American President George W. Bush has an interesting connection to Little Carmine from ‘The Sopranos’, but it’s not what you might think!
From ‘The West Wing’ to ‘House of Cards’, there have been several shows that have borrowed inspiration from real-life. While some fictionalize events that occurred in the past, some draw from real personalities … and, in this case, politicians.
Highlights —
- This character from ‘The Sopranos’ was inspired by George W. Bush
- The ‘Talking Sopranos’ podcast explains it all
- How Little Carmine was based on George W. Bush
- There’s another inspiration behind Little Carmine’s character
‘The Sopranos’, a crime drama series helmed by David Chase which aired between 1999 and 2007, is one of them. A character from the series, although fictionalized, was inspired by a real-life politician and a mobster. No need to be alarmed, for the fan-favourite mob boss Tony Soprano isn’t one of them!
Keep reading to discover which character from HBO’s ‘The Sopranos’ had a shocking connection with two very real persons.
This character from ‘The Sopranos’ was inspired by George W. Bush
Fans have often wondered if Little Carmine aka Carmine Lupertazzi Jr., the fictional mobster from New York was based on a real person. American actor Ray Abruzzo portrayed the character with such finesse, it was hard to imagine he wasn’t real. ‘The Sopranos’ fans wondered if the character had any connections with George W. Bush, but they didn’t pursue the answers.
The show never explicitly mentioned that Little Carmine was based on a real person and showrunner David Chase never acknowledged it. Fortunately, in a recent podcast, Ray Abruzzo explained how the two were similar, and how David Chase meant for it to be.
The ‘Talking Sopranos’ podcast explains it all
Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa who played Christopher Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalieri in ‘The Sopranos’ host a special podcast! Titled ‘Talking Sopranos’, Michael and Steve follow the series episode by episode, discussing rare facts and behind-the-scenes stories with fans.
For fans of the show, the podcast is a holy grail since this information can only come from the actors! Recently, the hosts invited Ray Abruzzo on the podcast and they had a blast talking about the origin of his character, Little Carmine.
Abruzzo shared how, in the initial stages, Little Carmine was supposed to be a “300 lb sweaty gangster”. Fortunately for the actor, his audition convinced David Chase that he was perfect for the role. He also took the opportunity to lay all rumours at rest and acknowledged his character’s resemblance with George W. Bush.
How Little Carmine was based on George W. Bush
When Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa asked Abruzzo if he was aware of his character’s influence from George W. Bush, he said he was! ‘The Sopranos’ star went on to explain how the two were connected and reflected on the similarities. He also announced that some of his lines in the crime drama series were real-life quotes from the former American President.
“At the beginning of season 5, when they made me a regular, I went to the wardrobe, and Juliet had my clothes laid out … and there were cowboy boots and a cowboy belt and a shirt with snap buttons.”
He shared his disbelief, adding,
“And I’m like what’s this about? And they said ‘David just wants you to wear them’”. Abruzzo continued, “They never show it, you see the boots occasionally. Very subtle, but some of my lines were direct quotes!”
There’s another inspiration behind Little Carmine’s character
Little Carmine is one of the most intelligent mobsters on the show and surprised viewers in every scene. He makes powerful enemies and says absurd things, but is one of the few characters who always wins at the end. George W. Bush might have been an inspiration for Carmine’s costumes, but his character was inspired by someone else.
John Angelo “Junior” Gotti is believed to be the character’s real-life inspiration. A former mobster and acting boss of the Gambino crime family, Gotti was also groomed by his father. He was imprisoned for racketeering in 1999, and reportedly, like Carmine, didn’t have the capability for the job. Little Carmine might be the boss of one of New York’s leading mafia families but remained above the dirty details of his criminal lifestyle.
Did you know that Little Carmine from ‘The Sopranos’ was inspired by two real personalities, a mobster and a politician? Let us know in the comments section!
