First Gang War

Trouble between the Leone Family, Forelli Family and Sindacco Family started at least in the mid-1980s and lasted until 2001, the last years events shown in the GTA III Era. The Vercetti Gang and the Sicilian Mafia, two other mafia families, have also been involved in the mafia wars. The Vercetti gang working against the Forelli Family and the Sicilian Mafia working against the three families.

People Involved

Gang Affiliated Characters
Leone Family Salvatore Leone, Joey Leone, Toni Cipriani, Luigi Goterelli, Vincenzo Cilli, Mickey Hamfists, Maria Latore, Mike, Misty, Joseph Daniel O'Toole, Donald Love, Giovanni Casa, Ma Cipriani, Donald Love and Leon McAffrey
Forelli Family Franco Forelli, Sonny Forelli, Giorgio Forelli, Mike Forelli, Tommy Vercetti, Harry, Lee, Ken Rosenberg, Lance Vance and Roger C. Hole.
Sindacco Family Paulie Sindacco, Johnny Sindacco, Joseph Daniel O'Toole, Mickey and Bobby.
Sicilian Mafia Uncle Leone and Massimo Torini.
Vercetti Gang Tommy Vercetti, Lance Vance, Ken Rosenberg, Mario, Mike and Earnest Kelly
None Gang Members Claude, Carl Johnson, Mike, Kent Paul, Maccer and Wu Zi Mu
Other Gangs Colombian Cartel, Liberty City Triads, Diablos, Yakuza, Uptown Yardies, Southside Hoods and San Fierro Triads

GTA Vice City

1971

In 1971 Tommy Vercetti, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, killed eleven men in the Harwood district of Portland in Liberty City.[1] It is unknown whether the men were members of the Leone or Sindacco families, however, this is likely as the city is shown to be mafia controlled in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

1986

In 1986 Tommy Vercetti was released from prison, with Sonny Forelli assisting his release[2], and was sent to Vice City by Sonny.[3] This was partly to establish the Forelli Family in the city[4] and partly to get Tommy out of Liberty City, where he would be easily recognised.[5] Vercetti and his companions, Harry and Lee[6], are met by Forelli-contact and Ambulance chaser[7] Ken Rosenberg[8] and immediately drive to a drugs deal. The deal, involving Victor[9] and Lance Vance, is ambushed by Ricardo Diaz's men.[10] This leads to angry Sonny threatening Tommy to get his money back.[11]

Throughout the events GTA Vice City, Tommy Vercetti begins to build up his own business empire within the city[12][13][14][15][16][17] but does not pay Sonny Forelli his money back.[18] Sonny then begins to send his men to collect money from Vercetti's businesses.[19] Vercetti kills the men.[20] Sonny Forelli then arrives in the city and confronts Tommy at his mansion on Starfish Island.[21] Sonny reveals that he set Tommy up in 1971[22][23] and that Lance Vance, who had been assisting Tommy, had joined him.[24] A shoot-out then begins, with Tommy managing to kill both Sonny and Lance. This defeat to Vercetti saw the Forelli's attempts to move into Vice City end.

Mid 1980s

In the mid-1980s Salvatore Leone became the Don of the Leone Family in Palermo, Sicily after a bloody power struggle, which also involved the death of his brother.[25] Salvatore then moved from the "old country" to a mansion in Saint Mark's, Liberty City.

GTA San Andreas

1986-1992

After the death of Sonny Forelli the Forelli Family begin to lose power[26], bringing the three families onto a more equal playing field. There continues to be trouble between the three Liberty City families, with Salvatore's cousin being killed by the Sindacco Family.[27] The Sindacco Family, however, are losing money with a casino in Las Venturas, Caligula's Palace.[28] Sindacco Family representative Johnny Sindacco goes to Salvatore's mansion in Saint Mark's to gain an investment from the Leone Family.[29] Salvatore agrees to invest money into the casino[30], along with the Forelli Family, leading to the three families each owning a third of the casino. However, the Sindacco Family are forced to removed Mickey[31][32], their man running the casino, and replace him with someone the three families can control but who will remain neutral.[33]

In Vice City the Vercetti Gang remain a strong force, although Ken Rosenberg's continued drug use leads to him being disbarred from being a lawyer[34] and entering rehab in Fort Carson.[35][36] After leaving rehab he phones Tommy Vercetti but can not get through, leading to him losing contact with Vercetti.[37] The three Liberty City based families are aware of Rosenberg's stint in rehab and see him as an easy man to control[38] and so convince him to run Caligula's Palace.[39]

