I have posted something about this before. Over the years it has been considered a fact that Jimmy was a rat and that Tony and the guys did the right thing by nocking him off. I have watched and rewatched the episodes leading up to sil and chris doing the hit. I offer up my opinion that they jumped the gun on this one. I think that Big Pussy was the only one doing the talking. I think that Tony was in such denial over Big Pussy becoming a rat that he was eager to find someone else to point the finger at. I am not suggesting that Tony was intentionally trying to get Pussy off and pin it on Jimmy. I am simply saying that I believe his opinion on the subject was clouded by his friendship with Pussy. I also see nothing that leads me to believe that Jimmy was a rat. Sure he came around asking questions and at the time the guys were looking for a rat so he seemed to fit perfectly. From the viewers point of view it seems like it should be clear that Pussy was the only one doing the talking. Please provide me with something that will help me understand why everyone thinks that Jimmy was also a rat.

I agree with you 100%, Jimmy wasn't a rat, it was just done to throw us off about Pussy, to help continue the story thru season 2. If you remember one of the main reasons Tony didn't believe it was Pussy was because he found out that Vin Markazian was into Pussy for a lot of money. Giving him a reason to want to see Pussy dissapear, and he was Tony's source. So Tony believed or wanted to believe that Puss wasn't ratting and assumed it was Jimmy instead. This was a mistake, and if you look at how the actor who plays Jimmy (sorry I don't know his name) plays that scene you can almost tell his confusion about the situation before Sil pulls the trigger and says, "why don't you call for help in your radio mike?, what's the matter you didn't wear one tonight?" He says he is a captain. Most rats on the show (Pussy, Adriana) have admitted to it before they were whacked or the ones that don't are at least shown talking to agents, Jimmy never was. Tony accidently whacked a loyal soilder.

I've always hated how this was never really touched upon on the show... I hope someone asks the FBI this season if he was and the agents tell them no. At least we'll know for sure then.

ChristophersRelapse wrote:I've always hated how this was never really touched upon on the show... I hope someone asks the FBI this season if he was and the agents tell them no. At least we'll know for sure then.

That's one of those David Chase things. Not tying things up in a nice little bow, leaving things unresolved. I mean it has served it's purpose, it has people still talking "was he or wasn't he?" after all these years. Leaving it up to the imagination of the viewer. This strategy can be effective at times, I just don't hope they leave a major plot point open at the end of the series like that.

As far as Jimmy goes, my interpretation of it is that the guys, (Tony, Sil, Chris and Paulie) knew after the Pussy situation played out, that they screwed up with the Jimmy Altieri hit. These guys have too much pride to admit a mistake, especially one of this magnitude that no one brings it because of it. I'm guessing it probably haunts them as well.
I wouldn't mind seeing a little resolution here, maybe a private conversation between Tony and Silvio when they are deciding whether someone needs to go or not and Sil could say something like 'we need to be careful here, absolutely sure first we don't need another Jimmy Altieri situation on our hands." Or maybe a dream sequence, in which Jimmy comes back to haunt Tony for the mistake.
But this is why David Chase does these kind of things, like it or not it does create interest.

i think you guys are talking crap. did you observe his behaviour after the bust. the questions that he was asking tony in the basement about that score. or what about the funeral where he starts trying to get junior to talk about the brendon hit. total give away.

before the bust, his behaviour was much different

worst, most naive rat ever was jimmy alteri

This is exactly my point about David Chase leaving things up to the viewer. It creates controversy and gets people talking. Just like the ending of the series that some are so upset about. I mean look at it, we are still talking about whether Jimmy Altieri was actually a rat or not from back in Season 1. How long ago was that, and he wasn't even a featured cast member. Yet by leaving up in the air, it adds an air of mystery to things and gets people talking.

WhistlingInTheWheatfield wrote:This is exactly my point about David Chase leaving things up to the viewer. It creates controversy and gets people talking. Just like the ending of the series that some are so upset about. I mean look at it, we are still talking about whether Jimmy Altieri was actually a rat or not from back in Season 1. How long ago was that, and he wasn't even a featured cast member. Yet by leaving up in the air, it adds an air of mystery to things and gets people talking.

in most cases he leaves the door opern, not in this one

bigbadbill007 wrote:i think you guys are talking crap. did you observe his behaviour after the bust. the questions that he was asking tony in the basement about that score. or what about the funeral where he starts trying to get junior to talk about the brendon hit. total give away.

before the bust, his behaviour was much different

worst, most naive rat ever was jimmy alteri

agree...

Disagree...

chase left the pussy being a rat storyline open until the second series but he definately showed jimmy to be a 100 percent rat.