Fat Tony
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| The Simpsons character | |
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| Fat Tony | |
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Job | Boss of the Springfield Mafia |
| Relatives | Wife: Anne Maria (deceased) Son: Michael |
| Voice actor | Joe Mantegna Phil Hartman (A Fish Called Selma) |
| First appearance | |
| The Simpsons | Bart the Murderer |
Fat Tony is a fictional character in the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Joe Mantegna. The character's "real" name is uncertain -- see details below.
Fat Tony is the local Don and leader of the Springfield Mafia, and is a pastiche of Mafia characters from movies and dramas. His fellow mobsters include Joey, Legs, Louie, Johnny Tightlips, and Frankie the Squealer. Tony's schemes have ranged from supplying rat's milk to the school cafeteria to dabbling in the illegal fireworks racket. His gang also attempts to monopolize various legitimate business, once waging war with the local Yakuza over Marge Simpson's pretzel business. In an old episode of The Simpsons, Frankie The Squealer claimed that Fat Tony's real name is Marion, however this has never been backed in another episode.
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[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 in a news report given by Kent Brockman as William "Fat Tony" Williams. This may be his real name, or it may be a hastily created pseudonym. In the episode "Insane Clown Poppy", Frankie the Squealer reveals Fat Tony's real first name to be "Marion". This is possibly a reference to John Wayne, whose real name was Marion Morrison. 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 "Fat Tony" D'Amico.
As a known mob boss, Fat Tony is likely to have numerous aliases, and it is possible that none of the above might be his real name. His nickname also may be a reference to real-life mobster Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno, or the Italian last name "Fatone".
[edit] Profile
Fat Tony has been behind most of Springfield's criminal enterprises. Fat Tony's associates meet in what is known as the "Legitimate Businessmen's Social Club." Tony's rackets include the usual organized crime activities such as illegal gambling, cigarette trafficking, and rum running to more unusual activities. In "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson" Homer contracted with the Springfield mafia to drive out Marge's rival snack food distributors to assist her pretzel franchise. The mafia demand 100% of Marge's profits from her pretzel business in exchange, only to be stopped by the local yakuza brought in by Marge's rivals. Much of Springfield's municipal government is involved with the Mafia. Chief Wiggum has been seen taking bribes from Fat Tony. Fat Tony once attempted to take out a hit on mayor Joe Quimby in retaliation for a raid on their rat milk facility. In "Papa's Got a Brand New Badge", Tony put out a contract on Homer after his private security business interfered with the mob's interests. Homer would have been executed gangland-style if not for Maggie coming to the rescue with her rifle. In the episode "Moe Baby Blues", Marge mentions that the Mafia frequently congregates outside her house, and that she often brings them lemonade.
Fat Tony's son Michael is introduced in the episode "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer" (he was mentioned earlier in "Moe Baby Blues" and "The Seven-Beer Snitch") and Bart reveals that Fat Tony muscled McDonald's and Burger King out of Springfield so Krusty Burger can have a monopoly. The episode also reveals that Fat Tony's wife " was whacked of natural causes ", and that he once nearly killed Chief Wiggum. Though not strictly a "business" dealing, he has shown to be involved in gambling several times, most notably in the episode "Homie the Clown", in which he made numerous sports bets with Krusty.
[edit] Voice actor
Originally, Tony was going to be voiced by Hank Azaria; however, since Fat Tony wasn't a very good drawing, Groening decided to make a special guest voice on him. Groening chose Joe Mantegna.[citation needed] In the DVD commentary it is stated that Mr. Mantegna is so enamored with the character that he has forbidden to allow anyone else to voice Fat Tony. However, this didn't stop Phil Hartman from filling in for him on one occasion, in "A Fish Called Selma."
[edit] Character traits
Moe Baby Blues featured several references relating to Fat Tony. To entertain his subordinates, Fat Tony puts an orange slice in his mouth in imitation of Don Corleone from The Godfather. Minutes later, Fat Tony responds to an emotional scene by saying "I haven't cried this much since I paid to see Godfather III" (in which Mantegna played the character Joey Zasa, one of the inspirations for Fat Tony). His son's name is a reference to Michael Corleone.
He helps and hinders the Simpsons throughout different episodes. When Homer had his thumb cut off, Fat Tony enlisted one of his cronies to sew it back on. However, Homer, when losing a bet, has had his hands beat down upon by Fat Tony and two hammers.
