Corrado John "Junior" Soprano Jr., portrayed by Dominic Chianese,
Junior is depicted as being intelligent, old-fashioned, stubborn and insecure about his power. Although Junior is portrayed as bitter and deceitful in season one, he shows a more considerate and humorous side of himself in the later seasons. He reveals a more sensitive aspect of his personality during his illness and house arrest. According to series creator David Chase, the name Junior was taken from one of his cousins. Chianese landed the role of Junior over Tony Sirico who played Paulie Gualtieri, and Frank Vincent who played Phil Leotardo.
Background
In Season One, it's stated that Junior is 70 years old, placing his birth date in 1928 or 1929. Corrado Soprano, Jr. is the eldest of three sons of Corrado and Mariangela D'Agostino Soprano, who were from Ariano (an Italian town) and immigrated to the United States in 1911.