Dwight Harris

Dwight Harris
Matt Servitto as Dwight Harris (centre)
First appearance	"The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti" (episode 1.08)
Last appearance	"Made in America" (episode 6.21)
Created by	David Chase
Portrayed by	Matt Servitto
Information
Occupation	FBI agent
Title	FBI Supervising Agent-in-Charge with the Newark Organized Crime Division Task Force Joint Terrorism Task Force

Special Agent Dwight Harris, played by Matt Servitto, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is an FBI agent assigned to Tony Soprano's case. A minor character during the first five seasons of the series, he plays a pivotal role throughout the sixth season as a de facto ally to Tony Soprano in his war against Phil Leotardo.^[1][2]

Biography

Harris is an FBI Supervisor Agent-in-Charge specializing in investigation of the DiMeo crime family with the FBI's Newark Organized Crime Division Task Force. He is often seen staking out various family members. While investigating the family, he develops a somewhat friendly rapport with several of them, particularly Tony Soprano. Like Tony, Harris is a fan of the New Jersey Nets. After September 11, Harris is reassigned to counter-terrorism duty in Pakistan, where he catches a bad stomach parasite. Nevertheless, when he returns to New Jersey he frequents Satriale's pork store, apparently for the familiar food and company. He also approaches Christopher, and eventually Tony, for information on terrorism-related organized crime from his criminal connections at the Port of New York and New Jersey in exchange for banking "goodwill" in possible future RICO trials. With Harris now focused on terrorism, he and Tony seem to develop a more genuine friendship. In the Season 6 episode "Kaisha", Harris appears at Satriale's to inform Tony that someone in his crew could be in danger, although he has no specific details.

Later on, Agent Harris and his partner, Agent Goddard, approached Tony at his home, requesting that Tony inform them should he come across any terror-related information in his line of work. Tony initially rejects the overture, but has a change of heart after suspecting that two Muslim former patrons of the Bada Bing, who had been paying Christopher Moltisanti for stolen credit card numbers, were involved in terrorist activity. Tony provides their names and a cell phone numbers to Agent Harris, who is appreciative. In return, Agent Harris promises to write a letter detailing Tony's assistance that will be placed in Tony's FBI file for a judge to consider in sentencing should Tony ever be convicted of a crime. Harris and Soprano seemed to have established a mutual respect at this point; Tony views anti-terrorism as an important issue and Harris appreciates that Tony's leadership is preferable to that of mobsters like Leotardo. He later tells Tony at Satriale's that an informer amongst Phil Leotardo's crew has told them that Tony is being targeted by the Lupertazzi family. Agent Harris meets with Tony Soprano, who offers him the name of the Muslim men's bank. In return, Harris tells Tony that while in hiding Leotardo has been making calls from a pay phone in Oyster Bay, Long Island, information he apparently obtains from an agent with whom he is having an affair. When Agent Goddard later reports Leotardo's murder, Harris exults in the success of his ploy.

Reference to the DeVecchio FBI case

• Upon hearing that Phil Leotardo was killed, Agent Harris jubilantly cries, "We're gonna win this thing!" This is a reference to former FBI supervisor Lindley DeVecchio, who said the same thing when he was told Lorenzo "Larry" Lampasi had been shot to death in front of his Brooklyn home. DeVecchio was later indicted for providing the Colombo family with information that led to four murders (although the charges were later dropped), much as Harris provides Tony with information leading to the death of Leotardo.^[3] Agent Harris' motivation may be personal. In an earlier Season 6 episode, Agent Harris tells Tony that he has never liked Phil Leotardo ever since Phil tried to set up a female agent for "a rape and beating." Late in Season 6 we learn that Agent Harris is either married to or more likely having an affair with a female FBI agent who indirectly appears to be the source of his info on Leotardo.

External links

• Matt Servitto at the Internet Movie Database

References

1. http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0050334/
2. http://www.backstage.com/interview/from-sopranos-to-singing/
3. http://nypost.com/2007/10/18/were-gonna-win-this-thing/