Every Gangster in Tony Soprano's Crew on The Sopranos, Ranked From Dead Weight to Heavy Hitters

Here's the thing about The Sopranos: almost nobody on this show is a "good" person, and the series never pretends otherwise. But if you're judging the crew by how useful they were to Tony and the overall health of the family (not by morals or icon status), the picture changes. Below is my full, no-nuance-left-behind ranking of Tony's people from absolute worst for the family to the ones who stayed rock solid to the end. For context: 6 seasons, a 9.2 on IMDb, and a fat 92%/96% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Worst to best: Tony Soprano's crew

1. Ralph Cifaretto
   Ralphie is electric TV and a total catastrophe as an actual mobster. He's a walking problem set: disrespectful to the hierarchy, as cruel as they come, and a constant headache that eventually gets him killed by the family. Funny sometimes? Sure. Useful? Not really. If you're keeping the operation stable, this is not your guy.

2. Richie Aprile
   A live wire from the second he gets out. Richie undermines Tony immediately, even trying to have him clipped, and the domestic abuse of Janice ends with her shooting him. He's volatile, resentful, and ultimately more of a grenade than an asset. He'd rank very high on "most hated"; on "best for the family," he's near the bottom.

3. Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero
   Not a sadist like Ralph or Richie, but his sin is unforgivable in this world: he flips. Pussy had history with Tony stretching back decades, and as a soldier and earner he was crucial. The FBI pressure put him in an impossible squeeze, but the result was the same — his betrayal almost blew up the whole operation.

4. Corrado "Junior" Soprano
   Junior green-lights a hit on Tony in Season 1, leaks when it suits him, and can never stomach being a figurehead. And yes, the prequel The Many Saints of Newark makes him look even worse: he orders the murder of Christopher's father because the guy laughed when Junior's wig slipped. Family by blood? Absolutely. By actions? Not so much.

5. Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri
   Loyal as a junkyard dog and first through the door when it gets hot. Also, kind of a disaster. Paulie nearly triggers a war over a fat joke about Ginny Sack and even kills an elderly woman by mistake. He's fearless and faithful, but let's call it what it is: chaos with a good attendance record.

6. Tony Soprano
   You can be the sun and still scorch everything around you. Tony is the engine of the crew — ruthless when needed and the biggest earner — but his panic moves and habit of eliminating close allies accelerate the family's decline. He's both the solution and the problem, often in the same episode.

   "Tony is the heart of the operation — and the leak in the boat."

7. Silvio Dante
   The closest thing Tony has to a conscience. Sil can tell the boss hard truths without getting his head bitten off, backs it up with action, and generally behaves like an adult in a room full of impulsive people. When he steps in as acting boss, the pressure almost breaks him — that's his weak spot — but otherwise he's as steady as the life allows.

8. Christopher Moltisanti
   At his peak, Chris looks like the heir apparent: hungry, ruthless, and the son Tony never really had. Tony actively grooms him to take over. But the addiction, resentment, and impulsiveness drag him into a brutal spiral that ends any chance of fulfilling that promise. He could have been number one; he lands here because of what he couldn't outrun.

9. Furio Giunta
   Raw competence. Furio brings heat when necessary, avoids stupid fights, commands respect, and never chases credit. Tony sees it too. If not for falling in love with Carmela — which sends him back to Italy and off the board — he had the presence to take the throne. Honestly, the family might have been healthier with him at the top.

10. Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri
    No ego, no paranoia, just results. Bobby manages to balance home life and mob life better than Tony ever does, stays calculated and ruthless when needed, and earns respect without theatrics. He's the most reliable soldier in the bunch. His death in the show's penultimate episode hurts because it takes out the crew's quiet backbone.

Final word

The Sopranos is massive, messy, and still argued about decades later, so your order may look different — that's half the fun. Tell me who you'd bump up or down.

Want to revisit the evidence? Stream The Sopranos on Max in the US.