IN a scene from the fourth season of the HBO mob saga “The Sopranos,” the crime boss Tony Soprano gathers his crew chiefs together for a dressing-down. The 2002 recession is in full swing, but that is no excuse, he tells them. They are not earning enough for the family. He asks his consigliere, Silvio Dante, to name the two industries that are known to be recession-proof. “Certain aspects of the entertainment business,” Mr. Dante says. “And our thing.”

With all due respect, Mr. Dante was wrong. Some economists argue that no industry is really recession-proof, or at least it depends on the characteristics of a given recession. Organized crime, in part because it meets much of the demand for vices, can be recession-resistant, as can “certain aspects of the entertainment business.” But while the cable television business, for instance, has historically done well during downturns, the situation gets complicated when it comes to premium and pay-per-view services, as Gary Kim noted this week at TMCNet.

There are plenty of other industries, though, that have historically done well in recessions  particularly those that serve basic needs like food, energy and health care.

This, Daniel Gross wrote this week in Slate, explains why Wal-Mart is doing so well lately, while many other retailers are struggling. “In a pinched economy, consumers are embracing their inner skinflint,” he wrote. “And Wal-Mart is a penny pincher’s paradise.”