Dino Ortolani
Dino Ortolani, played by Jon Seda, is a fictional character and the false protagonist who appeared in three episodes of the HBO series Oz. Although he dies in the first episode of the series, which is more or less centered on his character,[1] his death has a strong impact on the rest of the first season.
| Dino Ortolani | |
|---|---|
| Oz character | |
 | |
| First appearance | "The Routine" (episode 1.01) |
| Last appearance | "A Day in the Death..." (episode 6.06) |
| Created by | Tom Fontana |
| Portrayed by | Jon Seda |
| In-universe information | |
| Family | Nino Schibetta (uncle) Peter Schibetta (cousin) |
Character overview
"Prisoner #96C382. Convicted December 12, 1996 - One count of murder in the first degree, assault with a deadly weapon. Sentence: Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole."
The epitome of a macho Italian gangster, Ortolani is bitter, homophobic and hotheaded.[2] He is also the nephew of Nino Schibetta and the cousin of Peter Schibetta. He is in prison for shooting and nearly killing Ryan O'Reily as well as murdering another Irish gangster in the process.
Season 1
Ortolani runs the kitchen for his uncle, Italian mafioso Nino Schibetta, whom he is very close to.[3] Like most of the Wiseguys, he harbours a dislike toward the majority of the black inmates, unconcerned with the fact that they constitute the majority of the kitchen staff. He is disliked and feared by most of the staff and other inmates, although, his toughness and apparent racism is somewhat admired by Aryan Brotherhood leader Vernon Schillinger; Ortolani makes it known that the feeling is not mutual. When Ortolani learns that Ryan O'Reily is alive and coming to Oz, he schemes to have his old enemy killed (and later almost succeeds in drowning O'Reily in one of the bathroom toilets before his conscience gets the better of him).
After a shower encounter where gay inmate Billie Keane flirts with him, Ortolani beats and nearly cripples Keane before being restrained by officers.[2][3] This enrages Billie's brother Jefferson Keane, the leader of the black Homeboys gang, who, later along with O'Reily, plots to kill Ortolani in retaliation.[2]
Having already thrown Ortolani in solitary on a multitude of occasions for fighting, Tim McManus lets Ortolani know that every prisoner and guard in Oz hates him or is scared of him (or both), something Ortolani does not seem to mind. Instead of placing him in the hole again, McManus sends him to work in the AIDS ward,[3] hoping to teach him a lesson in tolerance. Disgusted at the prospect of working with homosexuals and fearful of being exposed to the disease, Ortolani asks Nino to get him out of it, which he refuses. While he serves his time in the AIDS ward, Ortolani develops an infatuation for Dr. Gloria Nathan, who believes his violent tendencies could be eased with medication. Although Ortolani is initially disgusted by the patients surrounding him on the ward, he begins to form a bond with Emilio Sanchez, a heroin addict who is close to death after contracting the disease through needle sharing.[4] Sanchez eventually asks Ortolani to help him die and end his suffering. Ortolani doesn't agree immediately, but returns later to do as Sanchez asked him, disconnecting him from life support and smothering him to death.[4]
After he is caught killing Sanchez, McManus and Dr. Nathan throw him into the isolation ward and have him drugged following a beating from officers. Keane then gives the order to Johnny Post and O'Reily to kill him. O'Reily uses his connections to allow Post entry to the hole, who then pours flammable liquid onto a comatose Ortolani, setting him on fire and burning him to death.[1][5]
Ortolani is largely portrayed as callous, hotheaded and devoid of emotion, but was shown to possess signs of some positive characteristics, amid other signs of an internal struggle as the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison began to set in as a reality. Throughout the first episode, Ortolani is seen to have somewhat of an admiration for new inmate Kareem Said, whom he watches during his lectures to the Muslim inmates; he later tells Said, "It's too bad you're of the wrong color," after Said attempts to connect with him in a hallway before taking off. He is also forced to sponsor new inmate, Tobias Beecher whom he takes no interest in, but does offer some advice about surviving in prison. When Schillinger attempts to congratulate him for his assault on Keane, believing it to be racially motivated, Ortolani makes it clear that he does not want his admiration, nor does he respect or agree with his racist attitude. In addition, he is shown to care deeply for his two children, telling his wife Ginny that he does not want her to bring them to Oz again. He also cares very much for his wife and wishes for her to live a normal life, but has difficulty in expressing his feelings. During his interrogation, inmate Bob Rebadow says that God told him that Ortolani wanted to kill himself for being in prison for the rest of his life, away from his wife and kids. By smothering Sanchez and allowing himself to be placed in the hole, he knew this would happen.
He makes his second appearance in the final episode of season one in a brief hallucination by McManus during the riot.
Season 6
In the sixth and final season, Ortolani's spirit co-narrates the episode #54, "A Day in the Death".[6]
References
- Sepinwall, Alan (2013). The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, and Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever. Simon and Schuster. p. 21. ISBN 978-1476739670.
- Hames-Garcia, Michael R. (2011). Identity Complex: Making the Case for Multiplicity (illustrated ed.). University of Minnesota Press. pp. 135–137. ISBN 9781452932675.
- Nelson, Robin (2007). State of Play: Contemporary "High-End" TV Drama. Manchester University Press. p. 155. ISBN 978-0719073113.
- Green, Tara (2008). From the Plantation to the Prison: African-American Confinement Literature. Mercer University Press. p. 133. ISBN 978-0881460902.
- Edgerton, Gary R.; Jones, Jeffrey P. (2013). The Essential HBO Reader: Essential Readers in Contemporary Media and Culture. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813143729.
- "Baldness <> Death". Television Without Pity. Retrieved July 25, 2013.