Tony Blundetto never stood a chance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWv7sXVO9xo
The Soprano Files

Jan 1, 2026
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Tony Soprano’s decision to kill his cousin Tony Blundetto is often described as a mercy killing — a final act of compassion to spare his family and prevent Phil Leotardo’s revenge from spiraling out of control. But beneath that justification lies something much darker. This wasn’t about mercy. It was about control. Tony didn’t want Phil to have the satisfaction, the story, or the power to decide how things ended. In this essay, we break down why Tony Soprano killed his cousin not out of love, but out of pride — and how that single act exposed the illusion of control that defined his entire life.

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