Writers: Joe Bosso, Frank Renzulli
Director: Matthew Penn

Guest Stars:

Jerry Adler – Hesh Rabkin
Drea de Matteo – Adriana
Bokeem Woodbine – Massive Genius
Oksana Babiy – Irina
Bryan Hicks – Orange J
Nick Fowler – Richie Santini
Gregg Wattenberg – Vito
Chris Gibson – Bass Player
Ned Stroh – Drummer
Bray Poor – Squid
Robert Lupone – Dr. Bruce Cusamano
Jim Demarse – Jack Krim
James Weston – Randy Wagner
Phil Coccioletti – Eric
Terumi Matthews – Rita
Dan Morse – Mullethead
Alexandra Neil – Wendy Krim
Ken Prymus – Manager
Saundra Santiago – Jean Cusamano
Jessy Terrero – Gallegos
Elizabeth Ann Townsend – Barb Wagner
Cedric Turner – Police Officer

The boys score a refrigerator box full of cash from some crack heads. This puts Tony in such a good mood, even Carmela notices. Together they decide maybe it’s time to branch out and make some new friends. The Warner’s invite them to a barbecue and after Tony gives his neighbor, Bruce Cusamano, a box of Cuban Montecristo cigars (a thank you for a doctor’s referral) he is invited to play golf at the country club. In theory it seems like a good idea, but Carmela is the only one who really seems to enjoy it and that lucrative stock split probably helped. At the barbecue, Tony realizes that Cusamano’s snooty friends are really just a bunch of goobers, but still agrees to go golfing with them. The entire round they ask him inane mob questions and push him to tell gangster stories. You get the impression that they were only doing it so they could tell everyone at work that they hung out with a real live Mafioso.

To celebrate his good fortune, Christopher takes Adriana to dinner at Le Cirque and to see the Broadway show <i>Rent</i>. Afterwards, they are at a hamburger stand and run into gangster rapper Massive Genius who invites them to his party in Englewood Cliffs. In his house filled with gold records and guns, Massive says there is business to be discussed. That business involves Hesh, who’s label, F Note Records, produced hits by a black performer named Little Jimmy Willis. Hesh gave himself a song writing credit in order to receive a portion of the royalties. Christopher helps arrange a sit down where Massive demands restitution, to the tune of $400,000, for Little Jimmy’s mother. Hesh gets pissed when Chris takes Massive’s side and spends a lot of time thinking about what to do. In the end, he threatens to counter-sue since one of Massive’s artist’s sampled an F Note record rift without permission.

Dr. Jennifer Melfi attends a dinner party at the Cusamano’s, where the hosts and other quests mock the Sopranos and their lifestyle with comments like “the neighbor with no neck” and “that goombah Murano glass”. Dr. Melfi is caught in the middle when Tony describes his disdain for “Wonder Bread WOPs” like the Cusamanos during one of his sessions. He thinks they aren’t real Italians since they don’t abide by family traditions. He even admits that when he played golf with these guys they made him feel like Jimmy Smash. This was a kid he knew growing up, that they used to let hang out with them just with for laughs.

In addition to money, Massive also appears to want Adriana, and when she decides to become a music manager, with Chris’ financial backing, Massive is more than happy to be involved. Unfortunately, she doesn’t realize that he’s more interested in scoping her, than her mediocre choice of a band, Visiting Day. Christopher even shells out for the studio time to cut a demo, but 62 takes later there is absolutely no magic. Adriana doesn’t seems to notice, she’s picking out $2400 designer dresses and picturing herself attending the MTV Music Awards. When Chris finally tells her that maybe she’s wrong and Visiting Day sucks, they argue and she storms out of his apartment.

Tony gives Cusamano a taste of his own medicine, by filling a box with sand and asking him to hold on to it for a while. Of course, he is terrified to say no, but doesn’t really want to do this “favor” either.

Notes: This episode features a much inquired about song in the closing scene… Christopher sits on a pool table at the Bada Bing and Hesh comments that the song playing is a “hit”. That song has finally been identified as Nobody Loves Me But You from Dori Hartley’s album Blue Djinn (pronounced “gin”) and unfortunately, it was never a hit, and the album seems to be out of print. For more insight into The Sopranos music, particularly in this episode, read Ken Kurson’s article, Singing Sopranos.