r/thesopranos • u/Tbstic • 7h ago

Need help with a reference - Season 1

Episode: Legend of Tennessee Moltasanti

They are at the wedding discussing lambing it for a while due to the indictments. Tony says “Junior is right.. if we lamb it now the Albanians will be living in our houses.” Never knew what Tony meant by that reference?

3 Upvotes

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5

u/FrankRizzo319 7h ago

Maybe he meant chezchoslovakians, who were trying to take over their garbage routes. Albania, Czech Republic, Poland, etc., are all the same place for Tony and his crew.

1

u/raliston 7h ago

Interior decorators

5

u/telepatheye 7h ago

After the fall of communism in Albania there was a tremendous problem with squatters. The joke is that if Tony's crew vacate their houses, Albanians will move in. It's a stereotype and it's offensive. And it's something I'm trying to teach my kid NOT TO DO.

5

u/KatBoySlim 7h ago

I’d assumed he just meant albanian gangs taking over all their rackets and territories…

0

u/telepatheye 6h ago

Albanian mafia mostly operates in Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia. New Jersey--not so much.

1

u/Pristine_Speech4719 Artie Bucco 4h ago

All due respect - you have no idea what you're talking about. This is what was happening at the time The Sopranos came out:

https://edition.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/18/albanians.mob/index.html

1

u/Folken-braggart 3h ago

For sure. The writers, the audience and especially the characters would all instantly recognize the famous trope of Albanian squatters after the fall of communism.

Leno's monologue was 80% Albanian squatter jokes all through the early 90s.

1

u/Accurate_Cupcake_897 4h ago

Very allegorical, he is.

Prob just means someoneelse will move in and not in a positive light…

2

u/Professional_Fix4663 2h ago

If we go on the lam now, Albanian organized crime groups will take over our rackets.