The Many Saints of Newark, the prequel film to the acclaimed HBO crime drama series The Sopranos, left behind several unanswered questions and mysteries for fans to ponder. The Many Saints of Newark comes 14 years after The Sopranos’ famous cut-to-black finale. Although The Many Saints of Newark resolved several Sopranos mysteries, mainly by shedding a light on Tony Soprano’s early years and his relationship with Dickie Moltisanti, the prequel also ends up raising even more questions.
Set during the 1967 Newark race riots with a time jump to the early ‘70s, The Many Saints of Newark delves into the earlier years of many key Sopranos characters. While these made men and associates of the DiMeo crime family are seemingly unaffected by the surrounding political upheaval, the same can’t be said for their Black rivals in the criminal underworld of Newark, whose encounters with the law are far more dangerous.
It’s the perfect setting for showing the formative years of young Tony Soprano, the early years of Tony’s family and crew, the rise and fall of Many Saints protagonist Dickie Moltisanti, and the rise of Dickie’s associate-turned-rival Harold McBrayer. However, even after showing how Dickie died and who pulled the trigger, The Many Saints of Newark still leaves Sopranos fans with more questions than answers.
How & When Do Tony & Jackie Join The DiMeo Crime Family?
The Many Saints of Newark never reveals how Tony or Jackie Aprile, the future acting boss of the DiMeo crime family, join the organization’s ranks. By the ending of the prequel, Tony and Jackie are still clueless teenagers, far removed from their eventual key roles in The Sopranos as DiMeo family leaders. While young Jackie gets only a couple of scenes in The Many Saints of Newark, Tony takes up nearly as much screen time as Dickie, and there are many hints that young Tony Soprano is on the way to becoming active in the mob, such as when Tony imagines doing a pinky swear with his dead uncle in the final scene. That being said, The Many Saints of Newark never explores how this actually happens.
What Is DiMeo Crime Family Head Ercole “Old Man” DiMeo Like?
The Many Saints of Newark gives only a brief glimpse of Ercole “Old Man” DiMeo, who is played by Sopranos creator David Chase in his cameo in the prequel. During the funeral for Lino “Buddha” Bonpensiero, Old Man DiMeo is shown being led into a meeting by Johnny Boy Soprano. Beyond that, we never really get to hear how the Old Man talks or acts around his capos. On one hand, considering how much the DiMeo capos discussed the Old Man in the series, this seems like a wasted opportunity to explore one of the biggest Sopranos Easter eggs in The Many Saints of Newark. But on the other hand, the mystery surrounding Old Man DiMeo is a big part of what makes the never-before-seen character so iconic.
Is Livia The Reason Christopher Thinks Dickie Is A Drug Addict?
Throughout The Sopranos, Christopher Moltisanti often refers to his father Dickie as a junkie. This contributed to Christopher’s descent into addiction. However, as The Many Saints of Newark reveals, the mood-stabilizing pills found in Dickie’s jacket when he died weren’t meant for him, but for Livia Soprano, for whom Tony asked Dickie to get the pills. Before that, Dickie showed no signs of addiction. As it seems that Tony never told Livia nor anyone else that the pills as for his mother, the rumor about Dickie being a junkie was born – a crucial plot point in the story of Tony and Christopher. This could be why, even though his father didn’t do drugs, Christopher thinks that he inherited his drug problems from Dickie. It certainly wouldn’t be the last time that Tony keeps the truth from Christopher.
Does Tony Soprano Ever Find Out Junior Killed Dickie?
The fact that Junior Soprano killed Dickie is the biggest revelation in The Many Saints of Newark. Meanwhile, in The Sopranos, Tony points Christopher to the cop who he says is responsible for killing Dickie. And while Christopher has his doubts about Tony’s story, he pulls the trigger anyway. Since that fateful Sopranos episode, fans have been divided about whether or not Tony was telling the truth. And as The Many Saints of Newark reveals what actually happened, the question now is whether or not Tony actually knew the truth to begin with. Considering how much this arc in Many Saints connects to key Sopranos events, this is one of the biggest mysteries that the prequel left unsolved. On one hand, Tony eventually finds out everything, and knowing about Junior’s hand in Dickie’s death would certainly explain Tony’s difficult relationship with both Christopher and his uncle. On the other hand, if Tony knew the truth, he wouldn’t let it slide, and he would’ve at least used this information when he was feuding with Junior in The Sopranos.
What Happens To Harold After Many Saints? Is He Blamed For Dickie’s Death?
The Sopranos theme song plays over The Many Saints of Newark’s very last scenes, which includes Dickie’s rival Harold McBrayer moving into a white neighborhood. Harold seems to be doing very well for himself, and will likely continue to rise as a criminal leader who’s resourceful enough to rival the DiMeo capos in Newark. But will Harold be blamed for Dickie’s death? Harold is never mentioned in The Sopranos, which means that the series offers no clues about what happens to him after the events of The Many Saints of Newark. But as the rest of the DiMeo crime family seem to have no idea that it is Junior who killed Dickie, they’re likely to blame Harold, who was not only Dickie’s rival, but also had an affair with Dickie’s wife. On the other hand, the DiMeo capos could also resolve the matter internally, which would explain why Harold is never discussed in The Sopranos, and also why Tony seems to have no clue about Junior’s involvement in Dickie’s death during the series.
Will There Be A Many Saints Of Newark 2?
In a Hollywood Reporter interview with The Many Saints of Newark director Alan Taylor, he shares that when he asked Sopranos creator David Chase about the possibility of making a sequel, David just answered with a “maybe.” The Many Saints of Newark2 could very well be in the works. There’s certainly lots of room for another Sopranos prequel, as The Many Saints of Newark is set around 20 years before the series. A Many Saints sequel would give Taylor and Chase the chance to wrap up the biggest mysteries that the movie left hanging.
What Happens After The Many Saints of Newark?
The two decades between The Many Saints of Newark see the rise of Tony Soprano, Junior Soprano, Johnny Boy Soprano, Jackie Aprile, and the future members of Tony’s crew in the DiMeo crime family. They’ll be competing for control over Newark’s criminal underworld with Harold and his new crew. Ercole “Old Man” DiMeo will be the boss until he goes to prison in 1995. Dickie’s uncle Sal Moltisanti, played by Ray Liotta, will either be dead or still in prison. Should David Chase choose to pursue making a sequel to The Many Saints of Newark, or even a miniseries, there’s no shortage of stories for the next Sopranos prequel could explore.
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