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From “Little Caesar” to “The Godfather” to “The Sopranos,” America just can not get enough of a good gangster story. For many decades, any gangster related story has evoked both fear and awe in the average, law-abiding citizen. These figures are hated by some for the violent acts attributed to them, yet oddly respected by others for their Robin Hood-like folklore that clings to him. The gangster is often seen as a tragic hero, in which a tragic event leads to their downfall and eventually their death. In Cawelti’s “The New Mythology of Crime,” he proves this theory when he states “man loves crime stories, because he has some basic traits which, among other things, manifest itself in a fascination with tales of crime” (326). The hit HBO TV series “The Sopranos” is the epitome of how America loves a good mob story. The idea for this hit show did not stem from the producer’s head in one night but took a lot of time to plan, and carefully analyze the earlier films in the gangster genre. In other words, “The Sopranos” are deeply rooted in the legacy of other gangster films, in which the writers and produces give respect and acknowledge the old gangster world. In doing so, the producer and writers capture the major themes that are seen throughout the gangster genre, and either draws on or revises the genre. In analyzing the episode “A Hit is A Hit,” several themes are presented that is no different from that of “Little Cesar,” “The Killing,” and various other gangster movies. The gangster takes on a task to hoist himself into higher American social class, the gangster struggles to branch out into societal norms, the gangster’s family hierarchy as embodiment of traditional, patriarchal values, the difference between a gangster and a gangsta, and the gangster like a businessman. The episode begins with the gangster’s attempt to hoist himself into higher American social class. In a profitable hit, they were able to make a killing. They get a “refrigerator box” full of money and kill Juan Valdez, a wealthy crack dealer. This scene is a play on “The Killing,” where Johnny Clay makes an offer to random people that they can not refuse. If the plan is successful, they would all be able to hoist themselves into a higher social class. Of course, the plan was not successful and they ended up dead in a massive shoot out. It was interesting how the first scene in the episode was a play on an old gangster film. In “The Killing” and “A Hit is A Hit,” the gangster is not directly involved in the actual heist. He plans the heist and informs the members of their role that must be done exactly like the gangster says. The members only know what they need to know. In “The Killing,” they did not know who all the participants were because the gangster felt as though it was not relevant to their job. George wanted to know who was starting the fight and who was Clay paying under the table. Clay told him it is none of his business, he just needs to worry about his task at hand. After everyone did their part, they were told to wait for a phone call to figure out where they will reap their rewards. Due to the massive killing, no one was able to reap the benefits of the profitable hit. In “A Hit is A Hit,” the guys successfully completed the robbery and one of the guys had to report back to Tony to inform him that everything went as planned. Once again the gangster is at a distance. When Tony received the update, he was in the kitchen talking to his neighbor, Bruce Cussamano. The message was relayed to Tony in codes, just to keep the secretive aspect of the gangster job. The conversation was as follows: Guy: Its done. It’s the biggest fucking refrigerator box you’ve ever seen.” Tony responds “What about the other thing.” Guy: “Juan Valdez has been separated from is donkey. You know, Ton’.” During the celebration, one of the guys asked Christopher “Could this be end of Rico?” This was the exact line that Rico said right before he died in “Little Caesar.” Maybe the reference was made because Chris decided to celebrate his good fortune with Adriana instead of celebrating it with the guys, symbolizing how the female can pose a threat to the male bond.
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