Vito Spatafore

Vito Spatafore Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito Jr., and was a closeted homosexual. This was revealed in the show's fifth season, and became one of the more prominent subplots in the sixth season.

Fictional character biography

Vito Spatafore was introduced on The Sopranos Season 2 episode "The Happy Wanderer" as a nephew to fellow mobster Richie Aprile and later a cousin to Adriana La Cerva and Jackie Aprile, Jr. However, Joseph Gannascoli also had a minor role as a pastry shop patron named "Gino" in the season one episode "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti", a rare example of a single actor playing two separate roles in the series. His main character, Vito, appears in season 2 and is inducted into the Aprile crew upon Richie's release from prison and quickly rises through the ranks to capo after the deaths of capos Richie Aprile, Gigi Cestone and Ralph Cifaretto.