Salvatore Bonpensiero started out as a cat burglar and was affectionately known as "Big Pussy" because of this early career. He also ran an auto body shop with his brother Edward Bonpensiero. He married Angie Belfiore in He was an associate of DiMeo capo " Johnny Boy " Soprano, whom he supported during the unrest of Bonpensiero became a made man sometime after this and acted as a soldier in the Soprano Crew from then onwards.
He remained loyal to the Soprano family and backed Johnny Boy's wishes to have his son, Tony Soprano becomes capo of the crew following Johnny Boy's death in late Bonpensiero worked alongside other longtime Soprano associates Paulie Gualtieri and Silvio Dante throughout his career in the DiMeo crime family.
Salvatore succeeded Johnny Boy in the tradition of dressing as Santa Claus and giving out presents to local children at Satriale's Meat Market at Christmas time and was regarded as a worthy successor as families appreciated his manner with their kids. Bonpensiero was a father and husband to wife Angie and their three children; he was also a long-time friend of Tony's.
The money he made from the DiMeo crime family was not enough to raise his three children and put them through college and he began trafficking heroin on the side. Tony Soprano , his capo, and Jackie Aprile Sr. Aprile warned that heroin is too risky a venture for mobsters in this day and age, and said that if Bonpensiero was in need of money, he could come to him.
It was unknown why Bonpensiero never took Aprile's offer, although it may have been fear of being indebted to the boss. It was around this time that he was caught by the FBI and given the choice of either working for them as an informant against Tony Soprano and his mob family or facing the possibility of 30 years to life in prison.
