Why Did Paulie Kill Minn Matrone? The Sopranos' Coldest Kill
Mobsters DailyPaulie killed Minn Matrone because she caught him robbing her: Paulie had broken into the elderly widow's apartment for the cash she kept under her mattress, and when she walked in and recognised him, he smothered her with a pillow to silence her.
A friendship fee, collected
Minn was a friend of Paulie's mother Nucci from the Green Grove retirement community — the world of Paulie Walnuts, the funniest and coldest man in the show. Paulie had been paying Minn's expenses and courtesies as a family obligation, and learned she kept thousands in cash at home instead of a bank. The same greed behind Paulie's betrayal of Tony turned, here, on a defenceless old woman.
No gun, no crew, no war — just Paulie alone with a pillow, which is why the Tony Soprano Ugly Christmas Sweater belongs in every November rewatch: Tony in a black-and-white stencil, gabagool included, nothing covering the print.
The show's coldest kill
There is no score being settled and no message being sent. Paulie, discovered mid-burglary by a woman who trusted him, chooses murder over embarrassment in seconds, then sits down, catches his breath and finishes the theft. It is the moment the show insists you see past the comedy: the germ-phobic clown of the crew is its most quietly monstrous man.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Minn Matrone? A widowed friend of Paulie's mother from Green Grove, played by Fran Anthony, who kept her savings in cash at home.
Did anyone find out Paulie killed Minn? No. Her death was treated as natural, and Paulie never confessed it to anyone on screen.
Which episode does Paulie kill Minn in? Season 4's 'Eloise' (2002), one of the series' most quietly shocking episodes.
Keep reading: Paulie after the finale · Why Tony spared Paulie · Most shocking deaths, ranked
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