Vin Makazian (1954-1999) is a supporting character portrayed by John Heard. He is a corrupt Newark, New Jersey police detective who fed information to DiMeo crime family capo Tony Soprano.
Biography
Tony first used Vin as an investigator, tasking him to find information about Dr. Jennifer Melfi when Tony first started therapy in 1998. Makazian was over-enthusiastic in this role, having misunderstood the relationship between Tony and Jennifer as a romantic one, not a professional one. He tailed her and pulled her car over, beating up her companion unprovoked and chastising her for being out with a man he refers to as "hamburger, when you've got prime rib at home."
Vin was partnered with fellow detective Lewis Pantowski. Unlike Makazian, it seems that Pantowski was an honest policeman as he didn't know the real reason for the two of them to be tailing Jennifer Melfi.
He later told Tony that he had taken photographs of Melfi undressing from outside her home, if he's interested in them, to which Tony replies with disgust. Detective Makazian was responsible for informing Tony that DiMeo soldier Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero was a rat, prompting Tony's suspicions of Pussy, though this was later seemingly dismissed when Tony found out Vin owed Pussy $30,000 dollars in gambling debts, and Vin would like to see Pussy taken out to absolve him of said debt.
Makazian frequented an illegal brothel and had a relationship with the madam there. He was arrested at the brothel along with DiMeo capo Raymond Curto during a police raid. Vin later committed suicide, by leaping off the Donald Goodkind Bridge shortly after he was released from jail. Tony later visited the madam with whom Makazian had a therapeutic relationship, and she divulges to Tony that Makazian viewed him as a friend and, like Tony, he was prone to depression. This leaves Tony depressed because he had always treated Makazian with disdain and never showed him any respect or kindness.
Gallery
Appearances
- Played by: John Heard
- Appears in: "Meadowlands", "Pax Soprana", "Boca", "Nobody Knows Anything", "The Test Dream"