La Cosa Nostra, or, as the characters on The Sopranos often referred to what they were secretly doing, "this thing of ours," inspired many storytellers to envision a fictional world where operating outside the law was the norm. But few did it like David Chase, James Gandolfini, the writers, and the cast of one of the first TV shows with movie-like cinematography. Oh, and don't forget the cars!
The members of such groups don't like to get their stories out there. As Frank Vincent's character Phil Leotardo famously said, "You don't ever admit the existence of this thing!"
Granted, he was right to be upset. The antagonist spent 20 years behind bars and said nothing about the New York mafia, whilst his boss, John Sacrimoni (aka Johnny Sack), played by Vincent Curatola, confirmed in a broadcasted court session that La Cosa Nostra was, in fact, a thing and he was part of it. In exchange, he got a lighter sentence.
In short, the Sopranos was a masterpiece. It showed the challenges of running a business based on fear and with people who are always ready to resort to violence to accomplish their tasks. It's a must-watch for anyone who thought at least once that being a mobster might be cool.
But one thing The Sopranos also did well was putting the right (and somewhat unexpected) cars on display. The one boss who had a cool ride, Johnny Sack, ended up losing almost everything, even his 2002 Maserati Coupe finished in Grigio Touring. He had to sell it to Tony Soprano's nephew Christopher Moltisanti because he needed cash, but the federal marshals took it away from the troubled young man. It wasn't supposed to be sold in the first place because the FBI froze Sack's assets.
Keep in mind that the anti-hero protagonist, Tony Soprano, drove a V8-powered carmine red-over-gray 1999 Chevrolet Suburban at first. He moved to a Cadillac Escalade a few seasons later. As such, all those nefarious actors weren't very fond of pricey or exotic rides. Tony's wife had one of the best vehicles – a 2005 Porsche "like the pepper" Cayenne S. That's, of course, true only if we ignore the mobbed-up businesswoman Angie Bonpensiero's C6 Chevrolet Corvette.
But one of the cars that remains engraved on The Sopranos fans' memory is a Cadillac sedan. Tony Soprano's consigliere and the number two of the New Jersey "glorified crew," Silvio Dante, almost lost his life after the war with the New York family started.
That car wasn't his, though! It was Pasquale "Patsy" Parisi's ride. He just happened to climb into the passenger's seat as the two were getting ready to go into hiding until one faction came on top.
Photo: HBO
Assassins found them before they got away. Silvio, a fan-favorite, was shot multiple times. Patsy escaped by running to the river behind the Bada Bing. Needless to say, that scene was enough to transform that Cadillac into an unforgettable set of wheels.
The silver DeVille powered by a 4.9-liter V8 engine mated to a three-speed automatic transmission was recently sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale 2024 auction for the incredible sum of just $14,300. The owner didn't even set a reserve. They might've been too confident. Or, who knows, maybe they didn't expect much. We can't say.
That may seem low for such an important TV show prop, but we must remember that it didn't mean much for the fans before Silvio was seriously wounded in the second-to-last episode. The fact that it had some bondo-filled holes and a stained CarFax might not have been of much help, too.
The sixth-generation DeVille manufactured from 1985 until 1993 was also not particularly known for being well-built or reliable. Still, some that are in good condition and unrelated to any popular TV shows are offered at prices of over $17,000. Two-door coupes are a bit more valuable. You could find some that are for sale with a price of around $20,000.
But the unit that recently found another home does come with the proper documentation, a framed picture with Stevie van Zandt's autograph, a signed copy of the artist's "Unrequited Infatuations" book, and quite a history. It can certainly make any garage a bit more interesting. And for the price of a used two-year-old Kia Soul, who wouldn't take the opportunity, right?
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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