The Twisted World of Marge Simpson

The Springfield Investorettes – Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Agnes Skinner, Luann Van Houten and Edna Krabappel – expel Marge from their investment group because she is wary of high-risk ventures.

After discovering that both Frank and the executor of his estate have died in a car accident, Homer turns to Fat Tony and the Springfield Mafia for help in saving Marge's business.

The criminals oblige him by coercing clients to place large orders and driving Marge's competitors out of business through intimidation and violence, eventually destroying the Investorettes' Fleet-A-Pita van with a car bomb.

Fat Tony and his men confront Marge on the outskirts of town and reveal the agreement Homer made with them, then give her 12 hours to turn over all her profits.

Marge forgives Homer for meddling and making the situation worse, and instructs the kids to go back to bed when they overhear the racket caused by the gangs.

The main plot of the episode concerning the two rival snack food franchises was selected because at the time of production, pita bread and pretzels were "becoming popular".

[3] The scene where baseball fans cause a riot by throwing pretzels after Mr. Burns wins a new car, is based on an incident where the Los Angeles Dodgers were forced to forfeit.

[8] The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "A clever, and rather unusual, idea for an episode that shows a frightening bitchiness beneath the middle-class veneer of smalltown businesswomen.

Club named the baseball commentator's line "Aaaannnd heeerrre come the pretzels" one of the quotes from The Simpsons that can be used in everyday situations.