Nino Schibetta

Tony Musante as Nino Schibetta.

Antonino "Nino" Schibetta, played by Tony Musante, is a fictional character in the HBO series Oz.

Character overview

Prisoner #95S604. Convicted December 12, 1995 - Two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Sentence: 120 years, eligible for parole in 70.

Schibetta is a mafia Don and former leader of the prison's Italian gang.

Until his death, Nino is the most powerful prisoner in Oz; his influence is greater than even several of the unit managers. Anything he wants, such as a single cell in Em City, is given to him without question. Warden Glynn has respect for Schibetta's ability to efficiently run the prison kitchen. Schibetta ends up dying a slow, painful death at the hands of Ryan O'Reily and Simon Adebisi. After he dies, his son Peter Schibetta arrives at Oz seeking revenge.

Schibetta is unlike most typical prisoners and also unlike the stereotypical mob figure: he is quiet, thoughtful, restrained and cultured. He is deeply in love with his wife and is devastated by her illness and death.

Season 1

Nino is head of the Italian prisoners and manages them with an iron fist. He oversees a successful contraband business and is capable of getting any prisoner any item, legal or illegal. He has connections to several Italian and non-Italian staff members, such as prison investigator Lenny Burrano, who are more loyal to him than to their jobs. Nino treats other inmates fairly for the most part but has them killed immediately if they do anything to disrespect him or his Italian gang members. Prisoner Dino Ortolani is his key enforcer, nephew, and a major problem. Dino beats a homosexual inmate who happens to be the brother of Jefferson Keane, leader of the Homeboys gang in Oz. This causes strife between the Homeboys and Italians which leads to the deaths of Ortolani and Homeboy Johnny Post. At this time Schibetta's son Peter visits. Peter is worried about his mother, Nino's wife, who is dying of cancer.

After all the deaths and a warning about drug dealing from Tim McManus and Warden Leo Glynn, the Italians and Homeboys make peace for the time being and work together. In the meantime, Ryan O'Reily is involved with each death and plays both the Black and Italian gangsters at the same time. CO Mike Healy has an operation with O'Reilly that is competing with Schibetta. Schibetta tells O'Reilly that he will become a permanent ally of the Italians if he shuts down Healy's operation. O'Reilly does this and pretends to be loyal to Nino but conspires with Simon Adebisi to take over the drug trade. The two sneak ground glass into Nino's food over the period of a few months. Nino eventually dies from internal hemorrhaging. His son Peter comes to Oz in Season 2 for a money laundering conviction and proves to be nowhere near the man Nino was.

External links

• Official biography at Oz website