Over a year has passed since the end of the previous season, which ended with Johnny Sack's house being raided by the FBI. Phil Leotardo is now running Johnny's operations, and relations between him and Tony have calmed down somewhat, though they are hardly friendly. Gene Pontecorvo, one of Tony's men, comes into a large inheritance and decides that he'd like to retire to Florida to get his family out of the danger that his life puts them in. Tony, however, is adamant that Gene's commitment to the family be a lifetime one, and refuses to hear any talk of retirement even after Gene carries out a hit for Chris. Being pressed for further service from Tony on one side, and from the FBI, whom he has been secretly feeding information, on the other, Gene decides to do the one thing that will free his family. Junior's dementia, meanwhile, has grown worse, and he is now afraid that Little Pussy Malanga is gunning for him. While Tony is at his house, Junior mistakes him for Malanga and shoots him.