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Just realized Tony Soprano was only upper middle class.
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Date: April 24th, 2019 4:56 PM Author: Ruby principal's office Tony was literally the boss of a huge criminal organization but America and particularly the Northeast had become so economically and culturally toxic at that point, even being the top dog of a criminal organization only afforded him an upper middle class lifestyle. He lived next to a doctor.
Back in the Godfather era, criminal dons lived as well as or comparable to celebrities, landed gentry or the upper class.
By the time Tony was eking out a living as boss it basically just got you into a good NJ school district and a Porsche Cayenne. |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:00 PM Author: disgusting aphrodisiac field I absolutely love you as a poster. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136391) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:04 PM Author: Startling Brunch Cadillac Escalade, but yes. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136407) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:06 PM Author: Drab Corner He bought carmella a porsche in the last season. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136413) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:10 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster And AJ was tooling around in a BMW sports car in the final episode after nailing the hot HS crazy chick (Rahownnie). (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136434) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:10 PM Author: exciting crystalline church I think he drove a suburban for most of the series (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136438) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:15 PM Author: Startling Brunch You are correct: "For the first three seasons, Tony drove and was driven in a 1999 Chevy Suburban featuring a brush bar up front. He could be seen conducting business within and without the truck. When the car was auctioned off James signed the inside of the vanity mirror asking the new owner to be nice to his car. In the fourth season Tony switched to a vehicle more befitting of his Mob boss status. An white Caddy Escalade ESV. More or less the same truck just more ostentatious but fitting for a North Jersey mafia don. Tony continued to use the Escalade until the series "end" in 2007. " (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136454) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:24 PM Author: exciting crystalline church 50/50 (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136493) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:49 PM Author: Bateful piazza just think, your kike prole NJ family would even be below him in the pecking order, sad! (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136612) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:50 PM Author: Ruby principal's office lol (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136617) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:59 PM Author: sable gas station Tony wasn't exactly NYC boss Carmine. And in that era, late 90s-right before 2008 crash + QE? Tony's dollar amounts bought a VERY nice lifestyle. Today, of course, he'd have to murder Johnny Sack and take over that whole crew just to pay for Meadow at Columbia + AJ's rehab. |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 12:39 AM Author: erotic thriller spot ceo They make it obvious how much richer the NY crew is. Johnny Sack has a mansion 2x Tony's and a Maserati. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38138506) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 12:41 AM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38138514) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 1:04 PM Author: Mint messiness Johnny Sack's house is a shitty mcmansion. Tony's is nicer. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38140820) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 5:59 PM Author: erotic thriller spot ceo (Carmella) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38142462) |
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Date: June 21st, 2019 1:11 PM Author: Ruby principal's office (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38421030) |
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Date: June 21st, 2019 1:12 PM Author: narrow-minded hairraiser trailer park yarmulke (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38421032) |
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Date: July 23rd, 2020 11:08 PM Author: bearded jew (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#40652895) |
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Date: May 10th, 2021 3:52 PM Author: Slate mexican ladyboy (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#42436219) |
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Date: September 17th, 2021 2:39 PM Author: Ruby principal's office (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#43132423) |
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Date: June 21st, 2019 2:04 PM Author: Diverse underhanded mental disorder lol oh a maserati (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38421262) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 11:09 AM Author: Marvelous personal credit line cr, he's like the managing partner of a Houston office (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38140122) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 3:57 PM Author: Mint messiness not really a huge criminal organization. they had 5 main crews once Tony absorbed Junior's and at most like 25-30 made guys, compared to 200+ in the Lupertazi's. really they just controlled garbage and various unions in and around newark and happened to hit it out of the park with the Esplanade. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38141877) |
Date: April 24th, 2019 5:00 PM Author: Drab Corner The Godfather was bs. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136392) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:03 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster Take a look at Lansky’s and Salerno’s estimated net worths. The business used to be worth tons for some. Question is how much is it worth now for those on top. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136399) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:05 PM Author: Drab Corner True. There was definitely a decline. But those top guys weren't like the "landed gentry" portrayed in the Godfather. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136409) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:08 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster Godfather was bullshitty in many ways. Better point of comparison would be say Goodfellas, which was a good depiction of the mob near the height of its powers and then after a steep and quick decline when the FBI and DOJ took it to them in the ‘80s. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136428) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:09 PM Author: Drab Corner cr (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136430) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:11 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur Also, not for nothing, but half the actors in the Sopranos were in Goodfellas. