We fell in love with his charm and tried our best to ignore the bully which too often surfaced. We admired the qualities of leadership and power which always got the job done no matter how reprehensible the methods. He plowed through struggles with his health and weight. Church and family were his rock, yet he could not resist every opportunity to betray them. Debate usually concluded with: “Shut the fuck up!”

And the media delights in the blurred line between Tony and Chris. We all love the Jersey boy who knows the value of the ends and leaves the means to his henchmen/women. One icon begets another.

A typical soliloquy goes: “All due respect, you got no fucking idea what it’s like to be Number One. Every decision you make affects every facet of every other fucking thing. It’s too much to deal with almost. And in the end you’re completely alone with it all.”

He dismisses someone who’s become inconvenient:  “I’m gonna go back in there and be with my guests. Exactly ten minutes, I’m gonna look up, if you’re not here i’m gonna assume that you went to look for whatever the fuck it is that’s calling you out there. And then I will never see you again. If you are still here, then I’m gonna assume that you have no other desire in the world than to be with me. And your actions will show me that every second of every fucking day. You understand me? Don’t answer me. Take the ten minutes, you think about it.” Goodbye Dr. Melfi / Ms. Kelly.