General Hospital’s Sonny wants out. After decades of running the criminal side of Port Charles, he is trying to make his businesses legitimate and finally put the mob behind him. On paper, that sounds like progress. The problem is that Sonny has spent years keeping other criminals from getting too comfortable in his town, and once he steps away, somebody is going to notice the empty chair.
Key Takeaways
- Sonny is once again trying to leave the mob and make his businesses legitimate.
- His previous attempts to walk away from organized crime never lasted for long.
- Sonny’s control of Port Charles has also helped keep rival criminals from taking over.
- Stepping aside could create a power vacuum that someone like Sidwell may try to fill.
- Port Charles could discover that losing Sonny does not mean losing the mob, just getting a more dangerous replacement.
Sonny Has Walked Away Before
This is not Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) first attempt to leave the business. He tried going legitimate with Luke (Anthony Geary) in the 1990s, handed the organization over to Jason (Steve Burton) in 2008 after Michael (then-Dylan Cash) was shot, and even spent months living a completely mob-free (and memory-free) life as Mike in Nixon Falls. None of those exits lasted.
The 2008 attempt probably came closest to showing why this never goes smoothly. Sonny stepped down because the danger had reached his children, which was more than enough reason to quit. Before long, though, he was pulled into the Zacchara mess and wanted back in. Apparently, mob retirement does not come with a very reliable cancellation policy.
That history matters because Sonny is not simply leaving a job. He is walking away from a position he has held for decades, and plenty of people know exactly how much control came with it. Once everyone believes he is truly finished, the question becomes who decides they deserve what he left behind.
READ THIS: Get a preview of the drama headed for GH.
Somebody Else Will Want Sonny’s Territory
Sonny has already made it clear that he understands the danger. When Sidwell (Carlo Rota) wanted the piers, Sonny refused because he believed Sidwell was trying to establish himself in Port Charles. He even warned Laura (Genie Francis) that violence was coming and that they needed to stop it.
None of this erases Sonny’s own history. His organization has brought plenty of violence to Port Charles, and some of his decisions hurt the very people he was trying to protect. Still, there is a difference between saying Sonny should leave the mob and assuming organized crime will politely pack up and leave with him.
That is the part Port Charles may regret. Cyrus (Jeff Kober) moved in when he saw an opening, the Jeromes fought for control, and Sidwell recently tried to establish a foothold of his own. Sonny may get his clean break, but if the next person who wants his territory has fewer rules and even less restraint, everyone else could end up missing the devil they already knew.