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136439) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:13 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster And the actor playing Paulie was literally a mob associate if not a made soldier. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136449) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:17 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur Also true. Him and the main actor were under surveillance by the FBI for a time. But the actor that played Paulie was in prison a number of times. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136466) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 8:08 AM Author: Mint messiness his line about surviving the 70s by the skin of his ass while the colombos were going at it was unscripted and he just came up with it on the fly (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139178) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 6:01 PM Author: sable gas station the comparisons are not apt since goodfellas depicted blue collar mobsters (tommy was EXCITED just to get MADE) while godfather was a god-tier jackoff fantasy (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136678) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 6:11 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster Vario (a powerful captain) is depicted, as is the magnitude of typical high value scores that the mafia could achieve at its peak, and how shitty risky and not all that profitable the side hustles were during decline. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136746) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:40 AM Author: Drab Corner yeah, and jimmy "the gent" was a big-time earner in his day. He did better than most capos. He wasn't made because he was Irish. The mafia was a blue-collar institution (hence the industries it's most involved in) and most of the people in it and associated with it were not wealthy (in the xo sense). (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139531) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:00 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster Yeah I think that was clearly supposed to be part of the message but not sure how true to life it actually was. John Gotti was megarich; wonder about his successful sons (don’t think I’ve seen estimates). (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136393) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:01 PM Author: naked hunting ground there were episodes that focused on that- like AJ's girlfriend's dad (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136395) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:04 PM Author: Ruby principal's office Yup, you're right.
"AJ, why doesn't your dad have that Don Corleone kind of money?"
AJ: "I dunno" |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:06 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur tcr. And that was the point of that entire story arc. Tony was only rich compared to working-class Italians. Compared to REAL rich people he was nothing. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136420) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:49 PM Author: galvanic potus crotch Cr (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136613) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:54 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136640) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:00 PM Author: excitant deer antler fat ankles we have a maid 3 days a week! (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38137785) |
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Date: October 22nd, 2019 1:31 PM Author: Bateful piazza that bitch was hot (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#39012396) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:03 PM Author: Olive library feces The Godfather was an extremely glamorized portrait of mob life, even in the 40s. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136401) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:06 PM Author: stirring lemon french chef regret Childless, gay kike trying to explain the motivations of a father looking out for his family (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136414) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:08 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur He also wastes enormous sums of money doing stupid shit like gambling. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136426) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:12 PM Author: histrionic flushed ape Same comment I was going to make
Need to remember how carefully he had to wash his money through the Russians, who took a huge cut, so he couldn’t really spend freely on certain things or investments and things he could spend freely on he would probably go to extremes and piss the money away (eg food, booze, gambling, hookers). He was very high income but not wealthy. |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:17 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur The gambling was actually the worst of any of it by a huge margin. There was an episode on how he was paying $3k/week cash to the Jewish guy to repay his massive gambling debt. If he gets a $300 hooker occasionally or spends $60 on booze or whatever nonsense it won't come close to that. But there is a TON of gambling throughout the show - Atlantic City, horse racing, card games, sports betting, etc.
Think about what $12k/month in cash does to finances. And that's just debt repayment. He probably spends more than that too. |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:53 PM Author: Bateful piazza yup, he was much richer than you and mandy that's for sure (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136632) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 6:05 PM Author: Dun tanning salon (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136700) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 6:08 PM Author: Ruby principal's office (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136728) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 6:12 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster lol. fish sweating a few “arrangements” + ivf (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136756) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:09 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur OTOH, I don't gamble at all. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38137838) |
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Date: June 21st, 2019 3:50 PM Author: Diverse underhanded mental disorder not gambling is crrrrr (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38421688) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:09 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur I mean yeah, but we're a couple of mid-level in-house lawyers and he is the head of a crime family. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38137836) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:11 PM Author: Ruby principal's office True, you can't afford North Caldwell, let alone Tony's house. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38137852) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:21 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur We couldn't afford Tony's house but we could definitely afford North Caldwell.
