Character Relationship Map: Nicky Deuce

Characters

• Nicky (played by Noah Munck) — protagonist

  Nicholas Borelli II, a shy teenager sent to live with his grandmother and uncle in Brooklyn, accidentally gets involved in the mafia. After collecting a debt for a man named Paulie, he adopts the alia...

• Donna (played by Cristine Prosperi) — supporting

  A local New York teenager who befriends Nicholas and helps him navigate city life. She collaborates with Nicky and Tommy to investigate a mafia horse racing fraud scheme and participates in kidnapping...

• Uncle Frankie (played by Steve Schirripa) — supporting

  Nicholas's paternal uncle who initially appears to be a gangster but is actually a covert NYPD investigator. He infiltrates the mafia to expose their criminal machinations, including horse racing frau...

• Tutti (played by Rita Moreno) — supporting

  Nicholas's paternal grandmother living in Brooklyn. She is kidnapped by the gangsters to leverage Nicky into returning a stolen racehorse. After being rescued, she encourages Nicholas's parents to all...

• Tommy (played by Cassius Crieghtney) — supporting

  Nicholas's outgoing best friend who helps him adjust to city life. He accompanies Nicky to collect a debt and later joins the investigation into a mafia horse racing fraud scheme. He is accidentally h...

• Josh (played by Jesse Camacho) — supporting

  Nicholas's only friend from his small hometown, characterized as the direct opposite of the shy teenager. He is mentioned early in the plot but does not appear in the main Brooklyn storyline.

• Bobby Eggs (played by James Gandolfini) — supporting

  A local man who owes a debt to the mafia. Nicky and Tommy visit his apartment to collect the money. Nicky accidentally injures him during the encounter, prompting Eggs to pay immediately and ask for N...

• Paulie (played by Vincent Curatola) — supporting

  A gangster who assigns Nicky his first debt collection job after the teenager answers a private phone call. He is involved in the mafia's horse racing fraud scheme and is among the gangsters caught an...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Nicky → Paulie (Professional Assigned Debt Collector) — Paulie unintentionally draws Nicky into the gangster environment by assigning him work.

  After Nicky answers Frankie's private phone, he takes a job for Paulie to recover a debt.

• Nicky → Uncle Frankie (Family Nephew And Uncle) — Their relationship changes from suspicion to mutual trust after Frankie's true profession is revealed.

  Nicky is sent to live with his uncle Frankie in Brooklyn, although his father had warned him to stay away from Frankie.

• Nicky → Tutti (Family Grandmother And Grandson) — Tutti is Nicky's grandmother and later becomes the hostage whose rescue drives his actions.

  Nicky is sent to spend the summer in Brooklyn with his paternal grandmother Tutti, whom he has never met.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Uncle Frankie → Tutti (Alliance Family Ally) — Frankie helps protect Tutti as the family becomes entangled in the criminal scheme.

  Frankie is present when Tutti is kidnapped, tied up with the others, and freed before the gangsters are arrested.

• Uncle Frankie → Paulie (Conflict Undercover Investigator And Target) — Frankie secretly works against Paulie while appearing to belong to the gang.

  Frankie reveals that he is a covert NYPD investigator who infiltrated the gang to expose its criminal activities, including Paulie's scheme.

• Paulie → Tutti (Conflict Hostage Taker) — Paulie's criminal operation places Tutti in direct danger.

  After the teenagers take the manipulated racehorse, the gangsters around Paulie kidnap Tutti to force an exchange.

• Donna → Tommy (Alliance Investigation Partner) — Donna and Tommy cooperate as members of the teenage investigative group.

  Donna and Tommy join Nicky in discovering that the Mafia is manipulating horse races.

• Nicky → Bobby Eggs (Conflict Debt Collector And Debtor) — Their encounter is an accidental but consequential confrontation over a debt.

  Nicky visits Bobby Eggs's apartment to recover money that Eggs owes Paulie, accidentally injures him, and causes him to pay immediately.

• Nicky → Josh (Social Hometown Friend) — Josh represents Nicky's earlier life before the Brooklyn adventure.

  The plot identifies Josh as Nicky's only friend in his small hometown and describes him as Nicky's opposite.

• Nicky → Tommy (Social Friend) — Tommy is Nicky's outgoing companion during both the early adventure and the investigation.

  Tommy helps Nicky adjust to city life and accompanies him during the debt-collection visit.

• Nicky → Donna (Social Friend) — Donna becomes one of Nicky's closest city friends and investigative partners.

  Donna helps Nicky get along in New York and later investigates the horse-racing scheme with him.

Story Analysis

A sheltered teenager gains confidence and independence after being pulled into a Brooklyn criminal investigation.

Plot Progression

1. From Sheltered Town to Brooklyn — Nicky loses his planned math-camp summer and is sent to Brooklyn. He meets Tutti and Frankie while struggling with the city's unfamiliar pace.
2. The Accidental Gangster — Donna and Tommy help Nicky adapt to city life. After answering Frankie's private phone, Nicky accepts Paulie's debt-collection assignment and creates the identity Nicky Deuce.
3. Secrets Behind the Races — Nicky, Donna, and Tommy discover that the Mafia manipulates horse races through conditioned horses and hypnosis. Their investigation turns into direct action when they take the racehorse.
4. A Dangerous Exchange — The gangsters retaliate by kidnapping Tutti and demanding the racehorse. The exchange fails, and the teenagers, their family, and Frankie are captured.
5. The Undercover Reveal — The captives escape but cannot stop the rigged race. Frankie reveals his NYPD identity, leading to the gangsters' arrest and a warmer future for Nicky.