Claim: The Sopranos has six seasons.

Anthony John `` Tony '' Soprano is a fictional character and the protagonist in the HBO television drama series The Sopranos , portrayed by James Gandolfini . The Italian-American character was conceived by Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase , who was also largely responsible for the character 's story arc throughout the show 's six seasons . The character is loosely based on real-life New Jersey mobster Vincent `` Vinny Ocean '' Palermo -LRB- born 1944 -RRB- , a former caporegime -LRB- capo -RRB- and de facto boss of the DeCavalcante crime family of New Jersey . Considered to be the model for the DiMeo crime family , several incidents involving the DeCavalcantes were incorporated into Sopranos scripts . Bobby Boriello portrayed Soprano as a child in one episode and Danny Petrillo played the character as a teenager in three episodes .   In the first season , Tony is a capo in the DiMeo crime family . Between the first and second seasons , he is promoted to street boss , a position he retains until the sixth season ; his uncle Corrado `` Junior '' Soprano is the official boss up until early in the sixth season , but has little or no actual power . Throughout the series , Tony struggles to balance the conflicting requirements of his actual family wife Carmela , daughter Meadow , son A. J. , and mother Liviawith those of the Mafia family he controls . He often displays behavior traits characteristic of a violent sociopath , but also struggles with depression and is prone to panic attacks . He seeks treatment from Dr. Jennifer Melfi in the first episode and remains in therapy on and off up until the penultimate episode of the series .   Gandolfini garnered enormous praise for his portrayal of the character , winning three Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series , three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Male Actor in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Drama as well as two additional SAG Awards for Best Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series .