Vincent Curatola as Johnny Sack on The Sopranos (Episode 3.04: “Employee of the Month”, 2001).
Vitals
Vincent Curatola as John “Johnny Sack” Sacrimoni, proud and urbane New York Mafia underboss
New Jersey, Fall 2001
Series: The Sopranos
Episodes:
* “Employee of the Month” (Episode 3.04, aired March 18, 2001, dir. John Patterson)
* “For All Debts Public and Private” (Episode 4.01, aired September 15, 2002, dir. Allen Coulter)
* “Watching Too Much Television” (Episode 4.07, aired October 27, 2002, dir. John Patterson)
* “Whitecaps” (Episode 4.13, aired December 8, 2002, dir. John Patterson)
* “Where’s Johnny?” (Episode 5.03, aired March 21, 2004, dir. John Patterson)
* “In Camelot” (Episode 5.07, aired April 18, 2004, dir. Steve Buscemi)
Creator: David Chase
Costume Designer: Juliet Polcsa
Background
One of the most dapper characters on recent television is John “Johnny Sack” Sacrimoni, The Sopranos‘ enigmatic underboss of the New York-based Lupertazzi crime family. Johnny Sack remains one of the most fascinating and well-rounded characters on a show filled with them. Equal parts cool, menacing, and principled family man, Sacrimoni would prove to be as useful an ally to Tony as he would eventually be feared as a threat.
Vincent Curatola was a relative newcomer to acting with only a few small credits to his name when he first appeared as Johnny Sack in the first season episode “Pax Soprana”. Immediately, Curatola established Sacrimoni as a multi-layered character with a fiery pride lurking just below his suave, cautious demeanor.
What’d He Wear?
Earth tones are a mainstay in John Sacrimoni’s wardrobe. Johnny Sack first wears one of the sharpest items in his collection – a cream plaid sport coat – when inviting friends and mobsters to his New Jersey home in “Employee of the Month” (Episode 3.04).
The single-breasted sport coat is cream with a subtle tan Glen check. The jacket has a 2-button front and 4-button cuffs, all cream plastic buttons. The lapels are wide at the low notches with a buttonhole on the left lapel.
I believe that Johnny Sack had two very similar sport coats like this. The jacket seen in “For All Debts Public and Private” (Episode 4.01) and “Where’s Johnny?” (Episode 5.03) appears to have brown buttons and 3-button cuffs.
A mobster from the “old school”, Johnny Sack appropriately wears a sport coat with a cut reminiscent of the 1940s with its ventless back, suppressed waist, and strong shoulders. The shoulders are padded with roped sleeveheads.
Hey, fun party!
The sport coat has straight flapped hip pockets and a welted breast pocket, which is rarely seen without a silk pocket square poking out.
In “Employee of the Month” (Episode 3.04), he pairs the coat with a pair of flat front khakis. The trousers have straight side pockets and belt loops, through which he wears a brown leather belt that fastens through a square polished steel single-claw buckle.
We never get a good look at John’s feet during these scenes, but his sense of style would almost certainly call for a pair of brown leather dress shoes. He also tends to wear trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms so we can assume that these khakis don’t have cuffs, either.
Johnny’s shirt for the housewarming party is warm brown with a matching silk tie. His cream and brown printed silk pocket square continues the earth tone palette.
Johnny Sack greets his guests in “Employee of the Month” (Episode 3.04).
Johnny Sack next wears a tan Glen check sport coat in “For All Debts Public and Private” (Episode 4.01) when calling an imprisoned Paulie from New York City. In this episode, he wears a blue dress shirt with subtle decorative tonal striping visible on the collar and cuffs. The shirt has black buttons down the front and gold oval cuff links fastening the double cuffs. He wears it open at the throat with no tie.
(This is one instance where I believe he wears a slightly different sport coat.)
Johnny Sack takes his prison phone calls al fresco.
The sport coat returns for a brief appearance in “Watching Too Much Television” (Episode 4.07) during a party for Paulie at the Bing. He is only seen briefly, but he appears to be wearing it with a light gray open neck shirt.
After enduring a season of growing frustrations, Johnny Sack finally confronts Tony in “Whitecaps” (Episode 4.13). Although he’s all business, Johnny foregoes wearing a tie and wears just a brown dress shirt with khakis.
Alpha!
In “Where’s Johnny?” (Episode 5.03), a pricklier-than-ever Johnny Sack attends a sit-down with Tony and Christopher in Brooklyn. He wears a mint green dress shirt and matching pocket square. The shirt has a spread collar, plain front, and squared button cuffs. He also wears a silver silk necktie.
Sacrimoni bemoans Kofi Annan’s leadership of the Mafia.
“In Camelot” (Episode 5.07) sees the last appearance of Johnny Sack’s cream Glen check sport coat for yet another sit-down. He opts for a more monochromatic look with a cream dress shirt that has white buttons down the front placket and rounded button cuffs. The throat is worn open with no tie. The look isn’t totally monochromatic, however; a dark paisley pocket square with shades of blue, green, and brown pokes out of the jacket’s breast pocket.
Although decked out in warm colors, Johnny Sack provides a dangerous contrast against the scene’s darkness.
Johnny Sack’s accessories are all gold – consistent with his wealthy personality and earth tone-focused wardrobe. On his right hand, he wears a gold chain link bracelet and a gold pinky ring with a dark red oval setting. Johnny wears a gold metal watch on his left wrist with a square face and expanding bracelet.
How to Get the Look
Dapper, dedicated, and dangerous, Johnny Sack is one of the most powerful members of The Sopranos‘ underworld. He consistently dresses to impress, showing a sense of style more advanced than the casual sweatsuits of both his contemporaries and underlings.
- Cream and tan Glen plaid single-breasted 2-button sport coat with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and ventless back
- Brown dress shirt with point collar
- Brown silk necktie
- Khaki flat front trousers with belt loops, straight side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
- Brown leather belt with square polished steel single-claw buckle
- Brown leather dress shoes
- Gold pinky ring with dark red oval setting
- Gold chain link bracelet
- Gold wristwatch with square dial and expanding bracelet
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Buy the entire series.
The Quote
Power sharing… what’s this, the FUCKIN’ U.N. NOW?!
