Through Their Eyes Thursday: Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri

I did hits yeah. That’s who I am. And i’m proud of who I am. An enforcer for Johnny Boy Soprano was how I began. He was a hero of mine. That’s why I have so much respect for tone. He’s got his Father’s strength. More modern day than Johnny Boy but a good leader, like a General. I get my hands dirty no question, I’m a soldier through and through. Administration be Syl’s thing. Yeah I got girls, different ones every week though. Marriage and “Our Thing” don’t jive. I dont need no woman to look after me and watching my every move so when I hear the guys bitchin and moaning about the wives, I smile to myself and thank God that Nucci is the only woman in my life. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for that woman. She’s a Saint. All the heartbreak I brought to her door as a punk kid, c’mon she deserves a medal from the Pope.


The service gave me discipline, but not the discipline to keep me straight. I was fit, strong, like a Bull. I won the chin ups cup three weeks in a row. Fuckin beautiful definition too. Guy asked me to model for the boxing poster, he was half a fag but I was flattered anyway. Look at me now, wrinkles like an old lady’s behind. Appearance means everything to me. I like to look impeccable whenever possible. It’s who I am.

You think Paulie you think Sharp, fine suits, cleanliness. It’s nearly an obsession. Urinals? Don’t get me started. I fuckin hate touchin shoelaces, even if you don’t touch the body of the shoe the bacteria migrates from the sole up. You’re average men’s shithouse is a fuckin sewer. Why do piss and shit and fuckin all happen within a two inch radius? Enough said.

Do i believe in ghosts? C’mon kid, there’s no doubt im carrying a bunch of fuckin ghouls around with me, and Mikey’s their fuckin ring leader. You’d think id be immune to this shit, covered by my donations to the church.

I whacked some heavy hitters back in my day. Sonny Pagano was the first. I made it through the seventies by the skin of my nuts when the Colombo’s were going at it. Heavy shit. But I’m getting on now, too old for this shit. I’ll tell ye, first the eyes then the teeth, next you’ll find ye can’t take pissin for granted.
You could say i got trust issues, yeah. But hey look at my father. Not my real father, some GI named Russ, cocksucka. And women? Yeah i see them slightly below men but hey, that’s the way i call it. I seen a shrink once. Learned some coping skills, enough said. I fear only death. You can’t see that sneaky bastard coming.

Anyways, I got a meeting with T at Satriale’s…

Gar O'brien
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