In The Beginning....

I have often wondered how some of Tony's crew got together?

I know Tony knew Arty from back when they were kid's but what about the other's ?

Maybe a future programme could be on The Soprano's - The Early Years

Would make interesting viewing

Paulie was a soldier in Tony's dad's crew.
Silvio has been a family friend, associate and possibly soldier since the early days as well, having ran clubs before the Bing.
Eugene (the rat) and Tony played on the same sports team when they were young.
Christopher, of course, grew up with Tony and was like a little brother, as Tony watched over him when Chris' dad Dickie was murdered.
Ralphie was a young hoodlum with Tony in the days before they became made guys.
Bobby's dad was a soldier under Boss DiMeo and probably had been in Junior's crew, since it is Bobby who takes care of Junior in his old age. Tony's dad had been a soldier and then captain. So both Tony and Bobby grew up in the business and likely acquaintances.
Vito was related by marriage to Jackie Aprile Sr. and cousin to Jackie Jr. (who he later whacks).
Carlo, Patsy or any of the others? I don't know the backstories.

Carlo went back to the Family at least as far as the late 70s (Paulie mentions a vacation that he, Tony, Carlo and some others went on in 1978).
Ralphie, Tony, Silvio, and Jackie, Sr were all part of a little crew together as teenagers. Jackie probably got involved because his brother Richie was a feared Capo.
Big Pussy was a soldier in Johnny Boy's crew, with Paulie and when Johnny died, Tony inherited both of them.

Silvio asks Tony if he "went to school with a guy named Artie Bucco" in the pilot so I don't think Silvio was friendly with Artie. Silvio's character was slightly altered for the main run of the series though, but I'll still consider what happened in the pilot as canon. The thing to remember is that many of the people in Tony's crew (Puss, Paulie and Silvio) are older than Tony so they wouldn't have necessarily known Artie. Ralphie might be the same age though as Tony.

"considering what happened in the pilot as canon" is a terrible idea.

The Pilot was filmed like an year before the rest of the first season, and among others, that very line you mentioned is totally out of sync with the rest of the series. it implies that Tony and Artie hadn't been in touch for years but it was later established that Artie was Tony's one big friend outside the "life" and Silvio would have to know him way better than "some guy named Artie Bucco".

You got it Tony!

You sure it wasn't johnny who went on that vacation tony would
have only been 17 or something

The pilot was filmed in 1995 I believe, 4 years before it was released.

It was actually filmed in 1997, to be exact.

Vito was also married to Phil Leotardo(spell check)cousin, so he is well known through out the two families..

Thought I was the only one who caught that.