Maybe this incident is not as "ruthless" as the rest of you guys might think, but I think it was unthinkably new as far as ruthless-ness is concerned:

1) Season 1: when Tony grabs Christopher (who has a bandage around his neck after being dragged to the Meadowlands) and squeezes a "little bit" hard when Chrissy threatens to "question" Tony's leadership.

2) Season 1: almost the very following scene when Tony uses the stapler on Mikey Palmice's suit..I really loved that scene and have been keeping a similiar stapler in my car ever since

"..Your youngest and strongest will fall by the sword.."

"...now you gotta speak more than one language to pull a heist..." Pudge Nichols

"...Never shall innocent blood be shed; yet the blood of the wicked shall flow like a river. The THREE shall spread their blackened wings and be the vengeaful striking hammer of God..."