
Nino Schibetta was an Italian inmate featured in Oz. He was Ryan O'Reily's main antagonist in Season 1. Portrayed by Tony Musante.
"Prisoner number 95S604, Nino Schibetta. Convicted December 12, '95 - Two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Sentence: 120 years, up for parole in 70."
Nino is head of the Italian prisoners and manages them with an iron hand. He oversees a successful contraband business and is capable of getting any prisoner any item, legal or illegal. He has control over his living conditions: he has his choice of cell and brings in gourmet food. He has connections to several Italian and non-Italian staff members, such as prison investigator Lenny Burrano, who are more loyal to him than to their jobs. Nino treats other inmates fairly for the most part but has them killed immediately if they do anything to disrespect him or his Italian gang members. Prisoner Dino Ortolani is his key enforcer, nephew, and a major problem. Dino is a very stereotypical Italian gangster in that he is very bossy, hotheaded, racist, homophobic, and physically intimidating. Dino beats a homosexual inmate who happens to be the brother of Jefferson Keane, leader of the Homeboys gang in Oz. This causes strife between the Homeboys and Italians which leads to the deaths of Ortolani and Homeboy Johnny Post. At this time Schiabetta's son Peter visits. Peter is worried about his mother, Nino's wife, who is dying of cancer.
After all the deaths and a warning about drug dealing from Tim McManus and Warden Leo Glynn, the Italians and Homeboys make peace for the time being and work together. In the meantime, Ryan O'Reily, an Irish hoodlum and cunning sociopath, is somehow linked to every death; he is playing both the Black and Italian gangsters at the same time. CO Mike Healy has an operation with O'Reily that is competing with Schibetta. Schibetta tells O'Reily that he will become a permanent ally of the Italians if he shuts down Healy's operation. O'Reily does this and pretends to be loyal to Nino but conspires with Simon Adebisi to take over the drug trade. The two sneak ground glass into Nino's food over the period of a few months. Nino eventually dies from internal hemorrhaging. His son Peter comes to Oz in Season 2 for a money laundering conviction and proves to be nowhere near the man Nino was.
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