| “ | You're no problem to read. You are your own worst enemy.
|
„ |
| ― Annalisa Zucca to Tony Soprano |
Annalisa Zucca (née Vittorio) is a minor character on The Sopranos. She is the boss of the Zucca Camorra Family in Naples and a business partner to the DiMeo crime family of New Jersey. A capable and seductive woman, Annalisa tries to entrance Tony Soprano to win negotiations against him when discussing their illegal operation. She is portrayed by Sofia Milos.
Quick Answers
Who portrays the character of Annalisa Zucca in The Sopranos?
What is the relationship between Annalisa Zucca and Tony Soprano?
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Biography[]
Season 2[]
Annalisa talking with Tony at the dinner table.
Tony, recently self-proclaimed acting boss of the DiMeo crime family, is planning on going on a business trip to Naples, Italy to arrange the setup of their stolen car operation with their ally Camorra family and its boss Zi Vittorio. When he, Paulie and Christopher arrive in Naples, however, Tony is soon confused at who the person he has to deal with really is; he first meets with a notably rude mobster, Nino, with whom he communicates through their translator Furio Giunta. Afterwards, he is told of the family's real boss, Mauro Zucca, but is then informed that he is serving a life sentence in prison. Nevertheless, in the middle of the business dinner, Vittorio appears accompanied by his daughter Annalisa Zucca, Mauro's wife. Tony presents his respects to the wheelchair-bound Don, who mumbles incoherent sentences at him. His daughter then advises him to relax and talk about street business later. Back at the dinner table, Tony and Annalisa talk, with her apologizing for her father's demented behavior. She quickly catches Tony's eye, who notices all the other mafiosi going to her for counsel. Outside the restaurant, the two keep chatting, with her offering to show Tony a neighborhood from his family's hometown of Avellino and again apologizing for the place of business, explaining they should have been invited to their mansion from the beginning, assuring him that they will be housed there tomorrow. Tony gleefully thanks her and they shake hands. From their first interaction, Tony becomes attracted to her, fantasizing with having sex with her dressed as a Roman general in his dream.[1]
Annalisa and Tony talking at a restaurant.
The next day, Tony and his crew are led to the mansion, where they quickly make themselves at home, and Tony loses his thoughts after he sees Annalisa relaxing in the sun in her bathrobe from his balcony, seeing how she tells her assistant to collect her toenails clippings, which confuses him. Later, as they're playing golf and discussing business, a skeptic Tony asks her when he will be introduced to the family's boss, to which Annalisa responds that he can talk to her. Tony rebuffs this, bluntly saying that woman leaders would never be accepted in the U.S., but Annalisa defends the concept explaining that her men are trigger-happy and in no control of their emotions, saying that the only thing that keeps them at bay is their mother, so working for a female boss comes natural. The two go out to a restaurant in town where they keep talking business. Annalisa attempts to focus on the car operation, but Tony is still distracted over her toenail habit, which he asks her about. She, seemingly satisfied that he asked, says if the enemy takes hold of your nails or other physical possessions, he can perform curses on you. As Tony playfully inquires if he could keep some of them, she insists she already burned them.[1]
| “ | my husband? Fuck you! He is never coming back, so you have to fucking deal with me!
|
„ |
| ― Annalisa to Tony during their argument |
Annalisa and Tony face disagreements.
During a walk on a beach, Tony expresses his insatisfaction about the weaknesses of many subordinates nowadays, who don't follow orders and become cooperators the first chance they're given. Annalisa perceives he is attempting to ask her to bring one of her men over to New Jersey to use as protection, which Tony confirms, stating that it'll guarantee his safety. She emphasizes on the payment she will receive as a result of the transaction, to which Tony vaguely suggests that it will serve as an obvious benefit to her in having one of her underlings covering more territory outside of Italy. Annalisa bluntly questions who it is he wants, and Tony asks for Furio for starters, which Annalisa reacts to negatively, cursing and spitting as she complains that he is one of her best men and her cousin, telling Tony that it will not happen. Tony, furious as well, demands that she talk to her husband about this, but Annalisa rages back at Tony, exclaiming that he will never come back and that he will have to deal with her. Tony doesn't want to hear of it and storms off raging.[1]
Following their discussion, Tony is getting ready to leave and return home, telling Furio back at the mansion if he can drive him to the airport, but from down in the property's garden, Annalisa, who is picking fruits, tells Tony that they have to eat. Tony, surprised, exclaims that he overate, but Annalisa just tells him that they'll keep talking about their car business and invites him for dinner at her father's home. That night, Tony, after having eaten, sits down and relaxes by the house's steps before he is joined by Annalisa, who offers him some Amaro. They cheer to it and Tony asks about the house, to which she explains that her father was born in it before they built their new one right next door. Tony finds the concept beautiful and congratulates her on taking good care of her father, with her exclaiming that she couldn't simply send him to a retirement community. The two share a quiet moment and Tony is about to say something to her when one of Annalisa's sons interrupts them with his antics. She says she needs to put him to bed and that they'll continue discussions tomorrow.[1]
| “ | You don't want to fuck her? You don't want to fuck me?
