Faustino "Augie" Pollio is a mentioned character in The Sopranos. He was the father of Livia Soprano and her siblings.
Biography[]
Augie was a common laborer from the Italian province of Avellino. According to his daughter Livia, he came to America with only 17 cents in his pockets. Augie and his wife Teresa were parents to as many as eight children, having at least four children prior to emigrating, with another being stillborn aboard the vessel they traveled on. The Pollios are described as arriving in the United States later than the Soprano family, likely in the late 1910s to early 1920s. Augie's daughter Livia was the first of his children to be born outside of Italy, followed by Settimia.
Augie's personality was shaped in great parts by his left-wing political views, espousing socialist-anarchist sympathies and being a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, an international union. He was an outspoken proponent for labor reforms and made a point out of performing poorly at his workplaces. This resulted in the family constantly living in abject poverty. At home, Augie was a callous and bitter man who would lash out at his family and while the exact details of the abuse remain unclear, it contributed to his at least some of his children growing up miserable and emotionally distant, as seen with Livia and Quintina.
Trivia[]
- In "The Knight in White Satin Armor", Augie was briefly referenced by Janice while discussing Livia's upbringing with Tony, but as "Grandpa Vito". This name was taken from David Chase's grandfather Vito Bucco, who was father to David's mother Norma Chase, the inspiration behind Livia.
- In the documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos, David Chase shares his belief that his mother was sexually abused by her father and says that similar circumstances may apply to Livia with Augie.