This is a home in North Caldwell: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/160-Grandview-Ave-Caldwell-NJ-07006/38717018_zpid/
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Date: April 24th, 2019 11:18 PM Author: Ruby principal's office "same school district anyway" - Charmaine (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38138169) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 11:27 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38138212) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 6:34 AM Author: Mint messiness (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139027) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:20 AM Author: Drab Corner (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139450) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 10:47 AM Author: Vivacious voyeur There are tons of houses in my own neighborhood I can't afford either. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139965) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 11:08 AM Author: Rambunctious provocative temple (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38140112) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 6:47 PM Author: salmon state jewess (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38142701) |
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Date: October 21st, 2019 10:30 PM Author: slap-happy adventurous property (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#39010071) |
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Date: October 22nd, 2019 1:32 PM Author: Bateful piazza (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#39012403) |
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Date: September 17th, 2021 2:43 PM Author: slap-happy adventurous property (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#43132439) |
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Date: October 22nd, 2019 1:32 PM Author: Bateful piazza glorified crew* (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#39012400) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 11:05 AM Author: Dun tanning salon (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38140096) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 6:45 PM Author: Duck-like ivory senate (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38142695) |
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Date: May 10th, 2021 3:37 PM Author: Sinister black woman (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#42436104) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:09 PM Author: Peach titillating laser beams gunner He was cash rich and most of the money has to be hidden. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136433) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:21 PM Author: Fishy boyish office Seems like the most logical explanation. The more he spent, the larger the trail. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136482) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:25 PM Author: Startling Brunch 40 GRAND IN THE BIRD FEEDER (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136496) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:09 AM Author: Sinister black woman (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139405) |
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Date: May 10th, 2021 3:50 PM Author: Painfully Honest Home What about the fact that he only kicked down 50k to Richie when he got out of prison? As the show noted, that was the same amount they gave pre-70s inflation. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#42436202) |
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Date: May 10th, 2021 3:53 PM Author: Ruby principal's office Fifty thousand?
Mail men make more than that. |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:18 PM Author: salmon state jewess Hesh realized this in a hilarious seen where he sizes up T's assets (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136469) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:25 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur Yep, when he was talking to his gf about Tony's gambling debt and fearing that he is fucked w/r/t ever getting the money back. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136505) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:44 PM Author: Ruby principal's office No, he thought tony would not only balk on the debt but kill Hesh to avoid repaying it. Killing him would be “cheaper” than repaying the 200k. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136593) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 5:55 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136643) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:10 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur Yes, but his gf responds "isn't Tony rich? Can't he easily pay it all off in one fell swoop?" That leads into the conversation that Tony isn't as rich as you would think which backs up Hesh's fear that Tony will kill him. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38137847) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:12 PM Author: Ruby principal's office He estimates Tony's net worth as "under 6" as in 600k. Very high income, but spends like a drunken sailor. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38137858) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:22 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur And she responds with "that's all?!" (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38137914) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 12:38 AM Author: erotic thriller spot ceo cr
if tony invested like hesh he'd be 7, 8 figs easy, but instead gapes himself, mostly gambling
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:56 AM Author: Vivacious voyeur tcr. By the way, it really shows that out of all the vices you see that gambling (along with heroin addiction) is easily the most destructive. You can lose ANY amount of money. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139655) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 10:00 AM Author: Mint messiness they played up Tony's gambling too much. whatever he pissed away gambling probably paled in comparison to the general expenses and payoffs from running the business.
it is interesting though that at the root of just about every side hustle they did (webistics, HUD, the calling cards, etc) was a schmuck who got in over his head gambling that they could use as a patsy. |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 10:24 AM Author: Vivacious voyeur You have to separate out the costs of running the business, which clearly benefits from gambling, and Tony's personal finances which are destroyed by gambling. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139798) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 6:15 PM Author: Ruby principal's office https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/meyer-lansky-net-worth/ (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136783) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 6:20 PM Author: Bateful piazza GONNEGTIONS for days (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136814) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 6:36 PM Author: 180 Telephone He was worth probably 6-8 million (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136887) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 6:38 PM Author: 180 Telephone Remember he was only a boss for like 5 years and he had a lot of obligations and setbacks during that time. His earners were also pretty shitty (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38136895) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:52 PM Author: transparent point new version David chase has explicitly said that Tony was worth less than a mill and part of the concept for the show is that he's not truly wealthy at all. they explore it in several episodes. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38138038) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 6:14 AM Author: irradiated stead blood rage Yeah, certainly his standard of living is bolstered by all the freebies and stolen goods he gets as a boss
OTOH, didn't he plunk down some insane sum for Carmela's spec home like it was nbd, just to buy back their marriage? |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 10:37 PM Author: Navy Sound Barrier the post RICO world (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38137975) |
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Date: April 24th, 2019 11:26 PM Author: Carmine Bespoke Useless Brakes definitely upper middle class, but I thought it was implied that they had a ton of cash (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38138207) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 12:34 AM Author: transparent point new version he has cash around all the time because he largely deals in cash. but it's not anything more than a typical UMC boomer would have in investment and retirement accounts. Tony doesn't have anything like that because he fears seizure by the government and taxes.