|
„ |
| ― Annalisa asks Tony about his desires |
The next day, Annalisa and Tony are driven to Monte di Cuma, a mountainous region on the coast of Naples. Annalisa tells him the history of the location, explaining that the Oracle of the Sybil, the second most important prophet after that of Delphos, would tell travellers premonitions of their future inside her cave. She then suggests they enter it. The two walk by the stone walls and arrive at the Oracle's foreseeing dwell. Annalisa comments that in most cases, the Sybil manifested herself in the form of a beautiful woman. Upon hearing it, Tony ponders if she has a premonition for him. She says he is not hard to read, telling him "You are your own worst enemy". Tony finds the "premonition" absurd, saying that everybody is their own worst enemy and telling her that she reminds him of somebody from back home. Annalisa then inquires if he is talking about his girlfriend, and when Tony clarifies he isn't, she insists it must be somebody he wants to have sex with. Having crowded Tony, she slowly approaches him and asks him if he doesn't want to do the same with her. Tony admits that he does, but that he "[doesn't] shit where [he] eat[s]" and that it would be bad for business. She is irritated at his spontaneous behavior, insisting that the price of the cars must be lowered. Under the condition that he be allowed to bring Furio with him, he acquiesces and puts it down to $85,000, but after insisting for more of her men in the future, she convinces him to put it at $10,000 less. Afterwards, they shake hands respectfully and conclude negotiations.[1]
In a later therapy session with Dr. Melfi, Tony remarks that during his time in Italy, he met someone that reminded him of her, with regards to being clever and beautiful. He refers to Annalisa as "one of them witchy broads", and mentions how fascinated he was at Italians and their beliefs. He also tells her about her premonition of him being his own worst enemy, to which Melfi pointedly says that that is something of a cliché, but Tony states it could only be understood if you were there. Reflecting on it, Tony proclaims she was right, in that all of his troubles and anxieties are brought on by himself, remarking that that's essentially what Melfi constantly tells him. Melfi agrees, and concludes that the question is how to stop his self-destructive behavior.[3]
| “ | But some people are more self-destructive than others.
|
„ |
| ― Annalisa in Tony's dream |
Tony later suffers from food poisoning-induced dreams which regroup all of his family and loved ones in cryptic messages and bizarre scenarios that leave him confused and disoriented. In one specific dream, he attends therapy and begins telling Dr. Melfi of his previous hallucination — one of killing Paulie — which left him confused as to the motive behind his action. After Melfi tells him that he has never dealt with his anger and that the cost is manifesting itself in this moment, she transforms into Annalisa, who repeats that he is the biggest threat to himself. When Tony rebukes that that is a part of being human, she counters in Melfi's voice that certain people are more self-destructive than others. When Tony stressingly asks her if she will make him eat something, she responds "Maybe, if you keep this up". Tony refuses, and wakes up wanting to vomit.[4]
Season 4[]
At Furio's housewarming party, Carmela and Gabriella Dante walk up to his room and talk about the decor, when Carmela notices a framed picture of Furio and Annalisa together. This lets her down, as she assumes she is a romantic partner: Carmela is emphatically obsessed with Furio and thinking he already has a love interest slows her advances.[5]
Season 6[]
| “ | „ | |
| ― Tony telling Christopher that Annalisa will send hitmen to kill Rusty Millio |
Johnny Sack asks Tony for a favor in getting rid of Rusty Millio, one of his capos who pushed against his leadership during the power struggle with Little Carmine.[6] Tony agrees to it but seeks to divert attention away from himself, so he plans on bringing Italian hitmen over from Naples to do the job. He informs Christopher that he contacted Annalisa and that she is sending "two of her best tailors" to "fit him for a suit", telling him that he will arrange for a middleman to arm the pair with guns for the killing.[2] The triggermen, Italo and Salvatore, are given instructions and the weapons by Italian-born associate Corky Caporale, who gives them Rusty's address and a map to memorize it. The two cut him and his bodyguard off at his driveway and shoot them to death inside his car, satisfying Johnny's wish.[7]
Personality[]
| “ | Our men kill each other. All my brothers, for example, they all got murdered or they go to prison. Rome has a war against us. But our men are in love to their mamma, huh? So obeying a woman is not… come si dice? Comes natural.
|
„ |
| ― Annalisa explains the logic behind woman bosses. |
Annalisa displays herself as an immensely intelligent and cunning woman. She presents a polite persona and treats Tony and her other guests with the upmost respect when inviting them to her home. When negotiating with Tony, she cleverly seduces him with subtlety so he loses his focus and forgets about business, instead being distracted with meaningless details such as her toenail clippings. Annalisa rarely loses her cool and always maintains a sweet and inviting motherlike attitude, only snapping out once Tony proposes the unacceptable request of transferring Furio to New Jersey, where she verbally insults Tony and lets him know he is forced to deal with her. During her and Tony's stay at Vittorio's native house, Annalisa seems to let go of her composure and loses herself in the wonderness of the moment, staring blankly as Tony is about to confess to her, before quickly regaining her thoughts when they are interrupted by her son. During their final discussion, Annalisa once again shows her cutthroat negotiation and intuition skills, making Tony believe she is a "witch" of sorts and can look into his future, before deciphering that he has someone back home he is sexually attracted to and knowing that's his feeling towards her as well. In the end, after so many discussions and exchange of ideas, Annalisa convinces Tony to lower the price of the cars by $15,000 less than Tony was imposing.[1]
Relationships[]
Family[]
Zi Vittorio[]
Annalisa taking care of her father at the dinner discussion.
Annalisa's father, Don Vittorio, was the longtime respected boss of the Camorra in Naples, and seeing as though his daughter ultimately followed in his footsteps, he presumably taught her everything he knew. In his later years, after the elderly Vittorio had become ill with dementia, Annalisa bears the responsability of taking care of him, remaining at his side during business reunions and helping him get around. Her unconditional love and affection for her father underlines her belief in family values and traditions. As she bluntly tells Tony, she couldn't bear to have her father admitted to a retirement home, a comment that startles Tony, since he did that with his mother and makes him feel as though he's not as good of an offspring as Annalisa.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Commendatori"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Live Free or Die"
- ↑ "Bust Out"
- ↑ "Funhouse"
- ↑ "The Weight"
- ↑ "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request..."
- ↑ "Luxury Lounge"