The Sopranos had several characters who would be called "heavy hitters" in real life. Going from before the series actually started, who do you think overall was the most ruthless and did the most hits? Obviously its opinion based on what we know about their characters on the show

The Hitters
Phil Leotardo
Richie Aprile
Paulie Gualtieri

Do you think Johnny Sack, Carmine Lupertazzi Jr actually made their bones???

Who do you think ordered more hits, Tony as Boss or Junior in his day?

sil also got to kill many people
he killed aid, jimmy altieri, burt gervasi, fat dom
Who do you think ordered more hits, Tony as Boss or Junior in his day?
hard to say because junior was a boss for short time
he order brendan killed and that irish junky

Funny enough I forgot about Silvio but basically I was trying to say, going beyond the time-line of the show, and assuming that because those guys had been around since to 60s/70s that they probably had more notches. When it came to Junior I was really speaking about his whole career

To answer my own questions though, I would put it like this
Paulie Walnuts probably did the most hits of all the guys
Phil Leotardo probably did the most high profile hits (on important figures in NY)
Richie probably killed the most guys of the record (unauthorized or on guys not made)

When it comes to Junior, I think we didn't really get to see the "best" of him as a gangster. By the fact that he was actually there for the Brendan filone hit (as a old man) showed me he had an appetite for it and was probably alittle more ruthless(in his heyday) then given credit.

And Johnny Sack seemed to be a money-maker, I don't think he probably ever actually clipped anyone. Carmine Jr got in on Nepotism, I also don't think he "popped his cherry in that regard"

I was trying to say, going beyond the time-line of the show, and assuming that because those guys had been around since to 60s/70s that they probably had more notches. When it came to Junior I was really speaking about his whole career
well it's hard to know (maybe the upcoming movie will reveal some info about it)

What about Tony B?

The impression I got from Junior is that he was more of an orchestrator pulling the strings behind the scenes, just going by the way he had Mikey whack Brendan Filone and Donnie P. I just have a hard time picturing him pulling the trigger himself. Look at the way he outsourced the attempted whacking of Tony. I know Tony was his nephew but surely that means you want to ensure the job is done properly with no complications. When Tony needed to get rid of Animal Blundetto and Christopher, he did it himself; he didn't kick the can down the road. Like Carmine Lupertazzi said, he was decisive in confronting and dealing with his problems.

In the mob, there are the brainy guys and the brawny guys. Junior definitely fell into the former category. He was a canny guy - just look at how Tony used him as an unofficial consigliere - but a "Terminator" in the mold of Bobby Bacala Sr.? I'm not seeing it.

Bobby Baccalieri Sr. is referred to in the series as "The Terminator" and is referenced as someone who's done many hits although I don't believe the exact number was ever said.

Chris racks up more than a few over the years too, from Emil in season 1, right when we meet him and later in the season Mikey Palmice (along with Paulie), to the cop that killed his father and even his AA cohort and business partner JT Dolan - he also orders a few including the guy in Boston who he sends Gene Pontecorvo to go hit. Whether or not he killed the Russian in Pine Barrens or one of the bikers after him and Tony rob them for the wine bottles together is left somewhat open, but certainly Chris was a stone cold killer.

As for Johnny Sack making his bones - I'm going to say yes. You don't rise up to that position without earning a ruthless reputation and several times in the show we saw his violent mean streak and the explosive temper that went with it. He would have been inducted probably in the early '80s or so and that being the case, I would have expected him to have made his bones for sure. He was respected by cold old school guys like Phil (until the wedding) who I don't think would have respected him without is having the reputation of a killer.

Carmine Jr.? I'm going to say most likely he did not. Thomas Gambino situation.

Tony B is also a great pick.

Overall it's probably somewhat unrealistic how many killings Tony, Chris, Silvio and Paulie in particular are credited with. But if I go back and re-read that Anthony Casso biography maybe I wouldn't be so sure!

I understand what you mean about Junior. I agree about him being more of an "orchestrator" but its like John Alite said in the Netflix documentary "Most people thought Paul Castellano was a soft guy but here's a guy who had 30 dudes clipped without every pulling a trigger, he's a much a killer as anybody." Thats the standpoint I am coming from. And think about this, guys like Feech LaManna and Richie Aprile don't respect a guy who wasn't the same cloth as them in some regard.

Tony's body count is right up there.

I may be off on a couple, so feel free to give your feedback

Abbreviations:
DBT - done by Tony
OBT - ordered by Tony
MK - mercy killing

Willie Overall DBT
Febby Petrulio DBT
Chucky Signore DBT
Matthew Bevilaqua DBT
Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero DBT
Ralph Cifaretto DBT
Tony Blundetto MK
Chris Moltisanti MK

Rusty Milio - OBT - Favor for the Lupertazzi Family
Mustang Sally - OBT
Jimmy Altieri OBT

Mikey Palmice OBT
Phillip Parisi OBT
Barry Haydu OBT
Stanley Johnson OBT Killed to silence him about the cancelled contract on Carmine
Credendo Curtis OBT - Killed to silence him about the cancelled contract on Carmine.
Jack Massarone OBT
Adrianna La Cerva OBT
Rene LeCours OBT Killed by Bobby in Canada
Phil Leotardo OBT
Also the guy who ran Green Grove retirement Home OBT

Add to Tony's body count;
Bert Gervasi - OBT - Garroted by Sil for expressing his intent to switch allegiance to the Lupertazzi Family (The Blue Comet)

Tony didn't know anything about Burt's loyalty or murder until Sil told him after the fact. That was all on Sil and his loyalty towards T.

