Phil Leotardo and his soldiers viciously beat Vito to death and end him in a manner that's especially insulting, all of which makes for one of The Sopranos' most vile and personal assassinations.
However, because of the death of actress Nancy Marchand (who played Livia), a huge chunk of the season had to be scrapped and rewritten. “The Sopranos ... Moltisanti in all six seasons ...