remember, carmella starts trying to flip houses because she realizes that they will be left with nothing if tony is sent to prison or dies. tony assumes that mafia codes means the remaining crew will provide for his family, but we know from the show that this doesn't really happen or at least it's not sustainable. |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 12:45 AM Author: sable gas station This is shown to great comedic effect when tony wakes up in the hospital after Junior shoots him (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38138527) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:05 AM Author: Mint messiness that score Paulie and Vito got doesn't really add up. they supposedly got close to $1M from it (before they split it up and had to kick up to Carmela) yet Paulie still remained a low life loser in a shitty apartment and Vito left his wife broke as fuck a year or so later. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139388) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 7:34 AM Author: opaque sick menage the soprano crime "family" was just a glorified crew (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139126) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 8:18 AM Author: Talking Mischievous Turdskin Heaven I think this was addressed in the ep where aj dated a truly wealthy chick and felt embarrassed about Carmella bragging about paying $3000 for a lladro (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139208) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:20 AM Author: vibrant emerald location electric furnace He has a massive house and a yacht
He also is presumably paying rent and support to girlfriends
He also has millions in cash laying around in hiding places |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:22 AM Author: irradiated stead blood rage Carmela's dad built the house, right? He probably got everything at cost, or cheaper with all his crooked construction ties (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139455) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:24 AM Author: Mint messiness literally every guy they kill they have to pay off the wives at least something to keep quiet and to keep the guys still around loyal to him. even slores like Jojo Palmice they prob have to pay like $2K a month to keep her quiet. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139460) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:30 AM Author: vibrant emerald location electric furnace Yep the family of every guy who is dead or in jail is getting taken care of (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139482) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:22 AM Author: Mint messiness Even if he had millions of dollars he couldn't buy a big estate without it making him a target for the govt. he was only even able to have as nice a house as he did because his father-in-law built it and was probably able to conceal the real costs. he was probably late 20s or early 30s when he built it which is pretty impressive. Plus the boat was expensive as fuck and he was going to pay like $900K in cash for the beach house.
Tony was probably pulling $300K-$500K as a capo and well north of $1M a year once he was boss and they got the big esplanade deal. As a capo, the Barrone Sanitation W-2 that he paid taxes on was probably like $125K so he could look UMC on paper and he probably really pulled at least twice that from them. Plus gambling and all the other bullshit and you start to get north of $300K.
As a boss, he was getting 7 figs in revenue just from construction though at that level you have a huge ass payroll you need to maintain (paying off the widows, cops, etc) and ultimately he always felt pressure to earn. Stuff like the HUD scams that made like a few hundred K and were super risky were still worth it to Tony though. Carmine was willing to go to war over it because he was an old stubborn asshole but Tony actually wanted the $.
Missing from all that is money from drug trafficking. I'm guessing they just left it out to make Tony more likable. |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:33 AM Author: Ruby principal's office He didn't like drugs, he said no cocaine on garbage routes. He ripped Richie Aprile a new asshole for doing this. Uncle Junior was more interested in selling drugs to pay his legal bills. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139501) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:36 AM Author: Drab Corner "Missing from all that is money from drug trafficking. I'm guessing they just left it out to make Tony more likable."
Most of the mafia got out of the big-time drug distribution game in the 70's and 80's because of the heavy surveillance and big sentences. |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:52 AM Author: irradiated stead blood rage Probably also the credited way to avoid violent clashes with Russian, Balkan, and "urban" gangs, right? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139604) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 9:54 AM Author: Mint messiness IRL mafia guys have to know that the low level guys are selling drugs and will want a cut. even if it's not a big trafficking operation organized from the top, they still make $ off it. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139629) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 10:39 AM Author: Sinister black woman he's not a billionaire by any means but the guy could've easily thrown Columbia U a $50k donation on top full tuition for Meadow back in like the late 90s. average UMC person can't do that on top running a big household in a high tax state/town, private school for other kid, SAHM wife who often eats out, and tons and tons of degenerate spending on booze, dinners, prostitutes, and gambling. pretty clearly upper class (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139896) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 11:11 AM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38140140) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 11:20 AM Author: Ruby principal's office As much was going in, a huge amount was going out.
