TVSquad

If there's one thing we can count on with General Hospital, it's the mob. Other soaps lean on corporate shenanigans, the fashion business, medical drama. GH used to be about the latter, but that was a long time ago. Now, the hospital storylines are thriving more on Night Shift, General Hospital's SoapNet spin-off. But on GH proper, the mother ship if you will, the main thrust remains Sonny, Jason, the Zaccharas and mob wars.

They're bringing in a new actor to the scene, and he carries major TV mob credentials. Vincent Pastore is joining General Hospital as Maximus Giambetti, father of Sonny's two main bodyguards, Max and Milo. Vinny is best known as Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpenserio on HBO's The Sopranos. On GH, Maximus comes to Port Charles to see his boys, under the false assumption that Max and Milo are running the syndicate in town.

He's unaware that they are more like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet; they open doors and take orders. Occasionally, Max and Milo are given more to do -- like Max's romance with Sonny's lawyer Diane Miller, or Milo's infatuation with Lulu -- but generally speaking, they're satellite characters.

With Vincent on the scene, watch for the Giambetti storyline to amp up. It will definitely veer in the comic vein, so nobody's going to wind up on a fishing trip where they get shot in the head and dumped in the bay. Only a Big Pussy warrants that kind of treatment, and neither Milo nor Max are in that league.

One thing about this casting, it's spot on in terms of looks. Derek and Drew Cheetwood who play Max and Milo (and yes, they are brothers), could be Pastore's kids. I can't wait to see them on screen together, especially when they interact with Maurice Benard (Sonny), Steve Burton (Jason) and Carolyn Hennesy (Diane).