As someone whose Italian patriarch was a lot like Tony Soprano, in some respects, I look at these characters from a different angle. They represent deeply flawed examples of human beings, created by difficult to overcome circumstances, and driven by self-destructive tendencies that highlight their vulnerable nature and fragile existence. They are the extremes of what is present in all of us and serve as cautionary tales not to wildly abandon our morality and decency, even in the face of temptation, because if we do we will pay the price of what we value the most.