In 2001, in the season 3 finale episode ' Army of One', after Jackie Aprile, Jr. Tony Soprano enlists in the help of Bobby Baccalieri's father, Bobby Baccalieri, Sr., to perform the hit on Mustang Sally. Vito is vindictive and demands someone render Sal's comeuppance. In the season 3 episode ' Another Toothpick', Vito's brother, Bryan Spatafore, is violently beaten with a golf club by a young hot-head known as Salvatore 'Mustang Sally' Intile and put into a coma. Vito's character is based on Vito Arena, a homosexual mob associate in the Gambino crime family.
Vito is inducted into the Aprile crew upon Richie's release from prison and quickly rises through the ranks to Capo after the deaths of capos Richie Aprile, Gigi Cestone and Ralph Cifaretto. Gannascoli, appears in the Season 1 episode, ' The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti' as pastry shop patron named ' Gino'. Although Vito Spatafore wasn't introduced on The Sopranos until the Season 2 episode ' The Happy Wanderer' as a nephew to fellow mobster Richie Aprile and later a cousin to Adriana La Cerva and Jackie Aprile, Jr, the actor who plays his role, Joseph R.
