Jackie Aprile Jr.

Jackie Aprile Jr.
First appearance "The Knight in White Satin Armor" (episode 2.12)
Last appearance "Army of One" (episode 3.13)
Created by David Chase
Portrayed by Jason Cerbone
Information
Full name Giacomo Michael Aprile Jr.
Nickname(s) Jackie Jr.
Little Lord Fuckpants
The Fresh Prince of New Jersey
Fabian
Aliases Mr. X
Occupation Boonton High School junior varsity High school football linebacker, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School pre-medical undergraduate student (drop-out)
Fashion Institute of Technology City University of New York student (never completed), ecstacy dealer, armed robber,
Title Associate of the Aprile crew in the DiMeo crime family
Family Jackie Aprile Sr. (father; deceased)
Ralph Cifaretto (stepfather; deceased)
Rosalie Aprile (mother)
Kelli Aprile (sister)
Significant other(s) Meadow Soprano (ex-girlfriend)
Relatives Richie Aprile (uncle; deceased)
Liz La Cerva (aunt)
Adriana La Cerva (cousin; deceased)
Vito Spatafore (cousin; deceased)
Bryan Spatafore (cousin)
Richie Aprile Jr. (cousin)
Religion Roman Catholicism
Nationality Italian-American

Giacomo Michael "Jackie" Aprile Jr. (commonly referred to as Jackie Jr.), played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.

Plot details

Jackie Aprile Jr. was born 1979 into a North Jersey mafia family and raised in Lincoln Park, New Jersey. His father, Jackie Aprile Sr., was once the acting boss of the DiMeo crime family, and his uncle Richie Aprile was a long time capo in the same crime family. However Jackie Jr. himself was kept away from the family business by Jackie Sr. and his father's best friend, Tony Soprano. At his wake, Corrado Soprano recalls a story that Jackie Jr. almost drowned in three inches of water at a zoo penguin exhibit. He only began getting involved with the criminal aspects of his family in 2000—season 2 of The Sopranos—after the death of his father and the release of his uncle Richie from prison. Richie speaks of taking Jackie Jr. out to go buy him a Chevrolet Camaro (fourth generation). While out on a date with Meadow Soprano, while inebriated she crashes his Chevrolet Cavalier in a parking lot, and Jackie Jr. falsely reports it as having been stolen and leaves the scene of the accident. Despite attempts to succeed at Rutgers, Jackie Jr. drifted towards a life of crime as he began helping his uncle Richie in the Aprile crew.[1][2]

His mother Rosalie Aprile began a romantic relationship with Ralph Cifaretto. Ralph was more of a mentor in Jackie's attempt to follow in his father's footsteps and was not actively involved with his life or development as a young man. It was Ralph's bad influence, Jackie Jr.'s own faults, and finally Tony's insistence that Jackie Jr. not become involved in organized crime that were the contributing factors that propelled Jackie Jr. into a brief and humiliating career as a criminal.[3][4][5][6]

Working alongside his friend Dino Zerilli, he began small by selling ecstasy to college kids. They often hung out at the Ooh Fa pizza restaurant which brought them into contact with Christopher Moltisanti. He was a linebacker for his football team at Boonton High School and was All-State by the end of his semester.[7][8][9][10] Jackie planned the robbery of a Jewel-Amnesty International benefit concert at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and drove the getaway car for Christopher and Benny Fazio. While waiting in the car Jackie urinates in his pants.[11][12] Later Jackie tried to use his 'influence' with Christopher to help a drug dealer associate from college named Matush sell ecstasy at the Crazy Horse club in West Long Branch, New Jersey, owned by Christopher and Furio Giunta and fronted by Adriana La Cerva. Matush had been thrown out of the club by Giunta once already and Jackie met with him at a "sit-down" and agreed to take his case up with Chris; Chris refused to grant any favors because estacy would bring attention of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force but Jackie told Matush it would be alright to work outside the club anyway - resulting in a severe beating for Matush.[13][14]

Jackie Jr. began dating Meadow Soprano and as a result, he copied the Mafia tradition of leading two lives. Jackie tried to maintain the appearance of a respectable college student dating Meadow while drifting further into the Mafia life. Tony's interest was further increased because he had been a close friend of Jackie's father and had promised that he would keep Jackie Jr. away from organized crime. Tony began to see through Jackie's facade when he caught him at the casino on Bloomfield Ave in Bloomfield, New Jersey and then later at the Bada Bing. Ralph Cifaretto gives Jackie Jr. a .38 revolver at his request. Jackie says the reason behind wanting the gun was that he would rather have one in case something happened than be caught unarmed in a situation. Tony was furious because he had tried so hard to keep Jackie straight, beating him up in the bathroom of the club after catching him there getting a lap dance.[15][16] Tony began seeing much of himself and his treatment of Carmela in Jackie's relationship with Meadow.

