‘Sopranos’ who’s who: From A.J. to Artie

Janice Soprano: Janice, like her mother did, breathes fire. Tony’s big sister is now married to Bobby Baccala, the gentle giant capo. Hopefully, he’ll fair better than her previous husband, Richie Aprile, whom she killed after he hit her. She has a vaguely hippie past and once tried to kick-start a career in Christian rock music. She’s now a soccer mom — albeit one who has, on one occasion, flattened another soccer mom.

Christopher Moltisanti: Tony’s nephew has got to be singin’ the blues: “My baby went away, and I’ve got that feelin’ that my baby’s gone to stay.” His fiance, Adriana La Cerva, was killed late last season after he discovered she was ratting to the FBI. Christopher, who has struggled with a heroin addiction, earlier tried his hand at writing the next “Goodfellas,” but his future is more likely heir apparent to his uncle. But who knows? With box office numbers falling as they are, maybe studios are dying to get their paws on his script: “You Bark, I Bite.”

Dr. Jennifer Melfi: Melfi’s yuppie Italian-American life counters the stereotype of the Sopranos. As Tony’s therapist, she has a unique window into the mind of a murderer — a position of some discomfort to Melfi. She finds Tony’s livelihood odious, but after a man who raped her got out of jail time, she admitted feeling comforted knowing Tony would “squash” him “like a bug” if she wanted. When separated from Carmela, Tony asked her out, only to be rebuffed.

Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri: Seldom seen without a comb. Paulie is a longtime capo to Tony, but has a violent, independent streak. When Tony lowered his earnings, Paulie secretly tried to switch to the New York family; that backfired, and he’s now back in the fold. For Paulie, never known for his brains, a lot of things “don’t compute.”

Silvio Dante: Tony’s loyal consigliere. He’s probably the coolest head in the family, if not the entire TV show.

Johnny “Sack” Sacramoni: Johnny Sack is an angry fellow who will not abide jokes about his overweight wife, Ginny. Johnny Sack became the head of the New York family after the death of Carmine Lupertazzi. A war between Tony and Johnny seemed imminent after an unauthorized murder committed by Tony’s cousin, Tony Blundetto, but Tony cleared that up by killing his relative and lifelong friend. He and Johnny Sack were just patching things up when the police swooped in to arrest Johnny in the season five finale.

Phil Leotardo: Figures to be the acting NYC boss while Johnny is behind bars. It was his brother who was killed by Tony Blundetto. Suffice to say, he and Tony Soprano aren’t best of friends.

Artie Bucco: Good buddies with Tony and frequently hosts him at this restaurant, Nuovo. He knows Tony’s job, but is himself a civilian. They occasionally clash, as friends do, over sports, sauce recipes and Tony blowing up Artie’s restaurant.

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