio's role in this arrangement is especially poignant. In spite of his misogyny
Misogyny
Misogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Philogyny, meaning fondness, love or admiration towards women, is the antonym of misogyny. The term misandry is the term for men that is parallel to misogyny...

, Silvio loves and cares about, and is a strong father for his teenage daughter Heather, whom he calls The Principessa. Tony has said to him, "You're a good father." When his daughter's soccer coach was found to be involved with one of his young players, Silvio looked for vengeance but followed Tony's decision to let the authorities deal with him. Again ironically, apart from periodic instances of adultery, it can be said that he also loves his wife, Gabriella Dante (played by Steven Van Zandt's
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...

 real life wife Maureen Santoro Van Zandt
Maureen Van Zandt
Maureen Van Zandt is an Italian-American television actress best known for her small role Gabriella Dante, a close friend to Carmela Soprano on the HBO series, The Sopranos....

), very much.

Silvio has a long record of executing traitors throughout the show. He killed Jimmy Altieri at the end of season one. Later, along with Tony and Paulie Gualtieri
Paulie Gualtieri
Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri played by Tony Sirico, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is a caporegime and later underboss in the Soprano crime family.-Plot details:...

, he executes Pussy Bonpensiero in season two. In season five, he executes Adriana La Cerva
Adriana La Cerva
Adriana La Cerva played by Drea de Matteo, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti.-Character history:...

. All were killed when they were discovered to have been cooperating with the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...

 in their ongoing investigation of the Soprano crime family. Like Tony and Paulie, Bonpensiero's killing haunted Silvio. In Season 6, Silvio also executed Burt Gervasi, by garroting him, after he discovered that he had been working with the Lupertazzi crime family.

Silvio's judgment wavered a little when he realized Tony was positioning Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...

 as an intermediary between him and the rest of the organization because of Chris and Tony's blood ties. This was made most apparent when Paulie was arrested on a gun charge and Tony made Christopher acting capo of his crew in Paulie's absence. Sil responded by encouraging Gualtieri crew soldier Patsy Parisi to steal from the Esplanade construction site against Tony's and Chris' orders - creating problems for Chris. Silvio also became embroiled in a conflict over a Columbus Day
Columbus Day
Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday...

 celebration with Native American protesters - something Tony saw as a distraction - going so far as to get many of the family's associates involved in a violent altercation with the protesters. Silvio found it hard to let the conflict die even once Tony had exhausted all avenues of winning the dispute. Silvio did not take this uncharacteristic behavior any further and, although Tony had noticed it, nothing came of it. Silvio got a chance to vent his frustration with Christopher at an intervention for Chris' drug problem that ended with Chris' being violently put in his place by Paulie and Silvio. Since Chris returned from rehab, his relationship with Silvio seems to have returned to their previous friendly association.

Silvio maintains a realistic relationship with Paulie Gualtieri, well aware of Paulie's tight-fisted
Mister
Mister may refer to:* Mister , a common English language honorific* MISTER, a personal rapid transit system* A device that makes or sprays mist* Mr. Mister, a 1980s pop band* Mister , a Canto-rock band...

 attitude towards money and dangerous tendencies. Silvio has remarked to Tony that they know that Paulie does not kick up his full tribute. Silvio also tried to warn Paulie that his distractedness had been noticed at the time when Paulie let his loyalties waver towards the Lupertazzi crime family, not long after Silvio's own crisis of faith in Tony. Paulie and Silvio argued about this - Paulie had been harboring resentment toward Silvio since an illness got Paulie into the Pine Barrens
Pine barrens
Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pinelands occur throughout the northeastern U.S. from New Jersey to Maine as well as the Midwest and Canada....

fiasco, while making Silvio's rounds. However, it was not long before Paulie returned his attention to staying in Tony's good graces.

Silvio counseled Tony through difficult decisions about Richie Aprile
Richie Aprile
Richard 'Richie' Aprile, Sr., played by David Proval, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Richie was a capo and the older brother of former DiMeo crime family acting boss Jackie Aprile, Sr...

, and his disputes with Ralph Cifaretto, Feech La Manna and Tony Blundetto
Tony Blundetto
Anthony "Tony" Blundetto, played by Steve Buscemi, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is Tony Soprano's cousin who is released from prison at the beginning of the show's fifth season. Tony Blundetto first appears as a calm, composed, and reformed criminal ready to pursue...

. He is often forced to convince Tony to go against his impulses - something that he usually manages without setting off Tony's hair-trigger temper.

When Tony ends up in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...

 after being shot by his uncle in a fit of dementia, it falls upon Silvio to take the reins as acting boss of the Soprano family. At first, Silvio seemingly enjoys the job, and even feels a slight bit of regret that he did not accept an offer from the late Jackie Aprile, Sr. to become the boss back in the late '90s. His wife Gabriella prompts him to consider the possibilities of a permanent change. His ambitions quickly subside when he feels the immense pressure of being boss and begins to have asthma attacks brought on by anxiety. As boss, Silvio dealt effectively with Paulie in a dispute over the split of profits from a heist Paulie had undertaken following a tip from Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore, Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito, Jr., and was a closeted homosexual...

. However, Silvio was indecisive in his handling of a dispute between Vito and Bobby Bacala over a collection route.