Things came to a head after Jackie Jr. flunked out of Rutgers University after he was caught cheating during an exam. Meadow suggested that he enroll in the Fashion Institute of Technology because he said he has a passion for designing men's suits. Jackie was subsequently dumped by Meadow after she found him cheating on her. Resentful of Tony's hypocrisy, Jackie began working directly for Ralph, forming his own minor crew in the process.[17][18][19][20]

Upon hearing Ralph tell the story of when Jackie's father and Tony robbed a card game held by Feech La Manna, Jackie became inspired to follow in his father's footsteps. Using his dim-witted crew of Carlo Renzi, Dino Zerilli and Matush, Jackie attempted to hold up a card game run by Aprile soldier Eugene Pontecorvo. The young stick-up men got high and Jackie almost decided not to go through with it. Once inside things went horribly awry - Jackie killed "Sunshine" the dealer, made man Furio Giunta was shot in the leg, Renzi was killed at the scene by Christopher and Matush fled in the getaway car upon hearing gunshots. Jackie Jr. barely escaped with his life by performing a quick carjacking. He drove straight past Dino Zerilli leaving him to perish at the hands of Christopher and Albert Barese.[21][22]

He later runs away from home and does not talk to his mother Rosalie or Ralph Cifaretto. He hides out at an African-American's apartment in Boonton, New Jersey. Jackie called Tony and begged for help saying that he was imitating Tony and Jackie when they were younger. Tony rebuffs Jackie, saying they were different scenarios with different results. Largely because of his feelings toward Jackie Sr., Tony suggested to Ralph that Jackie should be given a pass for the failed robbery. At a meeting between Tony and Ralph about what to do about Jackie, Tony stated that the important thing is that action is taken "in a timely fashion." Ralph of course had to maintain stability and his stature with Tony and the crime family. He gave Aprile crew soldier (and Jackie's cousin) Vito Spatafore the order to take out Jackie. Outside the Boonton Projects, Vito shot Jackie Jr. in the back of the head, leaving Jackie's body face down in the snow.[23][24]

Rosalie, Meadow and the rest of the family were told that Jackie was killed by black drug dealers. The death of Jackie Jr. had an enormous effect on Meadow Soprano and she began having mixed feelings for her father and his criminal activities. At his funeral Jackie's sister Kelli Aprile said that it was Jackie's life dream to follow in their father's footsteps and like Meadow acknowledges that Jackie was killed by the Mafia. As a result, Meadow was often depressed and told her parents that she knew Jackie was killed by members of organized crime and not by drug dealers.[23][24]

While most in the DiMeo crime family discouraged Jackie's criminal aspirations they also saw his leadership potential. Christopher Moltisanti viewed Jackie as a rival as Tony's protégé and referred to Jackie as "the heir apparent", realizing Jackie's family history. Jackie was also the first person to realize Ralph Cifaretto had a secret sex life. He told his friend Dino Zerilli that he thought Ralph "was a secret fag or something". Tony would later find out from Ralph's girlfriend Valentina La Paz that Ralph had masochistic inclinations.

Murders committed by Aprile

  • Sunshine: - Shot during an armed robbery of a poker game. (2001)

References

  1. ↑ Allen Coulter (director); Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess (writers) (2000-04-02). "Knight in White Satin Armor". The Sopranos. Season 2. Episode 12. HBO.
  2. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 25 - "Knight in White Satin Armor"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  3. ↑ Tim Van Patten (director); David Chase (writer) (2001-03-04). "Proshai, Livushka". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 2. HBO.
  4. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 28 - "Proshai, Livushka"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  5. ↑ Henry J. Bronchtein (director); Todd A. Kessler (writer) (2001-03-11). "Fortunate Son". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 3. HBO.
  6. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 29 - "Fortunate Son"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  7. ↑ John Patterson (director); Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess (writers) (2001-03-18). "Employee of the Month". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 4. HBO.
  8. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 30 - "Employee of the Month"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  9. ↑ Jack Bender (director); Terence Winter (writer) (2001-03-25). "Another Toothpick". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 5. HBO.
  10. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 31 - "Another Toothpick"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  11. ↑ Allen Coulter (director); David Chase, Terence Winter, Todd A. Kessler, Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess (story), Terence Winter and Salvatore J Stabile (teleplay) (2001-04-01). "University". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 6. HBO.
  12. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 32 - "University"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  13. ↑ Allen Coulter (director); Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess and Todd A. Kessler (writers) (2001-04-15). "He Is Risen (The Sopranos)". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 8. HBO.
  14. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 34 - "He Is Risen"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  15. ↑ Dan Attias (director); Michael Imperioli (writer) (2001-04-22). "The Telltale Moozadell". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 9. HBO.
  16. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 35 - "The Telltale Moozadell"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  17. ↑ Jack Bender (director); Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess (writers) (2001-04-29). "…To Save Us All From Satan's Power". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 10. HBO.
  18. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 36 - "…To Save Us All From Satan's Power"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  19. ↑ Steve Buscemi (director); Tim Van Patten and Terence Winter (story), Terence Winter (teleplay) (2001-05-06). "Pine Barrens". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 11. HBO.
  20. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 37 - "Pine Barrens"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  21. ↑ Tim Van Patten (director); David Chase (story), Frank Renzulli (teleplay) (2001-05-13). "Amour Fou". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 12. HBO.
  22. ↑ "Episode guide - Episode 38 - "Amour Fou"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  23. 1 2 John Patterson (director); David Chase and Lawrence Konner (writers) (2001-05-20). "Army of One". The Sopranos. Season 3. Episode 13. HBO.
  24. 1 2 "Episode guide - Episode 39 - "Army of One"". HBO. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
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