The Sopranos is a show with a huge cast, with dozens of main and supporting characters. Naturally, in a crime show about the New Jersey mafia, these characters have a pretty high mortality rate. Most of these deaths are pretty well-paced and the deceased are often well-developed characters.
Other times, however, these deaths can be a little too sudden and happen to characters that could have used some more screentime. Some characters definitely needed a few more episodes for them to be fleshed out, and some need it more than others.
This article contains spoilers for The Sopranos.
10) Jack Masserone
Jack Masserone (Robert Desiderio) was the owner of a local construction company and had ties to the Soprano crew. Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) use his construction company as a front for all kinds of illegal operations, like no-show and no-work jobs, and the HUD scam.
It would have been interesting to see Masserone's role in these schemes: it's heavily implied that he's something of an unwilling participant considering he later becomes an FBI informant and looks uncomfortable in every scene he's in. Sadly, Masserone is killed off in the very same episode it's revealed that he was giving information to the feds, so we never get his perspective.
9) Karen Baccalieri
Bobby Baccalieri (Steve Schirripa) is one of the few mobsters on the show with some kind of conscience and moral compass. He's not inclined towards violence, sadism, or infidelity, unlike his colleagues. A prime example of his kindness is demonstrated through the love he shows towards family, especially his wife, Karen (Christine Pedi).
Unfortunately, the couple has very little screentime together because Karen only appears in two episodes then unceremoniously dies in a car accident. It's a shame her character was killed off so soon, as it would have been interesting to see what Bobby's family life looked like before being completely upheaved. It would also be interesting to see Karen's view on having a criminal for a husband who was relatively "normal" compared to his "co-workers."
8) Lorraine Calluzo
By Season 5 of the show, New York's Lupertazzi crime family is in the midst of a civil war. Their boss, Carmine Sr., is dead, and his son, "Little" Carmine Jr. (Ray Abruzzo), and underboss, Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola), want the throne. One of the early casualties of the war is the loan shark Lorraine Calluzo (Patti D'Arbanville), who holds the distinction of being one of the two female mobsters on the show, and appears to be the only female mobster in New York.
Lorraine is a pretty unpleasant person: she's casually racist, her living is based on shaking down debtors for money, and is just an overall hard-head. Yet, she could have used a few more episodes to flesh out her character. She's in an unusual position, being the only woman in a patriarchal, paramilitary criminal enterprise. It would have been interesting to see her stick around for a few more episodes before she got whacked.
7) Eugene Pontecorvo
Eugene "Gene" Pontecorvo (Robert Funaro) is a bit different from the characters on this list. He has plenty of appearances: he's in almost a third of the episodes, but unfortunately only has a handful of lines. It's a shame too because Funaro plays his role very well as a low-level mobster.
Only one episode expands on Gene's character and lets Funaro flex his muscles as a dramatic actor, and that's "Member's Only." Gene got a massive inheritance from a deceased aunt and wants to use it to leave New Jersey with his family and never come back. He's not only unhappy with the criminal life he's leading but is also being squeezed for information by the FBI. Gene, unfortunately, concludes that he's the only thing that's holding his family back, and takes his own life. Gene's arc is tragic but would have been more effective if his role was a bit larger.
6) Burt Gervasi
When Burt Gervasi (Artie Pasquale) was garroted to death by Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt) in the penultimate episode of the series, you would swear that this is his only appearance. Burt, unfortunately, is barely seen up until this point, despite his death being a huge plot point.
Burt wasn't killed for no reason. Sil found out he was planning to jump ship and join the Lupretazzi family when New Jersey and New York were on the brink of war. His decision to betray his family causes a butterfly effect. Burt tries to jump ship and wants Sil to come with them: he's then killed by Silvio. Silvio informs Tony and Bobby, and they try to strike New York first. In trying to kill the head of the Lupretazzi family, they accidentally kill a civilian. By the time they've realized their mistake, they have let their guard down: New York swiftly retaliates and decimates New Jersey's leadership. Burt's character and death had major repercussions, and he deserved just a little more screentime.
5) Vin Makazian
Before The Sopranos was a cultural force, John Heard was one of the few big names on the series. In Season 1, he starred as Vin Makazian, a crooked detective on Tony's payroll. Heard played Makazian perfectly. Makazian was a sleazy cop with a drinking and gambling problem and had a taste for abusing his authority.
Yet, Makazian was a deeply broken man whose only friend was the don of New Jersey, Tony Soprano, and Tony hated his guts. Makazian was eventually arrested at an illegal brothel and subsequently suspended from the force. With nothing else to live for, Makazian committed suicide. Heard played his part masterfully, and it would have been fantastic to see him beat the suspension and become a recurring character.
4) Gigi Cestone
In a series with 62 on-screen deaths, capo Gigi Cestone's (John Fiore) demise is probably the least dignified. He was playing a card game with his crew and got up to use the bathroom, but he suddenly died of a heart attack while on the porcelain throne.
Gigi's role in the series is mostly just to keep Ralph "Ralphie" Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) from becoming captain. It's made clear that Gigi got the promotion because he wasn't as violent or impulsive as Ralph, not because of his leadership skills or ability to earn. We get a few glimpses of his personal life through his dialogue, like how he has kids that will be in college soon, but that's it. Gigi could have at least used a few more episodes to flesh his character out and his role as a captain.
3) Mikey Palmice
The Sopranos is a show filled with cruel, ill-tempered, violent mobsters, but the king of them all would have to be Mikey "Grab Bag" Palmice (Al Sapienza).
Very few of the mobsters really take pleasure in the violence they inflict, but Mikey is an exception. He's sporting a grin with every single murder he commits, with every single beating he inflicts unto others, with every single spiteful comment he makes. He's a character that truly revels in the misery he causes others, but Sapienza makes this character come alive and brings a lot of charisma to the role. It's a shame that Mikey only lasts until the Season 1 finale: his future exploits would have made for great TV.
2) Tracee
Tracee (Ariel Kiley) only appeared in a single episode in Season 3 ("University"), but her ghost looms large over this season and the next. Her death emphasized the callous indifference mobsters had for ordinary people.
Series creator David Chase and his fellow writers must have been tired of viewers idolizing and laughing along with the Soprano crew, so they threw audiences a curveball with "University." The episode centers on Tracee, a young topless dancer at the Bada Bing who's in a relationship with Ralphie. Ralphie, being an egomaniacal sadist, treats Tracee like dirt even though she loves him. Things reach a breaking point and the two have a violent argument where Ralph beats her to death with his own two hands. Tracee was an innocent young woman whose only mistake was falling in with the wrong crowd. Kiley deserved at least an episode or two more to flesh out the character.
1) Carmine Lupretazzi, Sr.
Carmine Lupretazzi, Sr. (Tony Lip) is the best boss on the show by a country mile. Every other major boss on the show, from Johnny Sack to Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent), to even Tony himself, looks like squabbling children compared to Carmine, Sr.
The series' bosses are often driven by personal feelings and are extremely quick to anger. Not Carmine. He never cracks a smile and rarely breaks a sweat. The only thing on his mind is the bottom line, for everyone involved in "their thing." Lip plays the old-school don to a tee, but he only gets to shine in Season 4. Carmine dies due to a massive stroke at the beginning of Season 5, in one of the many surprising and unexpected moments of the show. Even if only for a few more episodes, it would have been fantastic to see Carmine stick around a little longer.