How Did Richie Aprile Die in The Sopranos?
Mobsters DailyRichie Aprile died in the season 2 finale, shot twice by his fiancee Janice Soprano after he punched her in the face during a dinner-table argument — no hit was ever ordered on him.
A capo nobody could control
Richie came home from ten years in prison expecting his old crew, his old respect and a piece of everything Tony Soprano had built while he was away. Instead he ran a shylock and construction shakedown war at the edges of Tony's authority, sold cocaine on garbage routes Tony had banned it from, and crippled Beansie Gaeta with his car for refusing to pay. The famous story of Richie Aprile's jacket — the one he took off a feared tough guy and proudly gave to Tony, who gave it away — summed up his problem: in his head it was still the old world, and in everyone else's it was not.
Tony had already decided Richie was a problem to be solved, and viewers can watch the full arc in Richie Aprile's story, from the jacket to Janice. He was undermining a boss in public, dealing after a direct order, and lining up support from Uncle Junior for a move against Tony. In mob terms his death was coming one way or another. It just did not come the way anyone, including Tony, planned.
Richie's end is still the dinner-table story Sopranos fans argue about first, and with the holidays coming, that is exactly the energy of the Tony Soprano Ugly Christmas Sweater — Tony in a black-and-white stencil, no colour on his face, built for Christmas parties, family photos and long Sopranos rewatch nights in November and December.
The punch, the gun and the cleanup
The night he died, Richie came home high and furious that his son — a dancer — might be gay, and the argument with Janice turned on respect, family and who ran the house. When Janice defended the boy, Richie punched her in the mouth and sat back down to eat, calmly announcing they would still be married. Janice left the room, came back with a gun, and shot him — once, then again as he reached across the table. It remains one of the most shocking deaths in the series precisely because it was domestic, sudden and completely unsanctioned.
Janice called Tony in hysterics. Tony, who had been hours away from ordering Richie's death himself, instead became the cleaner: Christopher and Furio were brought in, Richie's body was disposed of through the Satriale's meat operation, his car was dumped, and Janice was put on a bus out of town with a cover story that Richie had simply left her. Tony never forgot what his sister had done — or that, in a twisted way, she had solved his Richie problem for free.
Frequently asked questions
Which episode does Richie Aprile die in? "The Knight in White Satin Armor," the season 2 finale, episode 12.
Why did Janice shoot Richie Aprile? He punched her in the face during an argument, after months of menace and control, and she shot him in the heat of that moment.
Did Tony order Richie Aprile's death? No. Tony was planning to move against Richie, but Janice killed him first, without anyone's permission.
Keep reading: The Sopranos' most shocking deaths, ranked · How Big Pussy died · Why Tony sent Feech back to prison · How Did Jackie Aprile Jr. Die in The Sopranos? · Who Was Rosalie Aprile? The Mob's Grief Counselor · Why Did Richie Aprile Run Over Beansie Gaeta?
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