The History of Sonny Corinthos on ‘General Hospital’
Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) is a General Hospital legacy character who’s dominated the screen for nearly 30 years. Whether fans love him or love to hate him, he’s a massive part of GH history.
But currently, we’re seeing a new side to the mob boss that is drastically different from what we know. So now, let’s look back at the mob kingpin over the decades and see how he’s different on the ABC daytime drama.
General Hospital: The Backstory of Sonny Corinthos
When Michael “Sonny” Corinthos was a boy, he lived in Bensonhurst, NY, with his father, Mike Corbin (then Ron Hale), and his mother, Adela Corbin (Iris Almario in flashbacks). But Mike had a gambling addiction.
One day, Mike wiped out the bank account and abandoned his wife and Sonny. Later, his mom married a cop named Timothy Deacon Woods (unknown actor in flashbacks), better known as “Deke.” Sadly, Adela was unaware that Deke was violent and abusive.
He beat Sonny Corinthos and his mom severely and often. Also, Deke locked him in a closet for hours on end. To this day, on General Hospital, he struggles with claustrophobia because of Deke’s beatings.
WOW @MauriceBenard special episode looks captivating and OMG Joshua Benard is coming to Port Charles. CAN'T WAIT! #GH pic.twitter.com/nRLEFsnZl0
— Asmaa (@AsmaaAly_Z) November 7, 2018
When he was a teenager, Adela had him move in with a friend to keep him safe. Later, Deke beat Adela so severely that she died. He was heartbroken, but that was a turning point in his life.
Deke’s buddies on the police force covered for him. So, he never paid for killing Adela. Of course, this caused Sonny not to trust the justice system.
So, he turned to a mobster, Joe Scully Sr. (Robert Miano), and joined his crime organization. Then, Joe killed Deke, which was the beginning of Sonny’s life in the mob on General Hospital.
New Life Ahead on GH
Sonny Corinthos put Bensonhurst in his rear-view and showed up in Port Charles in 1993 on GH. He bought the Paradise Lounge strip club and had underage girls working for him.
One of the girls was Scott Baldwin’s (Kin Shriner) daughter, Karen Wexler (last played by Marie Wilson). First, he got Karen hooked on drugs, so she’d work at the club. Then, he lured her into bed.
Indeed, not a good look for the legacy mobster on General Hospital. Later, the lounge got shut down. So, Sonny and his pal Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) went to work for the mobster, Frank Smith (Joe Cortese).
#OnThisDay in 1993, Maurice Benard debuted as Michael “Sonny” Corinthos Jr #ClassicGH #GH #GeneralHospital pic.twitter.com/7OYCNOt1MN
— General Hospi-tales (@Port_Charles1) August 13, 2020
Over the years, Sonny Corinthos committed countless crimes as the Port Charles kingpin. Indeed, the list is long. But some of his most notable crimes are hanging AJ Quartermaine (Sean Kanan) from a meat hook and threatening to kill him.
Eventually, he did kill AJ but at another time, recall General Hospital recaps. Also, he shot his own son, Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna), when he learned Dante was an undercover cop. Although he shot him was before he knew it was his son.
Plus, he rigged Jasper Jacks’ (Ingo Rademacher) private jet causing it to crash. And he almost killed his daughter Kristina Corinthos (Lexi Ainsworth) when he planted a bomb in Johnny Zacchara’s (Brandon Barash) car. Clearly, he is a career criminal.
And he’s made terrible choices in the past. But his need for power stems from his childhood. Deep down, Sonny was terrified after Deke’s abuse. And he wanted to ensure that he would never be a victim again. And now, the iconic character seems to be a different man…
The Many Loves of Sonny, The Mob Kingpin
Currently, Sonny is married to Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright) on General Hospital. Although, not for much longer. And he always seems to end up back with her. However, the mobster’s had some pretty epic loves besides Carly.
For a long time on GH, Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil) was the love of his life. Also, Olivia Falconeri (Lisa LoCicero) was his childhood love. And they share their son Dante who was born when they were teenagers.
But it turns out that Olivia’s cousin, Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan), was Sonny’s true childhood sweetheart. Although he cared for Liv, his heart belonged to Connie. Of course, he made his way back to Carly.
But now, he’s in love with Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros). And his latest run with Carly is over. Carly is divorcing him, and Nina might be the one to pick up the pieces.
Life-Altering Event for Sonny Corinthos on General Hospital
GH fans know Sonny was presumed dead when a footbridge collapsed, and he fell into the freezing water. Everyone in Port Chuck thought the kingpin was dead. However, he had amnesia and lived as “Mike” in Nixon Falls, Pennsylvania.
For almost a year, the don couldn’t remember himself or his family. And Nina is to blame for most of the time Sonny was away. Now, he is back, but his time as Mike changed him. Sonny is a far cry from the ruthless gangster he used to be on General Hospital.
New Side of the Mobster on the ABC Soap
These days, General Hospital‘s Sonny Corinthos is a new man. After living a life outside the mob, he is much softer. Of course, the old Sonny is still in there, and we see a glimmer of him from time to time.
But he’s not as vengeful or hostile. Instead, he takes things in stride and has a more peaceful way about him overall.
Many people mentioned the change in him. And he might not be capable of running his mob biz anymore. So, his reign as mob boss might not last much longer.
His life looks nothing like it did before that fateful night on the bridge. Little by little, Sonny is putting his old life behind him and starting new. His former life with Carly’s now over, and his future may be with Nina — and away from the mob.
So, keep watching GH to see what’s next for Sonny Corinthos after his divorce from Carly. The mobster’s life looks a lot different moving forward on the ABC sudser.
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