Who played Hesh Rabkin?

Jerry Adler played Hesh Rabkin on The Sopranos. Adler portrayed Herman “Hesh” Rabkin, a longtime associate and trusted adviser connected to the Soprano crime family.

Hesh is not a formally initiated member of the Italian-American Mafia, but he has deep knowledge of its business and relationships. He is portrayed as a Jewish music-industry veteran who helped Tony’s father, Johnny Boy Soprano, exploit Black recording artists in the 1960s. That backstory links Hesh to the family’s earlier generation and explains why Tony treats him as an old family friend.

Adler brought a measured, quietly skeptical presence to the role. Hesh often serves as a source of practical advice, financial knowledge, and historical memory, though his relationship with Tony becomes strained over money and debt in the later seasons. Adler was also a theatrical producer and director, and appeared in films and series including Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Good Wife, and Mad About You. John Ventimiglia, Steve Schirripa, and Frank Vincent played different Sopranos characters.