Bust Out

Episode recap

The police locate a witness who identifies Tony as one of the men who murdered Matt. Tony panics when word of the case reaches him, and he makes plans to flee until the witness can be identified and dealt with. He gives a sports bag full of cash to his lawyer, Neil Mink, to provide for his family. Luckily for Tony, the witness realizes that the murder relates to the Mafia and urgently contacts the police to retract his statement.
Tony and Richie squeeze money out of Davey's store, buying expensive merchandise on the store's credit and selling it on the street. They inform Davey the squeeze will continue unless he is able to pay back his gambling debts. Davey becomes desperate to the point of becoming suicidal. Later, Carmela has lunch at Nuovo Vesuvio with Davey's wife, who expresses concern about his gambling. Unhappy with the cut he is getting from Davey's store and the deal he has with the Soprano family's sanitation business, Richie approaches Junior with the idea of eliminating Tony. When Junior admonishes him, Richie reminds him of Junior's plan to kill Tony the previous year.
Too embarrassed to go home, Davey has taken to sleeping in a small tent set up in his store. In a late-night conversation with Tony, he asks how this will end. Tony explains that he and Richie will keep squeezing the store until it is forced into bankruptcy. Davey is inconsolable, even after Tony explains that Davey's debts to both Tony and Richie will then be considered satisfied. Tony also explains to Davey that this is one of his primary sources of income, and only let Davey in the game because he knew this store was available to bust out. He reminds Davey that the Executive Game was fair; Davey could just as easily have won a lot of money as lost it.
After imploring Tony to stop cheating on her in the previous episode, Carmela is attracted to a new handyman, Victor Musto. Victor is the brother of Davey's wife and also a widower. He and Carmela share a passionate kiss, but realize the futility of the situation. However, when he calls her, she invites him over for a "discussion" and gourmet meal that she prepares herself. In the meantime, Victor learns of Tony's involvement with his brother-in-law and sends an assistant to meet her instead of arriving himself. Victor also learns Davey gambled away his son's college tuition fund, to which Victor vows to pay himself. Tony tries to get closer to A.J. and Meadow, but does not succeed until Tony takes A.J. on his boat and capsize two men in a canoe.