Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request...

"Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request..." is the 70th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the fifth of the show's sixth season. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Steve Buscemi, it originally aired on April 9, 2006.

"Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request..."
The Sopranos episode
Johnny Sack pleads with Federal Marshals to let his daughter, Allegra, leave the venue before he heads back to the federal penitentiary
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 5
Directed bySteve Buscemi
Written byTerence Winter
Cinematography byPhil Abraham
Production code605
Original air dateApril 9, 2006
Running time52 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

see below

Starring

* = credit only

Guest starring

Synopsis

A judge decides Junior's mental condition has deteriorated to the level where he can be held in a private psychiatric facility while awaiting his retrial. Tony does not want to see or hear of his uncle again. Carmela quickly fetches a newspaper with a report of Junior's "cushy psych lockup." She throws that section in the trash before Tony can see it.

At the Bada Bing, Ahmed and Muhammad ask Chris about getting some Tec-9 semi-automatic weapons for their "family troubles." Dealing with a phone call, Chris does not answer.

Johnny is granted a six-hour strictly controlled release from prison in order to attend his daughter Allegra's wedding, all extra security expenses to be borne by him. At the wedding, Tony collapses bending down to remove his shoes at the request of U.S. Marshals. During the reception, he is able to talk to Johnny for the first time since his arrest. Through Phil, Tony has received Johnny's request to take care of killing New York capo Rusty Millio who, Johnny fears, may wage another power struggle in the Lupertazzi family; Tony has refused. As a personal favor, Johnny himself asks Tony to do it. Watched by U.S. Marshals, they join Johnny's aged family relations, either deaf or senile, at a large table and, pretending to speak to them, discuss the situation obliquely. Tony reluctantly agrees.

Johnny's happiness at the wedding is cut short when the Marshals tell him his time is up. He cries in front of the guests as Marshals haul him away. His wife Ginny faints. Led by Phil, the Lupertazzis and Tony's crew speak of their loss of respect for Johnny: if the Feds can make him cry, what else can they make him do? Only Tony stands up for him.

At home later that night, Vito tells his wife he is heading out to make collections, but instead goes to a gay club. Dancing in leather fetish garb, he is spotted by two New York associates making collections. Although Vito tries to pass it off as a joke, they call him a "fag" and leave. Vito collects a gun and some cash from home and checks into a motel. After an exploratory phone call to Silvio, he makes no further contact with anyone and does not return calls from Tony.

Tony has returned to work. He has a new bodyguard and driver, Perry Annunziata, a muscular, hot-headed young man. Tony displays his scar to his crew, and begins to bore them describing his medical procedures. He tells Dr. Melfi that they are giving him "certain looks" and are beginning to question his judgment. She advises him to "act as if you are not feeling vulnerable." Tony asserts himself through an act of unpredictable violence. He manufactures a confrontation with Perry, claiming he slammed the fridge door. There is a one-sided fight that ends with Perry bleeding on the floor and Tony defiantly walking away, seemingly unscathed. But he retreats to the bathroom and vomits blood. Leaning on the bathroom sink and looking at himself in the mirror, Tony gives himself a twisted, satisfied smile. Then he vomits again.

First appearances

Final appearance

Title reference
  • The title refers to the first words on the wedding invitation for John and Ginny's daughter, Allegra.
  • It is also possibly a reference to John's request to his judge to be granted a leave from jail to attend his daughter's wedding.
  • The title could also be a reference to John's request that Tony's family kill Lupertazzi capo, Rusty Millio.

Production

Other cultural references
  • When dressing for his court appearance, it is specifically stated that Johnny "Sack" wears a Brioni suit.
  • Tony tells Melfi Tylenol helps him sleep.
  • When Dante Greco offers to set a timer to remind Tony to take his medications, Silvio derisively comments: "Nurse Betty over here."
  • Talking to Tony, Phil Leotardo refers to Rusty Millio as "the mayor of Munchkinland."
  • When Middle Eastern men meet Christopher to pay for stolen credit card numbers and order weapons, Christopher greets them with a reference to the Ali Baba story: "Where are the rest of the 40 thieves?"
  • Christopher also quips, when handing over the stolen credit card numbers: "Don't leave home without them!" This confuses the Middle Easterners, who are unfamiliar with the American Express advertising campaign Chris is referring to.
  • Carmela picks up a newspaper headlining Junior's move to a prison psychiatric facility, using the phrase "Don Squirrel-Leone," mocking his mental state with reference to "Don Corleone" from The Godfather.
  • Johnny "Sack" angrily asks his lawyer if he read the latest GQ magazine after inspecting the dress shoes brought to him.
  • As the wedding guests walk through the heightened security at the church of John's daughter's wedding as part of one of the conditions that would allow John to be granted leave for the wedding, Tony makes a remark "You'd think bin Laden was getting married in there."
  • Christopher erroneously comments to Paulie that "Allegra" (as the bride's name) is a brand of cold medication. In fact, it is an anti-allergy drug brand.
  • Vito Spatafore calls the construction official interested in "playing ball" with the mob Joe DiMaggio.
  • Phil and Tony's men make "Cinderella" references (e.g., "his coach turned into a pumpkin" or "even Cinderella didn't cry") when the Marshals abruptly cut the festivities short to make an embarrassing public display of returning John to prison.
  • When Vito leaves for the leather bar, Marie Spatafore is watching the movie, Imitation of Life.
  • Christopher suggests to Tony that Johnny wouldn’t be able to refuse a request on the day of his daughter’s wedding, as depicted in The Godfather.

Music
  • The song played at the Bada Bing! VIP room where strippers are dancing and Ahmed and Muhammad come in looking for Christopher is "I Need a Freak" by Sexual Harassment.
  • At Allegra's wedding party, the hired band plays and the singer sings:
  • The song played at the New York gay bar, where Vito is outed, is "Flashing For Money" by Deep Dish.
  • As Vito checks into the motel, "The Three Bells" by The Browns is played — specifically, the second verse, about Jimmy Brown's marriage. The song is also used in the previous episode, "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh," though in that instance, the first verse (about Jimmy Brown's birth) is featured.
  • The song played over the end credits is "Every Day of the Week" by The Students.
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