The Many Saints of Newark (2021) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Dickie kills his father after witnessing Hollywood Dick brutally kick Giuseppina (his new wife) down a flight of stairs. Confronted with his father's violent nature, Dickie murders him and stages the scene to appear as if Hollywood Dick died in the Newark riots by burning his body in a drainage supply building.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Hollywood Dick's violent behavior toward Giuseppina hints at his brutal character, making Dickie's extreme response feel inevitable.

• dickie moltisanti
• hollywood dick
• patricide
• murder

Dickie drowns Giuseppina in the sea after she confesses to having an affair with Harold McBrayer. Enraged by her betrayal, Dickie lures her to the shore under the pretense of reconciling, then drowns her in the ocean.

Foreshadowing: Dickie's earlier visits to his uncle Sally and his growing obsession with Giuseppina foreshadow his inability to control his emotions around her.

• giuseppina moltisanti
• drowning
• affair
• harold mcbrayer

Junior Soprano orders Dickie's murder. The killing is carried out by an unknown assailant hired through Junior's orders. The exact motive isn't fully explained in the film, but it stems from internal power struggles within the DiMeo crime family.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tensions between Junior and Dickie, particularly when Junior's accident causes Dickie to laugh, hint at growing hostility.

• junior soprano
• dickie murder
• dimo crime family

While the film doesn't explicitly state Junior's exact reasoning, the tension builds when Dickie laughs at Junior's accident, sparking Junior's fury. This incident, combined with existing power dynamics within the crime family, leads Junior to order Dickie's elimination.

Foreshadowing: The moment Dickie laughs at Junior's accident creates visible friction between them, foreshadowing the eventual betrayal.

• junior soprano
• dickie
• crime family rivalry

Harold betrays Dickie by having an affair with Giuseppina and then waging war against the DiMeo family. Harold returns from North Carolina with ambitions to establish a black-led crime operation in Newark, and his relationship with Giuseppina directly challenges Dickie's authority, sparking a violent rivalry.

Foreshadowing: Harold's decision to join the riots during the unrest signals his willingness to operate outside the traditional crime family structure.

• harold mcbrayer
• giuseppina
• betrayal
• newark riots

After Dickie is murdered, Tony is left grief-stricken and haunted at Dickie's wake. The film ends with Tony looking at Dickie's lifeless body, traumatized by the violence and loss of his mentor. This moment shapes Tony's future as the eventual boss of the Soprano crime family.

Foreshadowing: Throughout the film, Dickie serves as Tony's guiding figure, making his death a pivotal turning point in Tony's development.

• tony soprano
• dickie death
• mentor
• soprano family

Young Tony is expelled from school for starting a gambling scheme among his classmates. This early criminal behavior demonstrates his immersion in the crime lifestyle from a young age, reflecting the negative influences surrounding him.

Foreshadowing: Tony's gambling scheme foreshadows his eventual career in organized crime and his troubled relationship with authority.

• tony soprano
• school expulsion
• gambling

The riots ignite when a black taxi driver is brutally assaulted by white police officers. This racial tension serves as the backdrop for Harold McBrayer's decision to join the chaos and pursue his own criminal ambitions outside the DiMeo family.

Foreshadowing: The riots mark the beginning of Harold's transformation from Dickie's associate to rival crime boss.

• newark riots
• racial tension
• 1967
• harold mcbrayer

Johnny Soprano receives a four-year prison sentence as a result of his criminal activities during the turmoil of the Newark riots. Both Johnny and Junior get arrested at a carnival, but Johnny receives the harsher sentence, leaving a power vacuum in the crime family.

Foreshadowing: Johnny's imprisonment creates opportunities for other family members to rise in influence, affecting the family's internal dynamics.

• johnny soprano
• prison sentence
• carnival arrest

Livia tries to bond with Tony after his school guidance counselor informs her about his exceptional intelligence. However, her discussion of her mental health issues creates distance between them rather than connection, reflecting the emotional dysfunction in the Soprano family.

Foreshadowing: This moment highlights the toxic family dynamics that will plague Tony throughout his life.

• livia soprano
• tony
• mental health
• family tension

Christopher Moltisanti, Dickie's infant son, is introduced at the reunion when Johnny returns from prison. His wails prompt a comment about some babies having innate wisdom. Christopher will eventually become a central figure in Tony's crime family in the original series.

Foreshadowing: The introduction of baby Christopher foreshadows his future role as Tony's protégé and eventual nephew in the Soprano crime family.

• christopher moltisanti
• baby
• dickie son