The Virgin Suicides is, of course, about the death of the Lisbon sisters, but it’s not
solely about their suicides—it’s also about the many small details that make up life in an affluent Detroit suburb. In this moment, the boys describe Paul Baldino and his mobster father, and the details they provide form a picture of the kind of scandalous, larger-than-life gossip that often overtakes teenage boys living in suburbia. This is not to say that Paul Baldino’s father
isn’t a mob boss—it’s just to say that the interest the boys show in Paul’s family somewhat mirrors the fascination they have with the Lisbon girls; in both cases, they’re attracted to juicy stories and entertaining anecdotes.