| Christopher Moltisanti | |
|---|---|
| The Sopranos character | |
 Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti | |
| First appearance | "The Sopranos" (1999) |
| Last appearance | The Many Saints of Newark (2021) |
| Created by | David Chase |
| Portrayed by | Michael Imperioli |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Chris Maccaviti (episode 2.05) Chris Montevani (episode 5.11) Chrissy |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Associate (seasons 1–3) Soldier (seasons 3–5) Acting Captain (season 4) Captain (seasons 6a–6b) |
| Occupation |
|
| Family | Joanne Moltisanti (mother) Richard "Dickie" Moltisanti (father) Aldo "Hollywood Dick" Moltisanti (grandfather) Salvatore "Sally" Moltisanti (granduncle) Carmela Soprano (first cousin once removed) Tony Blundetto (cousin) Gregory Moltisanti (cousin) Constance Blundetto (cousin) Jason Moltisanti (cousin) |
| Spouse | Kelli Lombardo Moltisanti (wife) Adriana La Cerva (late fiancee) Amy Safir (brief fling) Julianna Skiff (mistress) |
| Children | Caitlin Lombardo Moltisanti (daughter) |
| Relatives | Tony Soprano (cousin-in-law) Janice Soprano (cousin) Barbara Soprano Giglione (cousin) Al Blundetto (uncle) Pat Blundetto (uncle) Meadow Soprano (second cousin) A.J. Soprano (second cousin) Hugh DeAngelis (great uncle) Salvatore "Sally" Moltisanti (Uncle) |
| Nationality | Italian-American |
Christopher Moltisanti, portrayed by Michael Imperioli,[1] is a fictional character of the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is Tony Soprano's protégé and a member of the DiMeo crime family, rising from associate to captain over the course of the series.
In the TV series, Tony Soprano has been a father figure to Christopher since the death of his father, Dickie Moltisanti. Tony affectionately refers to Christopher as his "nephew," but he is actually a first cousin once removed of Tony's wife Carmela (Carmela's father Hugh and Chris's grandmother Lena were brother and sister).[2] Tony and Christopher knew each other before Tony met Carmela because their fathers were both involved in the Mafia and because they are both cousins, through unrelated sides, to Tony Blundetto; Christopher's girlfriend Adriana La Cerva also believes that Tony and Christopher are distantly related through Christopher's mother.
The character, Christopher, is a volatile, impulsive, and unpredictable young man, frustrated by his perceived lack of progress in the Mafia business. His violent behavior often causes friction between him and the rest of the North Jersey Mafia, which is especially troublesome for Tony Soprano, who attempts to guide Christopher towards becoming a major leader in the business. Throughout the series, Christopher struggles with substance abuse, which further complicates his relationship with the Mafia, especially when other Mafia members ostracize Christopher when he attempts to stay sober.
In Season 1, Christopher oversteps his authority when he hijacks trucks under the protection of captain Junior Soprano. To teach him a lesson, Junior orders his mock execution. In the second season, Chris is shot by his subordinates Matthew Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte but survives. Tony trusts Christopher with sensitive tasks, such as disposing of the bodies of murdered captains Richie Aprile and Ralph Cifaretto and arranging the assassination of New York boss Carmine Lupertazzi. In the third season, Chris finally becomes a made man. This leads to friction with Paulie Gualtieri, culminating in the Pine Barrens incident and although they make an uneasy truce, they clash again on several occasions. By the sixth season, Christopher is promoted to the role of captain, and Tony tells him that he will lead the family into the 21st century.
Christopher's character has a tumultuous and abusive relationship with Adriana, his long-term girlfriend, who becomes his fiancée. When Chris becomes enraged about rumors that Adriana and Tony are having an affair, he pulls a gun on Tony, who is ready to kill him for doing so. He is spared only after Tony Blundetto intercedes for him. In the fifth season, Chris learns that Adriana has been working as an informant for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and that she wants him to go into the Witness Protection Program with her. Valuing loyalty over love, Christopher reports Adriana's actions to Tony, who has Silvio Dante kill her. Christopher then marries his new girlfriend, Kelli Lombardo, and they have a daughter, Caitlyn. But his interest in his new wife soon wanes. He grows disillusioned with Tony and frustrated with his progress in the Soprano family, and distances himself from the business by making a film and trying to become a Hollywood screenwriter. While the movie is a modest success, Chris grows irritated with his business partner J.T. Dolan and eventually ends up murdering him when Dolan refuses to listen to details of the murders he had witnessed previously.
Because of his substance abuse, Christopher spends significant amounts of time at AA meetings and rehabilitation centers. Despite wanting Christopher to succeed, Tony doubts his "nephew's” loyalty and suitability to be his successor, and he fears that Christopher's immaturity and frequent drug problems make him a ripe target to turn state's evidence. Christopher's efforts to stay clean of drugs and alcohol cause him to spend less time at their regular haunts, further arousing Tony's suspicions. Christopher causes a car crash as he is driving Tony home while high. After seeing that Caitlyn's baby seat has been completely destroyed in the accident and knowing she would have been killed if she were in the car, Tony has finally had enough and suffocates the badly injured Chris, finally ridding himself of his troublesome "nephew".