I have a couple questions
1. What are the names of the 5 families?
2. Are the Lupertazzis the most powerful ones?
3. Do you wish they showed the other 4 families?

I've no idea who's most powerful but they do show the Paglieri family at the end in the negotiations with Butch to end the war. The other 3 families are the Tarese,Mangano and DeBenedetto.

I get the feeling they were the most powerful under Carmine but after he died they lost alot of strength.

I wish there was a Commission scene or two, but other than that, not really.

There's no indication that they evr were the most powerful but i agree if they ever were it had to be before the Carmine Jr JOhnny Sac conflict.

i always wished that we saw at leasy something with regards to philly on that show. the most we ever got was that lispy fbi agent asking pussy if tony was still resisting the philly overtures. hell, chris ans silvio at least went up to RI that one time, although they never really specified if those old men were made or just connected.

To be honest it seems as if the Lupertazzis are the Genovese considering the Genovese family stranglehold on Jersey to the point that their Jersey crew is sometimes referred to as its own family...I think this also plays a role in the foundation of the DiMeo family..obviously based on the DeCavalcantes but absolutely take from Genovese Jersey crew...they say former Jersey crew boss Martin Tacetta is one if the inspirations for Tony Soprano

Martin tacceta was with lucchese jersey crew who they say was also inspiration for the dimeo family, but im not sure who "they" is that says things like that, the only person who would know what the dimeos was based on is david chase.

I always heard it was Michael Tacceta and/or Vinny Palermo. Who knows though? In regards to the family the Lupertazzis are based on, i've always thought of them as based on all 5 families but being the smallest since the DiMeos have so much leverage against them.

Dellacroce I stand corrected he was a Lucchese..I knew both families hand a stong hold on jersey and I totally agree with you that the "they's" don't know what david chase was thinking I was just pointing out the similarities between tony and tacetta..thinking about it now it does make more sense lupertazzi..lucchese both L's lol

I always believed that the Lupertazzis were loosely based on the Gambinos. Carmine=Carlo Gambino, Johnny Sack=John Gotti, Little Carmine=Thomas Gambino. Plus the leadership instability and that they were based in Brooklyn (the Genovese have a strong Brooklyn presence, but are based in Manhattan and the Bronx).

In the end, however, if they are based on any family, it was a VERY loose connection. Chase never did let the real Mafia get in the way of the show.

The Sopranos was created by a guy named Frank Renzulli from East Boston, Massachusetts, my home town also, when Frankie said he was going to Hollywood we all thought he was crazy, guess he wasn't, the mob family he wrote about was taken from East Boston, Maverick Square to be exact, the local wiseguy there was Joe "JR" Russo, Joe stood as my confirmation Godfather in 195something, Boston has always been known as the gang that couldn't shoot straight

I think it was David Chase who created it, and the man you mentioned helped produce it and write some of it's episodes. I just looked him up, and he has has had a lot of success with a wide array of shows.

Lupertazzi
Mangano
Teresa
Paglieri
Massino (Bonanno)

I think the Lupertazzis are based on the Luccheses, or at least take their place in the Sopranos universe.

1. They're not the Bonannos because bosses past and present (2004) are mentioned. Joe Bonnano, boss from 1931 to the mid-60s, is talked about. Carmine Galante, boss from 1973(1975 some sources) to 1979, is discussed on the golf course with Tony and Cousimano. In season 5, FBI Agent Robin, when asked by Adrianna how long she'll have to give information, says "this recent case against Joe Massino, it took 7 years to build a case." Joe Massino was officialy boss from 1991-2004, though some sources say he was running things as early as 1981. So the Bonannos are a separate family in the Sopranos universe.

2. They're not the Colombos, because in the last couple of episodes when the war was brewing between the Sopranos and Lupertazzis, Paulie says, "I was barely hanging by the skin of my nuts in the 70s when the Colombos were at it." This means they're a separate family from the Lups. Also Joe Profaci, boss from 1931 to 1962, is mentioned by Junior. "Old man Profaci knew how to split his enemies." The Colombo war of the 1990s was referred to in episode 4 by Larry Barese, "There hasn't been a war since the Colombo thing." So the Colombos are a separate family.

