Fat Tony: the godfather of Springfield's mob

Dark suit, honeyed smile and "perfectly legitimate" business: Fat Tony is the boss of the Springfield mob.

A mob boss straight out of a gangster film, he brings the show its dose of omertà and black humor. Here is the profile of Fat Tony.

Who is Fat Tony?

Real name Marion Anthony D'Amico, Fat Tony ("Gros Tony" in the French version) is the boss of the Springfield mob. Racketeering, illegal gambling, smuggling, forged papers: he rules the local underworld with the help of his loyal henchmen — Legs and Louie, and the priceless Johnny Tightlips, who refuses to speak out of respect for omertà. The character is an openly acknowledged parody of the gangster film, Goodfellas style.

🤐 Johnny Tightlips never loosens his lips, out of respect for omertà; when you head out into the bitter cold, pull our Simpsons neck warmers right up to your nose: your mouth stays covered, no vow of silence required.

The "Legitimate Businessman's Social Club"

Fat Tony's headquarters bears a name that fools nobody: the "Legitimate Businessman's Social Club", a perfectly innocuous front behind which his criminal operations thrive. A permanent euphemism that sums up the whole character: to hear him tell it, his crimes are never anything but honest business. He also pays regular bribes to Police Chief Wiggum, which guarantees him unshakable peace and quiet.

🚿 The "Legitimate Businessman's Social Club" makes a pretty see-through front for Fat Tony's dealings; in your bathroom, our Simpsons shower curtains make a far more serious screen, with nothing shady going on behind them.

A marriage and an ending worthy of a gangster film

Fat Tony's life follows the codes of the genre. A widower ("she was… whacked… by natural causes", he says of his wife), he "marries" Selma Bouvier for a time — a mere decoy, since he is in fact already married. The boss eventually dies of a heart attack, in an episode parodying Goodfellas, on discovering that Homer, working undercover, was an informant. No matter: his near-identical cousin, at first nicknamed "Fit Tony", takes over the business… and puts the weight back on in turn, restoring the status quo.

🤵 Fat Tony's "marriage" to Selma Bouvier was nothing but a decoy; for a wedding you're genuinely invited to, our Simpsons ties round off your formal outfit.

Fat Tony's voice actors

In the original version, Fat Tony has been voiced since 1991 by actor Joe Mantegna, who holds in it his most enduring role and insists on playing it at every appearance. In the French version, he was played by Michel Modo, then Gérard Rinaldi, and finally Xavier Fagnon.

Summary table

FAQ

• Who is Fat Tony in The Simpsons?
  The boss of the Springfield mob, real name Marion Anthony D'Amico, a parody of the gangster film.
• What is the "Legitimate Businessman's Social Club"?
  Fat Tony's headquarters: an apparently respectable front behind which his criminal operations are hidden.
• Does Fat Tony die on the show?
  Yes, of a heart attack; his cousin "Fit Tony" succeeds him before putting on weight himself and taking over the name Fat Tony.
• Who voices Fat Tony?
  Joe Mantegna in the original version; Michel Modo, then Gérard Rinaldi, then Xavier Fagnon in French.

Conclusion

Smooth, menacing and wildly theatrical, Fat Tony gives The Simpsons its best mob-movie parody. A boss you cannot help loving, as long as you never forget that with him, everything is "perfectly legitimate".