Upper class, his lifestyle was not. AJ's girlfriend was upper class. |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 11:21 AM Author: Vivacious voyeur By the way, what a decline from her to that single mom he was engaged to. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38140226) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 11:23 AM Author: Ruby principal's office The rich girl only fucked him bc she thought he was "gangster" because of his dad. Little did she know he was just a gross twerp.
The Dominican chick was poor and to them the Sopranos seemed like they lived in the supreme lap of luxury. She also thought AJ's gangster connections were cool.
Basically anyone's interest in AJ ever at all had to do with his dad. Without that, he'd be nothing. |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 5:39 PM Author: Vivacious voyeur Lol even with that he was nothing. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38142360) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 10:49 AM Author: bearded jew “I just realized I’m not actually rich.” (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38139980) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 11:24 AM Author: Rambunctious provocative temple He's not even really UMC, because the respectable UMC either want nothing to do with him, or want to show him off to their friends as a sideshow "my buddy the mobster" (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38140237) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 11:26 AM Author: Ruby principal's office True. He had the "income" but no other markers of even traditional "umc", i.e prestigious job, highly educated, etc. Even they rejected him.
Back in the day the mafia was sort of revered or respected, they were viewed as low class criminals who didn't belong by Tony's era.
Jeannie Cusamano: "They're different, for this neighborhood." |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 12:46 PM Author: Mint messiness Cusamanos get their sunday gravy from a jar (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38140740) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 1:02 PM Author: Sinister black woman and why would he care about wanting to be "in" with his pointless striver gen X neighbors (likely parents of modern day 38 YO single brunch/MY MASTER'S shrews and balding incel lawyers) when he's literally the boss of a mob and has every italian in the tri state area kissing his ring and addressing him like a king? guy eats good food at restaurants he likes with people he likes chilling with. sounds a hell of a lot better than making PC talk at a TTT jersey country club (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38140804) |
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Date: April 25th, 2019 3:59 PM Author: Mint messiness they devoted an entire episode to him caring about that (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38141879) |
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Date: April 26th, 2019 12:08 PM Author: Sinister black woman and the takeaway of that episode is he didnt GAF about fitting in with his normie neighbors and preferred fucking with them and chilling with his bros at vesuvio's instead (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38146217) |
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Date: April 26th, 2019 12:14 PM Author: Dun tanning salon the one where he golfs golfing with them and they ask him if knew john gotti? oh yeah. what else happened in that episode? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38146249) |
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Date: April 27th, 2019 10:44 AM Author: Sinister black woman (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38150471) |
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Date: April 26th, 2019 12:15 PM Author: Ruby principal's office Only because they rejected him bc of who he was. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38146252) |
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Date: April 26th, 2019 4:23 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38147599) |
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Date: April 27th, 2019 9:42 AM Author: Rambunctious provocative temple (guy who likes Murano glass) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38150346) |
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Date: April 26th, 2019 6:13 PM Author: Fragrant therapy antidepressant drug there is an old mafia lawyer (associate of Meyer Lansky, but himself not like a boss level guy) in palm beach that owns this $50mm mansion:
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Date: April 26th, 2019 6:22 PM Author: Cream Drunken Forum Toaster (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#38148190) |
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Date: October 21st, 2019 6:36 PM Author: Ruby principal's office (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#39009149) |
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Date: October 21st, 2019 6:38 PM Author: Swashbuckling Idea He Suggested Some billionaire restaurant chain owner / owner of the Houston Rockets (NBA team) supposedly comes from mob lineage He’s probably not mobbed up himself otherwise they wouldn’t let him in the NBA |
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Date: October 21st, 2019 10:22 PM Author: learning disabled halford The mob has many faces now. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#39010025) |
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Date: October 22nd, 2019 12:04 PM Author: learning disabled halford I also think it is important for people to understand that throughout history many mob figures and mob bosses did not live in extreme estates/mansions and appeared to be simple middle class people despite having tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars. Some did live very lavishly however, but they also were the ones who got a huge amount of heat and it ultimately fucked them.