3. The Gambinos, from Carlo Gambino(57-76), to Paul Castellano(76-85) to John Gotti(1985-1992) are discussed several times. Dr Cousimano asks Tony if he knew John Gotti, Tony says "Yeah." So Gotti existed in the Sopranos world. The Gambinos are separate.

4. The real-life Genovese bosses Charles Luciano(1931-1937) and Vito Genovese(1957-1969) are mentioned. We see a photo of Vincent "the Chin" Gigante on the Mafia website Meadow shows AJ in episode 4. Gigante was boss from 1982 to 1997. So they're separate.

5. Only two members of the Luccheses are mentioned, boss Tommy Luccheese(1951-1967) and low level associate Henry Hill from Goodfellas. Lucchese is referred to inn family name only by Meadow in season 1 when she lists the 5 family names. In season 5, Tony reminds Angelo Garepe that he was Carmine's consigliere for "over 30 years," so in 2004, Carmine would've been boss starting anywhere from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. Maybe he took over for Lucchese when he died in 1967.

So based on this evidence, I think the Lupertazzis take the place of the Lucchese family in the Sopranos universe.

When was Vito Genovese mentioned? I agree, it can't be the Gambinos as the Anastasia hit is also mentioned. I think it's a draw between the Genovese and Lucchese, both have a strong presence in NJ in real life. Also when Meadow mentions the five families she skips the Genovese.

The 5 families in the series are;

Lupertazzi
Teresa
Mangano
DeGirgio (or something alike)

I don't think a 5th family is mention. Teresa and Mangano are mentioned by FBI agents. I got this from a website/read it somewhere just couldn't find the thread.

Here's a website, I don't know where but somewhere here, the families are mentioned.

http://la-mafia.wikidot.com/lupertazzi-crime-family

They mention Castellano too when Johnny and Tony are walking through the hardware store and discussing what it take for Tony to do the hit on Carmine and Johnny says something to the effect of

" This is much different than the hit on Castellano" and " the other four families might raise a stink but I have their ear through Ginny's brother" I think his brother in law was connected in some way to another family?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfrEE49T7VU

Janis mentions him to Richie also, when she tries to get him to whack Tony LOL

I wouldn't consider the first season to be 100% "canon" in relation to the 5 families. I think except for the Jersey and the Lupertazzi family, the rest are supposed to be the same as real life ones since a lot of real mobsters are mentioned throughout the series.. the Colombos are also mentioned by name.

The Lupertazzi family is instead of the Genovese or Lucchese, that much is clear.

I think this is the best explanation

See it's quite possible the family the Lupertazzi's come from takes an alternate path for example with the Colombo thing Carmine could've been the one rebelling against Persicio in which he took over the family considering the Lupertazzi territory being in Colombo stomping grounds they could easily be based on them Persicio isn't mentioned in the show leaving a good gap between 1993 and 2001 when the Lupertazzi family is properly introduced

Chase created it but Frank Renzulli was a major reason the first couple seasons stood out. Great writer.

As for inspiration, if you look at the entire series, there's evidence of the writers getting material from the entire NY/NJ underworld. But the concept of a small, Jersey family is obviously based on the DeCavalcantes. There's no denying that.

And, as I've said before, it seems the Lupertazzi family was more about symbolizing "New York" in general than meant to be any specific real life family.

At the end of season 1 when Uncle Junior is arrested , the agent said they wanted Johnny Sack but more importantly they wanted Tarese and Mangano . But they never brought up Carmine Lup, and at that time wasnt Johnny just a captain (maybe underboss) but agent never brought up Johnny's boss Carmine Lupertazzi .
It would be cool to see the other boss's Tarese , Mangano, Paglieri at least once maybe at Carmine's funeral or something .

A lot of plot holes.