Since his return to the more comfortable role of consigliere, Silvio has again counseled Tony about contentious issues. When Vito was outed to the organization, Silvio convinced Tony of the need to restrain his desire to "give him a pass" because of the effect it would have on the other captains' view of his leadership. When Tony responded with distasteful jokes to Bobby's serious injury, a look from Silvio was enough to tell him he was being unfair.

When Vito Spatafore came back from New Hampshire, Silvio said that there would be popular sentiment to get rid of him, but Tony had initially decided to let Vito run a prostitution ring in Atlantic City. However when Phil Leotardo confronted Tony about Vito being in New Jersey, Silvio and Tony both knew that they couldn't keep fighting with Phil over the issue and that if they wanted to keep the "no show" jobs Vito would have to go. Silvio had always pushed for Spatafore to be taken care of and told Tony that it was the right move and not to beat himself up over the issue.

When Phil Leotardo and his men killed Vito (without the permission from Tony), Tony told Silvio that it wasn't about Vito it was about him. Silvio initially told Tony that they should go after one of Phil's men but Tony was trying to avoid a war and instead decided to blow up Phil's wire room in Sheepshead Bay.

Silvio and Carlo were at Satriale's Pork Store
Satriale's Pork Store
Satriale's Pork Store is a fictional establishment on the HBO series The Sopranos. As told in the television show, during the 1970s, the pork store was taken over by Johnny Boy Soprano, a member of The DiMeo Crime Family, when Francis Satriale failed to make payments on a gambling debt and later...

 later that day when "Fat Dom" Gamiello came by. Dom started making jokes about Vito's homosexuality and implied that Carlo was homosexual. Silvio told Dom to leave, but when Dom continued his ridicule, anger got the best of the usually calm consigliere as he smashed his hand-held vacuum over Dom's head and held him while Carlo stabbed him to death. A short time afterwards, Tony came by the shop to see them. Silvio advised Tony not to enter, but he couldn't stop Tony from finding Dom. Tony stormed out of the shop with Silvio right behind him telling Tony that "When you kill a made guy
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...

 this is what happens."

In the episode "Stage 5
Stage 5 (The Sopranos episode)
"Stage 5" is the seventy-ninth episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos. It is the second episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, the fourteenth episode of the season overall...

" Silvio was out at lunch with Gerry Torciano, the man Phil Leotardo wanted to take over as boss of the Lupertazzi family, when one of Doc Santoro's assassins killed Torciano. This outraged Tony, as Silvio could have been hurt during that altercation.

In the episode "The Blue Comet
The Blue Comet
"The Blue Comet" is the twentieth episode of the sixth season of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos and eighty-fifth episode overall. It is the eighth episode of the second part of the sixth season, which was broadcast in two separate batches and the show's penultimate episode...

", it is revealed that the Lupertazzi family has recruited Burt Gervasi to begin a rebellion against Tony. Burt goes to Silvio to join in a coup d'état against the boss, but Silvio responds by strangling him to death at his home a short time later. Eventually assassination plots are put on Silvio, Bobby Bacala, and Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...

 in order to decapitate the leadership of the family. Shortly after Bobby is killed, while Patsy Parisi drives Silvio outside of the Bada Bing club, a car moves in front of them, with two men coming out shooting multiple times. Silvio tries taking a pistol off of the backseat, only to be shot in the back. Silvio manages to grab his pistol in time while Parisi holds them off. Parisi manages to defend them shortly, but soon the two men begin to target Silvio more. He is shot once more in the chest, while Patsy runs into the woods, fleeing for his life. Afterwards, Silvio is rushed to the hospital and placed in an intensive care unit.

Paulie later tells Tony that Silvio managed to survive the assassination attempt but is in a coma; the doctors say that he isn't likely to recover consciousness. Silvio's fate beyond this is left untold.

Silvio is a fan of Cadillacs, and owns several Cadillac Seville
Cadillac Seville
The Cadillac Seville is a luxury-type car that was manufactured by the Cadillac division of American automaker General Motors from 1975 to 2004, as a smaller-sized top-of-the-line Cadillac...

s throughout the series. In season six, he is driving a black GMC Yukon
Chevrolet Tahoe
The Chevrolet Tahoe are full-size SUVs from General Motors. Chevrolet and GMC sold two different-sized SUVs under their Blazer/Jimmy model names through the early 1990s. This situation changed when GMC rebadged the full-size Jimmy as the Yukon in 1992...

.

Murders committed by Silvio

  • James "Little Jimmy" Altieri: Shot for being a suspected informant. (1999)
  • Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero: Shot by Sil, Paulie and Tony for cooperating with the FBI. (2000)
  • Adriana La Cerva
    Adriana La Cerva
    Adriana La Cerva played by Drea de Matteo, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti.-Character history:...

    : Shot in the woods by Silvio for being an informant. (2004)
  • Dominic "Fat Dom" Gamiello: Stabbed by Carlo Gervasi while Silvio held him down for suggesting Carlo was a homosexual. (2006)
  • Burt Gervasi: Garrote
    Garrote
    A garrote or garrote vil is a handheld weapon, most often referring to a ligature of chain, rope, scarf, wire or fishing line used to strangle someone....

    d by Silvio for switching alliances to the Lupertazzi family during the war between the families. (2007)

External links

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