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Ralphie Cifaretto Ralphie(sometimes ralph) Cifaretto - Joe Pantoliano Ralph Cifaretto was an obnoxious, sarcastic and confrontational member of Tony Soprano's crew. A very temperamental man with drug and sexual issues, he once killed an exotic dancer carrying a child she claimed was his (It was later revealed that the child was not Ralph's), and became flippant about it with Tony, which led to Tony striking Ralph, something that one made man is not supposed to do to another. By way of making amends, Tony promoted Ralph to captain, something to which Ralph had aspired for some time. In many ways, Ralph is a classic psychopath. Ralph briefly pursued relationships with Rosalie Aprile, the widow of Jackie Aprile, and then with Janice Soprano; both of these relationships ended badly, possibly due to Ralphie's preference of paraphilia over "normal" sexual relations. A third girlfriend, Valentina La Paz, who later had an affair with Tony, complained frequently of Ralph's unwillingness to have intercourse during sex. Ralph's mouth got him into trouble on several occasions. In the third season, his casual recounting to Rosalie's son, Jackie Jr., of a story about how Tony "made his bones" inspired Jackie to make a similar move, with tragic results. In the fourth season, his joke about Johnny Sack's wife brought on an assassination plot that came within seconds of succeeding. Later a prank telephone call to the mother of Paulie Walnuts also landed Ralph in trouble. What ultimately caused Ralph's demise was his relationship with Tony, ironically coming at a time when he was attempting to become a better person. He purchased a race horse named "Pie-O-My" and worked with Tony to turn her into a winner. However, Ralph needed some money for his son's medical expenses, and Pie-O-My died in a suspicious stable fire (in theory, to collect on the insurance policy). A very angry Tony confronted Ralph about it. A fight ensued and Tony ended up fatally beating and choking Ralph. Tony, with the help of Christopher, then dismembered and disposed of the body. It was then revealed that Ralph was bald and wore a hairpiece. Though debated, Ralph had ultimately confessed to the arson before he died. The surname "Cifaretto" was probably taken from a real Italian family from Essex County, New Jersey. Arguably, no other character on the Sopranos has had as much of a psychological impact on Tony, with the exception of his mother, during the course of the show. Ralph's sudden appearance in the third season, and his violent demise in the fourth, marked a period of intense psychological introspection for Tony, continuously fueled by his aversion to Ralph. Ralph's success within the organization caused Tony to question his own involvement in the family, class issues, and moral concerns which previously had never been covered by the series. Ralph Cifaretto has a fascination with gladiator movies. Ridley Scott's Gladiator, in particular, seems to stimulate Ralph's bravado the most, and he can be heard quoting several lines from the film during the third season. » Soprano Cast |
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