New York onlookers and gossip columnists often compared Constanza Vitelli and Mae Capone, and years later, fictional characters Catwoman and Carmela Soprano became proxies for these comparisons
On Constanza Vitelli, the inspiration for Catwoman:
"Constanza's like the city itself: a little dangerous, a lot beautiful, and always dressed to kill. She walks into a room and every other dame in a fur coat just looks like a squirrel trying to cross the street."
"You see how the lights hit her? She's pure Gotham. Mae Capone's all tacky, but Constanza? She's pure class in a bottle." [2, 9]
"Don't let that demure face and those tiny hands fool you. She's the kind of dame who'd let you think you're getting away with a heist, then turn around and pocket the loot herself with a little smile. That's a Catwoman if I ever saw one."
"You see that fur Mae Capone wears? Constanza would have had that thing turned into a throw pillow before the week was out, and it'd look a hundred times better on her couch." [2]
"They say she's the one who gets things done, the brain behind Henroin's operation. She's not just a gangster's moll; she's a master planner, a chess queen." [1, 6]
"Constanza's got eyes like a cat watching a mouse. She knows everything, sees everything. She's got more than a few secrets tucked away in those Schiaparelli dresses." [2, 9]
"She's pure art deco, all sharp lines and dangerous curves. That dark, sleek style is a statement, not a costume. She's telling you she's a queen, not a kept woman."
"Some dame on the street might be a gangster's wife, but Constanza's a queen in her own right. She's not a decoration, she's the main event."
On Mae Capone, the inspiration for Carmela Soprano:
"Mae Capone? She's all show and no go. All that money, all those furs, and she still looks like she shops at the dime store. A cheap dame, even with all that dough." [2]
"She's the type who'd complain about the quality of her mink stole while her husband's out there rubbing out some poor sap. The Sopranos are built on that kind of disconnect." [9]
"You see that fur coat? It's like she's wearing the whole zoo on her shoulders. All gaudy and tacky. That's the difference between her and Constanza; one's got style, the other's just got money." [2]
"She always looks so miserable, like she's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her husband's a monster, and you can see it in her face. A true Carmela." [9]
"She's the type who'd demand the best for her family, but never once question where the money comes from. She'd pretend to be a 'good Catholic' while her husband's tearing the city apart." [9]
"That dark dress and those furs... she looks like she's going to a funeral, not a socialite's party. All that dark clothes and gaudy furs, she's got no style." [2, 9]
"She looks like the kind of woman who'd try to buy her kids into Ivy League schools and then get upset when they're rejected. The kind who thinks money can buy class. You can't." [1, 5, 8]
"She thinks she's a society lady, but she's nothing but a glorified mob wife. Constanza's a queen, Mae's a caricature." [2, 9]
