The Simpsons character
Fat Tony
Gender	Male
Job	Boss of the Springfield Mafia
Relatives	Wife: Anna Maria (deceased) Son: Michael
Voice actor	Joe Mantegna
First appearance
The Simpsons	"Bart the Murderer"

Fat Tony is a recurring character in the animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Joe Mantegna and first appeared in the third season episode "Bart the Murderer".^[1] Fat Tony is a gangster. He is the boss of the Springfield Mafia and his henchmen are Legs, Louie, Icepick, and Johnny Tightlips.

[edit] Profile

Anthony "Fat Tony" D'Amico has been behind several of Springfield's criminal enterprises. His rackets include illegal gambling, cigarette smuggling, and bootlegging. In "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson", Homer contracted with the mafia to drive out Marge's rival snack food distributors. Fat Tony took out a hit on mayor Joe Quimby in "Mayored to the Mob" in retaliation for a raid on their rat milk facility, which Quimby opposed, as they had promised him "dog or higher". Fat Tony put out a contract on Homer after his private security business interfered with the mob's interests in "Papa's Got a Brand New Badge". Homer would have been executed gangland-style if not for Maggie coming to the rescue with her rifle. Fat Tony's son Michael was first mentioned by Fat Tony as he was talking to Marge in The Seven-Beer Snitch saying she drove him home from school sometimes. He was then properly introduced in the episode "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer". The episode also reveals that Fat Tony's wife "was whacked by 'natural causes'." Fat Tony and his associates meet in what is known as the "Legitimate Businessman's Social Club".

[edit] Name

Fat Tony's actual name is the source of some dispute, as several different 'real' names have been revealed over the course of the series. In the third-season episode "Bart the Murderer", Fat Tony is referred to in a news report given by Kent Brockman as William 'Fat Tony' Williams. In the eighth-season episode "The Homer They Fall," the announcer at Homer's boxing match against Drederick Tatum refers to Fat Tony as Anthony D'Amico. In the twelfth-season episode "Insane Clown Poppy", Frankie the Squealer claims that Fat Tony's real name is Marion, a reference to actor John Wayne's real name, Marion Robert Morrison.^[2]

[edit] Character

Joe Mantegna was cast as Fat Tony as Sheldon Leonard was unavailable.

Fat Tony's visual appearance was modeled after actor Paul Sorvino.

[edit] Development

Fat Tony first appeared in the third season episode "Bart the Murderer".^[1] The writers conceived the episode before the film GoodFellas, which has a similar plot, was released. However, when it was, the writers incorporated references to the film in the episode.^[1] Fat Tony was modeled on GoodFellas' Paul Sorvino.^[1] The appearance of Louie, one of his henchman, was based on Joe Pesci.^[3] The end of the episode portrays a TV movie about the events depicted in the episode, in which Joe Mantegna will play Fat Tony (this was before it was decided that Fat Tony would be a recurring character).

[edit] Voice

The writers originally wanted Sheldon Leonard to voice Fat Tony. When they were unable to get him, they went with Joe Mantegna.^[1] It is his longest-running role.^[4] Mantegna commented, "you feel honored that they asked you to do a voice. The fact that they bring you back and keep writing for the character, it is very satisfying."^[5] Mantegna based his raspy voice for Fat Tony on his Uncle Willy,^[6] a long-standing cigarette smoker.^[7] He insists to the producers to "not let anyone else do his noises."^[1] However, Phil Hartman did fill in for Mantegna in "A Fish Called Selma".^[8] Mantegna voiced Fat Tony in a scene in The Simpsons Movie that almost got cut.^[9] Of the Fat Tony episodes, Mantegna favors "Bart the Murderer" and "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife, and Her Homer," because it was the season premiere.^[10]

[edit] Reception

IGN included Fat Tony on their 2006 list of the "Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters".^[11] Star News Online listed Joe Mantegna as one of the 400 reasons why they love The Simpsons.^[12] In 2007, Adam Finley of TV Squad called Mantegna one of the five best The Simpsons guest stars^[13] and Vanity Fair called "Bart the Murderer" the eighth best episode of the show, saying, "This episode makes the cut because of the inspired Mafia satire".^[14] Playmates Toys made Fat Tony into an action figure as part of the World of Springfield toy line.^[15]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Fat Tony at the Internet Movie Database