One of the issues explored in "The Sopranos" was that of the "mob rats," mobsters or people close to mobsters who end up "flippin'" and providing help to the FBI. The two most notable examples of this in the show, of course, were Adriana and Big Pussy, both of whom ended up being executed. While Ade's downfall was partially due to her own stupidity (she never should have cooperated with the FBI in the first place), Big Pussy truly faced a wrenching dilemma--either betray his most beloved friends or go to prison for at least 30 years.

But did Pussy actually have other options? One clear alternative would have been to kill himself--he would have ended up no worse off doing this than he did anyway, while saving himself the agony of wearing a wire and betraying Tony (the episode "D-Girl," where's he's crying in the bathroom at AJ's conformation party, shows the depth of his agony because of this). The other possible option whould have been to flee the country and start a new life. Do you think he could have successfully done this? If he had gone to, say, Brazil and created a new identity, could he have eluded the FBI and built a satisfatory life for himself? If so, would he have had to do it on his own, or could he have taken his wife Angie and their children with him?

I don't think that character had the intelligence or the drive to be able to flee the country, either alone or with his family.

I think he was strictly a Jersey-NY sort of person and would have been unable to easily operate out of that milieu.

I agree. Even more so with Paulie.

The show's title takes on a double meaning: not only is this about a gangster called Tony Soprano, but a soprano is a high-pitched female singer - the deep anxiety that runs throughout the series is specific to the contemporary gangster: who next is going to "sing" to the Feds? And how might that reflect on the old school views of masculinity, of being a "made man"? This anxiety is especially sharp in a brooding male such as "Big Pussy"...

I feel Pussy thought his only way of getting Matt Bonpensiero an education was by ratting and relocating in the witness protection program. By killing himself or by going to jail, Pussy would be abandoning his family who obviiously meant more to him than his crime family. Adriana would have had a much less severe jail term and was very stupid to flip. Pussy must have been feeling a little delusional as well. He acted as if he were in the FBI at times and had thoughts of travelling to schools to talk to children about his experiences.

I always thought the Adriana thing was a little silly. Would the FBI even bother with someone like her? Wives and girlfriends usually know the least about these guys business.

I think they were probably looking for a domino effect. Get Adriana compromised and perhaps she can get something on Christopher or convince Christopher to turn.

at first I thought he could just flee the country and meet me in Brazil but I see what you mean. those guys lived their whole lives in NY-NJ and I've heard that people from that area use to travel around nearby cities and they can find everything in New York anyway, so they think the world is that and that's it.

and speaking of Pussy...
seriously, why did he run in "Nobody Knows Anything", when the feds busted Jimmy Altieri's card game?

later on Vin Makazian tells Tony that Pussy is "wired for sound" and from what he says it makes me assume that Pussy's been 'singing to the feds' for a while - he mentions a few FBI busts exactly when Pussy wasn't around and how Pussy just got away with "low ball bail", so -- was Pussy just trying to look like there's no way he's playing ball with the FBI?

if so, that wasn't a really good idea, right? he'd be better off just getting busted like everyone else than bringing the spotlight on him and making Tony think "why did he run?"

Not to get off "pussy" being a rat but i think its so funny when he gets puked on by Leonardo Dicapprio in Basketball Diaries-LOL
Pussy should have hung himself like that other snitch that was a "Soldier".The one who wanted to move to Florida but couldnt cause the FBI wanted him to testify after that one stool pigeon had a heart attack.=I forget.

Eugene Pontecorvo!!

Eugene is that GUY. Swingin from the rafters.
Had been awhile since seein that episode but i got a Sopranos jones now.
Thanks for info.

He should’ve left that junk alone.

https://youtu.be/1Kq2w6ZeOCA
Pussy was a fun character.