Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero
Vincent Pastore as Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero
First appearance	"Pilot" (episode 1.01)
Last appearance	"Remember When" (episode 6.15)
Created by	David Chase
Portrayed by	Vincent Pastore
Information
Full name	Salvatore Bonpensiero
Nickname(s)	Big Pussy Puss Sal
Aliases	CW-16 (FBI informant number)
Occupation	Owner of Bonpensiero Bros. Body Shop Heroin trafficker FBI informant
Title	Soldier in the Soprano Crew in the DiMeo crime family
Family	Lino Bonpensiero (father) Edward "Duke" Bonpensiero (brother) Marianucci (sister, deceased)
Spouse(s)	Angie Bonpensiero
Children	Kevin Bonpensiero (son) Matt Bonpensiero (son) Terri Bonpensiero (daughter) Joey LaRocca (illegitimate son)
Relatives	A.J. Soprano (godson)
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, played by Vincent Pastore, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Not to be confused with fellow New Jersey mobster "Little Pussy" Malanga, Big Pussy was one of the men who worked for Tony Soprano and the two were close friends.

The son of Lino Bonpensiero, Salvatore Bonpensiero started out as a cat burglar, and was affectionately known as "Big Pussy" because of this early career ("Pussy" in reference to a "pussy cat" since he was a cat burglar). It is also very likely that he started out solely with the nickname "Pussy," then got the nickname "Big Pussy" to avoid confusion with "Little Pussy" Malanga. The name confusion is referenced in the first episode when Tony's confidante Herman "Hesh" Rabkin mistakenly believes that Junior plans to whack Big Pussy. Tony corrected Hesh by saying that Junior planned to whack Little Pussy; that if Junior was to attempt an attack on Big Pussy that would result in an automatic mob war since Big Pussy was highly respected, even outside the DiMeo crime family and was also both made and a "good earner." This showed in particular Bonpensiero's high status in the Soprano crew and his closeness to Tony, referring to him as "my Pussy."

Big Pussy also ran an auto body shop with his brother Edward "Duke" Bonpensiero. He married his wife, Angela in 1976. He was an associate of Johnny Boy Soprano during the 1960s alongside Paulie Gualtieri, until he supported Johnny during the unrest of 1983. Bonpensiero was made sometime after this and acted as a soldier in the Soprano crew from then on. He remained loyal to the Soprano family and backed Johnny's wishes to have his son, Tony Soprano, become capo of the crew following Johnny's death in 1986. Bonpensiero worked alongside other longtime Soprano soldiers, Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri and Silvio Dante. Following the death of the elder Soprano, Bonpensiero also took on Johnny's tradition of dressing as Santa Claus and giving out presents to local children at Satriale's Pork Store at Christmas time.