The Sopranos: Was Jimmy Altieri Really A Rat?
Whether or not The Sopranos' Jimmy Altieri (Joe Badalucco) was a rat is something that continues to be a topic of debate, despite the show's own evidence. Jimmy was a season 1 character who served as one of the captains in the Altieri crew and is partly the reason why the eventual hit on Pussy Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore) was delayed. Word of either Pussy or Jimmy being a rat ran through Tony's (James Gandolfini) mind until a basement meeting between him and Jimmy in season 1, episode 11 «Nobody Knows Anything» convinced Tony of Jimmy's guilt.
Offsetting Tony's suspicions is the swiftness in which Jimmy went out on bail for his offense — only four hours after arrest. Plus, the fact that Jimmy also knew about a new forensic technique that lifts fingerprints from money and has generally suspicious body language substantiates Tony's accusations against him. Unlike other, more secret FBI informants in The Sopranos, Jimmy exposes himself further as a rat by insisting on the details of past crimes to be relayed in meetings, despite him having received such information prior. Eventually, a hit is made on Jimmy, and a rat is shoved in his corpse's mouth to signify that he was an FBI informant.
Related: The Sopranos: Adriana’s Death Almost Played Out Very Differently
There are no clear recorded instances in The Sopranos of Jimmy relaying any secret information to FBI agents. The main clues suggesting that he's a rat are Tony's suspicions, which are most likely accurate. As clear as these signs may seem, however, the surrounding circumstances around the time regarding Pussy complicate matters. Not only did Tony need to find the rat, but he wanted to believe that his friend Pussy wasn't the informant. In the end, Jimmy "ate the
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