I would say given how long Paulie has been around and what the psychic had to say about "many more" victims hanging around Paulie would have had the biggest body count. He was after all pretty much enforcer/muscle going back to Johnny Boy. He was their go to guy.

@Lou_Para
When youbput it like that, I totally agree. I was just thinking the older wiseguys had been doing hits since the 60s, sonthe hitlist was probably a mile long. Especially for Paulie.
Tony was definitely more ruthless then Junior (personally) but I would have to believe Junior ordered plenty during his time. Also nice touch with the abbreviations, very technical.

Appreciate the input. You are correct,Sir, Sil did it on his own.
If you limit it to hands-on murders,Tony definitely is not a top scorer.
I included any killings that he was legally liable for in response to the original question "who ordered more hits (as Boss) Tony or Junior ?'

Wonder if there were more for Tony after Willie Overall and between the start of season 1 we never heard about? Would seem like being the son of a high ranking guy he'd kind of isolate himself from doing that sort of thing as he was a pretty fast riser himself. Season 1 was just kind of ridiculous with the killings and Tony pulling a gun out of a fish and killing Chuckie in broad daylight, ha. One thing I always thought was weird though was we never saw the Green Grove guy they had killed, just his hairpiece.

Also, I would add Jackie Jr. to the list of killings OBT. He did that without explicitly coming out and ordering Ralph to kill him. But he told him to get it done. In a "timely fashion". But maximum deniability on his end for his own conscience. But in that conversation him and Ralph had they both knew he had to go.

Burt was on Tonys Behalf.

In the Series, Tony killed and ordered many deaths. Paulie did a lot of hits. Silvio and Christopher did a lot. When Bompensiero gets it, everyone in there were the top hitters for the show. Corrado Soprano is another one up there. Then you have the tidbits of information like Paulie taking out a lot of heavy hitters in his time. Bobby Baccalieri Sr being known as the Terminator. Lou DiMaggio Galina doing a lot of hits. One person who does not get mentioned is Ercole DiMeo. You dont stay as boss that long without having to ok hits.
If we just go by what we watched in the series and not the tidbits of information we get during the show, then it would be Tony Soprano number one due to both him killing and ordering deaths, followed by Gualtieri. Either both Tony and Paulie are tied on screen killings or Paulie is ahead of Tony in that regard. Pretty much Paulie Gualtieri was Tony's number one hitman.

I think we all could agree Paulie did alot of hit (he fits the prototype of when the feds give a crazy number like "responsible for over 30 murders" type statements) and was a psychopath. What I find interesting, is that he didn't seem to carry that "almighty" fear (like a Richie Aprile) and he wasn't universally respected (think the argument with Feech in the bakery) and Carmine Sr didn't even know who he was (but Chris was allowed to be at a couple sitdowns) , I just find that peculiar. Obviously its a t.v. show but it seemed alittle strange. Do you think its because he generally wasn't considered a big earner? I mean being close to Johnny Boy Soprano for years(who was praised in mob circles) and Tony (although not universally liked, he was a Boss) would garner more reverence.

That scene between Paulie Gualtieri and Carmine Lupertazzi Sr is priceless. Johnny Sack was a slippery.

Silvio was prepared to kill the Jewish hotel owners son in law, pretty easily as well. It appeared to be no big deal at all.

It made it look as if Sil was very comfortable with committing murder.

That had to be tremendously embarrassing. It would be like me being a 30yr made guy in the 70s, going up to Don Carlo Gambino and him saying "yeah I never heard of you", you'd definitely be wondering "what the fuck am I doing here"
,
Yeah Johnny really showed what a major leaguer was. Paulie was a capo and he had no idea how to deal with the NY mob. Its interesting that Tony Soprano a grip on mob politics. I wish that the "upcoming" movie was set in the 80s and not the 60s. I think it would be far more interesting and insightful

It was a funny scene but it was kind of silly if Paulie goes way back to Johnny Boy to his teens that Carmine would be completely unaware of who he was. It's not like there are a ton of made guys in Jersey NY would be dealing with to begin with, but Paulie would have been a main guy in the span of long he'd been involved. At least known to NY as they're in the same orbit. If for nothing else just for NY to be aware of the power structure over there in case some shit popped off and they had to make a power move.

But boy, did John play Paulie, ha. Which was the point of the scene.

Though it is kind of weird that Paulie never once had an interaction with Junior. I can only think of twice they were in a scene together in the whole run, but no dialogue between them.

The look on both of their faces was priceless. I die laughing everything, Carmine just stop even looking at him eventhough he's 2ft from his face

I agree 110%. I mean Carmine was a Boss but Paulie had been around far too long for that to make sense. I'm it would be the same as saying Old Man Dimeo didn't know who Phil Leotardo was. The circles they ran in, would make it next to impossible that his name never came up about anything or that Paul never drove either Johnny Boy or Tony to NY. And how do you forget a guy with huge gray streaks in a couffed Pompadour.

That an interesting observation. Surely Paulie had to have had some level of respect for Junior. But I guess they didn't want to convolute the series because theorically, Paulie should've had some kind of relationship to Junior, they were from the same era. Thinking about it now, its kinda strange, his reverence for Tony. Not Junior, not Richie, not Feech but "the kid" Tony

Paulie also killed that Cuban guy who paulie says he is killing to send a message. And paulie kills his 'ma's' friend for her money under her mattress. Paulie kills the waiter having the seizure. He has a very short temper I bet he killed more guys than richie cause richie was in jail longer.