Rat Pack (The Sopranos)

"**Rat Pack**"
"Rat Pack"
The Sopranos episode
Episode no.	Season 5; Episode 2
Directed by	Alan Taylor
Written by	Matthew Weiner
Cinematography by	Alik Sakharov
Production code	502
Original air date	March 14, 2004
Running time	57 minutes
Episode chronology
← Previous; "Two Tonys"	Next →; "Where's Johnny?"
	The Sopranos season 5
	List of episodes

"Rat Pack" is the 54th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and is the second of the show's fifth season. Written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Alan Taylor, it originally aired on March 14, 2004.

Starring

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
Lorraine Bracco as Jennifer Melfi *
Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
Dominic Chianese as Corrado Soprano, Jr.
Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante
Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri
Anthony Soprano, Jr.
Jamie-Lynn DiScala as Meadow Soprano

Johnny Sack

Artie Bucco

Tony Blundetto

* = credit only

Guest starring

Hesh Rabkin

Also guest starring

Little Carmine

Aunt Quintina Blundetto

David Copeland as Joey Cogo

Lorraine Calluzzo

Jack Massarone

Tina Francesco

Agent Deborah Ciccerone

Carmine Lupertazzi

Michele "Feech" La Manna

George Loros as

Raymond Curto

Agent Grasso

Bureau Chief Frank Cubitoso

Little Paulie Germani

Dan Castleman as Prosecutor Castleman

Angelo Massagli as

Bobby Baccalieri III

Miryam Coppersmith as

Joe Maruzzo as Joey Peeps

Synopsis

Patsy’s. Tony arranges another meeting and hugs Massarone, trying to find the wire, which is hidden in his baseball cap. He does not know what to think but realizes that Massarone said one thing out of key: he complimented Tony on losing weight. Tony spends a restless night, then drives to the Pulaski Skyway

and tosses Massarone's painting into the river below. Massarone is found dead in the trunk of his car the next day.

Another informant,

Angie, is not welcome in their group. A tearful Adriana nearly admits the truth but instead flees, and stumbles and hurts herself in the driveway. She refuses the women's offers of first aid and speeds away in her car. She then tells Sanseverino that her friend Tina, who has been flirting with Christopher, is embezzling

money from the company where she works.

Tony greets

massage therapist. A disappointed Tony tells Christopher and Silvio

that his cousin is "useless." He rebukes Tony B for making jokes about him, as he is now "the boss," and for giving massages in the office. However, in a late-night phone call, he seems to soften his tone and they reconcile.

First appearances

Lorraine Calluzzo
: loan shark working for the Lupertazzi crime family, also known as "Lady Shylock."
Jason Evanina
: Lorraine Calluzzo's loan-sharking partner and lover.
Tony Blundetto
(first physical appearance): Tony's cousin and DiMeo/Soprano crime family member who was sent to federal prison in 1986 for hijacking a tractor-trailer.
Phil Leotardo
(first physical appearance): Captain in the Lupertazzi crime family, recently released from prison after serving 20 years.

Deceased

Joseph "Joey" Cogo: killed offscreen in a payment dispute. Agent Sanseverino shows photos of his corpse to Adriana, who confirms his identity and having seen him previously with certain mob members.

Carmine Lupertazzi Sr.: died of complications due to stroke

Jack Massarone
: killed for being an FBI informant. Massarone is found dead in the trunk of a car by FBI agents.

Title reference

Jack Massarone gives Tony a painting of
Sammy Davis, Jr, who were all members of the "Rat Pack
."

The three informants are all "rats."

Junior refers to the newly released ex-cons as "the Class of 2004, old rats on a new ship."

References to other media

The wiretap recording that Ray Curto is helping the FBI transcribe is from the capos meeting in "For All Debts Public and Private."
Anthony Jr. can be seen watching the movie “Scarface”, in which Tony Montana opens fire on armed men in the scene.
Paulie quotes from
perfumes. Tony Soprano
also uses this Matchabelli malapropism in Season 3, Episode 8 during his therapy session.

In one scene, Tony is shown watching a tearful recollection by WWII veteran

Band of Brothers

.

Tony Blundetto jokingly calls Paulie Grandpa Munster (from The Munsters) because of his hair.
Tony Blundetto does an impression of Jackie Gleason's character Reginald Van Gleason III from The Jackie Gleason Show.
At Carmela's house, due to Tony's removing the media system, the women enjoy snacks and wine instead of watching The Godfather
.
Before watching Citizen Kane, Carmela reads the review of the film from Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide.
Artie asks Tony B "Where's Tubbs?" in regard to his outfit at his welcoming home party. It is a nod to the cop show Miami Vice which was popular during the time of Tony B's arrest.

Reference to real events

After Carmine Lupertazzi dies, Bobby mentions that he had heard Carmine invented
CCNY Point Shaving Scandal
of 1950-1951.

Music

Roy Orbison's "Crying", and "It Hurts to Be in Love," by Gene Pitney both play in the diner during the first scene.
In the coffee shop scene between Adriana and Agent Sanseverino, "
Bruce Hornsby and the Range
can be heard playing in the background.
"Walk With Me" by
Felix Da Housecat is playing in the background in the first scene between Adriana, Christopher, and Tina at the Crazy Horse. In a later scene, "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5
is playing.

"Canzona in D Minor" (BWV 588) by Johann Sebastian Bach is playing at Carmine Lupertazzi's wake.
Tony Blundetto's cellphone ringtone is Queen's "We Are the Champions"
Dean Martin singing "Powder Your Face With Sunshine (Smile Smile Smile)" is playing at Nuovo Vesuvio when the Tonys arrive together.
The song played over the end credits is "Undercover of the Night" by The Rolling Stones.

External links

"Rat Pack" Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine at HBO
"Rat Pack" at
IMDb