Probably a little late to respond to this, but I just read this now.

As you obviously refer to the "presumed" assassination, I don't think it was actually carried out profesionally.

First of all, why would the "members only" hitman first go to the bathroom and then kill Tony? He could have killed him immediately after he walked beside him and get the hell out of there. Or was it that they desperately wanted to make yet another reference to The Godfather?

Second, Mafia hitmen mostly carry out assassinations as a "hit and run". You don't want people to recognise you. Therefore, I don't think a professional hitman would sit around in a public restaurant showing his face while observing his target before killing him on the spot.

Third, although I'm not totally sure, but isn't it against mafia protocol to kill someone in front of his wife and children?

Fair enough, Phil Leotardo was killed that way, but they had to make the exception as he was in constant hiding and it was probably the only change to get to him.

The point I'm trying to make, if Tony would have been killed by the hitman, it was not professionally done IMO.

True Sonny Black, but Chase had always taken liberties with the show. Watching the whole sixth season from the beginning, there are many references to Tony's fate.

I think the three o'clock dream was something Chase was thinking about but decided to go in a different direction as the show progressed.

I feel like people who try to explain the finale as anything other than Tony being whacked, are reaching. "It's all there if you look close enough" like Chase said.

chase also said "anyone who thinks tony soprano died while eating a plate of onion rings can fuck off" or something to that extent.

lol Are there any published articles that say he died eating onion rings. The way he devoured the goba goo on the show was enough to give anyone a heart-attack.

chase was referring to that tony and his family were eating a plate of onion rings in the final scene when some people think he was killed.