Carlo Gambino is the figure that comes to mind the most when it comes to living way below ones means - a man living modestly at home in a brick rowhouse with his elderly mother - despite controlling a vast empire. There was simply no way that they could accumulate vast landed estates or other outward signs of wealth without risking the attention of the Feds and other interested parties. Sort of like first scene when we see The Greek in The Wire - he was the guy no one paid attention to because he had the most to lose and was around for a very long time and knew the risks associated with even the slightest bit of flash or pride, but he was also by far the wealthiest and most powerful figure in the series.
In an earlier thread we also discussed the difference between The Godfather, Goodfellas and Sopranos - and how each was a different snapshot of Mob history or evolution/devolution throughout the course of the 20th century. Tony represented a figure that was, for good and bad, a relic and left behind from the old times. Yes he was prosperous, but he was only Upper Middle Class and was being overtaken or equaled in prosperity by other Italian Americans like his white collar professional "Wonderbread Wop" neighbors, the reason being that the Mob had weakened in many ways or had gone legitimate and he no longer had the prominence that he once enjoyed in his community, where he would have been the wealthiest and most socially prominent person by a country mile - a true "Don" in every sense of the word. Instead he was little more than a curiosity for Cusamano to trot out for his affluent buddies to observe and poke fun at.
I think that Tony was mentioned by Hesh as having 5-6 million (I would be really surprised if it was 5-600k but it is plausible) in net worth - however it is not surprising. The gambling and the women took huge chunks out of Tony's wealth but a lot of that represented expenses that came with the territory - he had to live like that because he was a boss, and bosses were expected to live like that or they weren't considered the boss, and thus appeared weak socially.
This pattern of compulsive socially pressured wasteful behavior is similar to the Potlach ritual of conspicuous consumption that was practiced by the North American/Canadian Native Americans and discussed by Von Velben in Theory of the Leisure Class, in my mind.
What really interested me was how The Sopranos was a snapshot of America and by extension the American Mob just before 9/11 all the way up to the 2008 crisis or so. It talks about real estate scams, development, house flipping and new types of fraud like HMO fraud as well in addition to old school gangster shit like jacking big scores.
Tony's problem was also that he also had no real cohesive vision for what to do with his wealth as his prime goal was to be boss and maintain his position first with his wealth viewed as a byproduct. This was his major flaw and contrasted with Hesh, who was able to build enormous wealth (on a relative basis) because he had vision and no aspirations to power.
Tony discusses this defect briefly when he mentions his father having significant real estate in what is now Tribeca but being unable to capitalize on it "but he couldn't see it" - Even though Tony did participate in real estate deals, he never really built or invested meaningfully and was always looking for a short term score or a maximum value extraction and flip (as with the HUD scam) however this is itself also predictable and expected given his precarious situation. You can't long term plan when you are afraid of getting shot down or sent to prison for life and you need maximum liquidity - with large cash holdings sitting and earning nothing.
I think what is more telling is that Tony's encounters with the stock market, of which there are quite a few. Webistics (a Dot Com pump and dump scam), mentions of investing with Cusamano's friends and Carmella's brief foray into it with his money all come to mind. In each case Tony is shut out in some way. With Webistics it is because it is a clear pump and dump fraud, just more of the same robbing. In the later scenes with Cusamano's friends, they are afraid to discuss their hot investment picks with him because they think he is not a social equal and will not understand it. With Carmella robbing him to invest, the prelude is Tony talking about how "we don't have those Enron type connections" - he immediately equates investing in the market as being another vehicle for fraud or scams and not as being a legitimate tool to build wealth. |
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Date: April 10th, 2020 1:41 PM Author: Ruby principal's office Lucky Luciano, if you adjust his net worth for inflation, would have been worth like 600 million. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#39983756) |
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Date: July 23rd, 2020 10:56 PM Author: Territorial cracking preventive strike (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#40652832) |
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Date: July 23rd, 2020 10:52 PM Author: Ruby principal's office (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#40652819) |
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Date: May 10th, 2021 3:28 PM Author: Ruby principal's office (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#42436074) |
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Date: May 10th, 2021 3:30 PM Author: Olive library feces lol at you patterning on to some fictional Jersey goombah as a point of state pride (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#42436079) |
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Date: May 10th, 2021 3:31 PM Author: Ruby principal's office How are things down there on my left nut? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#42436082) |
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Date: May 10th, 2021 3:38 PM Author: Mint messiness go away rudolph (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#42436117) |
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Date: April 6th, 2026 10:05 PM Author: Pretty much whatever we want (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4248001&forum_id=2...id#49799138) |