1992

By the events of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Rosenberg has quickly relapsed and once again using drugs, scared that he will be killed if one of the families attack another.[40] This, along with Salvatore's insistence that he wants his money back quickly[41], put Ken into a difficult position. He has only one friend, a parrott called Tony.[42] However, Kent Paul, a friend from Vice City, finds Rosenberg[43] along with his new musician Maccer and ally Carl Johnson.[44] Carl begins to help Rosenberg and Salvatore Leone, however, he does have plans to rob the casino alongside the Triads.[45] Carl at first maintains the peace between the three Liberty City based families by rescuing Johnny Sindacco from the Forelli Family.[46]. The three families, however, quickly begin to fight each other. Johnny Sindacco dies of a heart attack after seeing Carl[47], who was responsible for putting him in hospital[48]. Carl Johnson kills Forelii Family hitmen in a plane who we're sent to kill Salvatiore Leone, as an attempt to take over the casino.[49] Carl also flies back to Liberty City where he kills a high ranking Forelli Family gang member at Marco's Bistro.[50] Carl has now gained Salvatore's trust, in part as he had worked with his son Joey Leone[51] and in part because of the jobs Carl has done. However, Carl and the San Fierro Triads pull off a heist at the casino[52], leading to a big money loss for all three families.

1992-1998

Sometime in 1994 Don Leone sent out Toni Cipriani to kill an unnamed made man from either the Sindaccos or Forellis. Toni murders the man and "lays low" for 4 years untill 1998.

1998

In October 30, 1998 Toni Cipriani came back to Liberty City to find out that Don Salvatore Leone has replaced him with Vincenzo Cilli as his Caporegime. Toni has to do a bunch of favors for Vincenzo such as picking up a drug dealer working for him, killing Sindacco Family members who were dealing on Leone turf, and picking up 4 Leone members who were ambushed by the police. After Toni got ambushed by the police for picking up a car with cocaine in it for Vincenzo Toni quits but started working for a former Sindacco member Joseph Daniel O'Toole who was trying to become a Leone member and did jobs for him like taking Don Leone back to his mansion before the police caught them. Salvatore wanted Toni to start working for him again, at the same time Toni's mother Ma Cipriani demanded Toni to visit her. Toni started working for both of them doing favors for them such as following Giovanni Casa and taking a photo of him in dipers, beating Dan Sucho in a street race and killing him, murdering Triads,and killing Giovanni Casa for not paying Ma her money. While Toni had to get Jane Hopper and her union on Salvatore's side. Later on Ma Cipriani ordered hitmens to kill Toni but Toni managed to kill them all, however, they continued attacking him. Toni later started working for Salvatore's wife Maria Latore, getting him in trouble as she shoplifted, almost got kidnapped by the Sindaccos, putting herself up as 1st place prize gift in a street race, getting beaten up by the Liberty City Bikers leader (who Toni killed), and almost overdosing. Toni starts working for JD again where he saves Salvatore's life and when the Leones get into a gang war with the Sindaccos, the Sicilian Mafia were paying the local gangs to start a mob war between the Leones, Sindaccos, and Forelli Families, led by Salvatore's Uncle. This leads to a lot of attacks forcing the 3 families to leave Portland into Staunton Island.

References

  1. Sonny Forelli: "How many was it? Ten? No, eleven men. That's how you get to be called the Harwood Butcher! Heh-heh-heh!"
    Tommy Vercetti: You sent me to kill one man, ONE MAN. They knew I was coming Sonny..." (from the Keep Your Friends Close mission)
  2. Sonny Forelli: "You know, Tommy? I did what I could for you, I pulled strings, called in favors. " (from the Keep Your Friends Close mission)
  3. Sonny Forelli: "We treat him [Vercetti] like an old friend and keep him busy out of town. OK? We been talking about expanding down South, right? Vice City is twenty-four carat gold these days... We just set him loose in Vice City, we give him a little cash to get started." (from the In The Beginning cutscene in GTA Vice City)
  4. Sonny Forelli: "We been talking about expanding down South, right? Vice City is twenty-four carat gold these days." (from the In The Beginning cutscene)
  5. Forelli Gang Member: "He kept his head down, helps people forget".
    Sonny Forelli: "People will remember soon enough. When they see him walking down the streets of their neighborhoods. It will be bad for business" (from the In The Beginning cutscene)
  6. Tommy Vercetti: "Look Sonny, we were set up. The deal was an ambush. Harry and Lee are dead." (from the An Old Friend mission)
  7. Kent Paul: "Rosenberg...Rosenberg...Oh, that bonkers ambulance chaser! That guy could defend an innocent man all the way to death row!" (from the Back Alley Brawl mission)
  8. Ken Rosenberg: "Hey, hey, guys! It's, uh, Ken Rosenberg here! Hey!" (from the In The Beginning cutscene)
  9. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City official website. Rockstar Games.
  10. Lance Vance: "Hey, I've been asking around and it's obvious that Diaz jumped the deal and iced my brother." (from the Phnom Penh '86 mission)
  11. Tommy Vercetti: "Look Sonny, we were set up. The deal was an ambush. Harry and Lee are dead."
    Sonny Forelli: "You better be kidding me Tommy. Tell me you still got the money."
    Tommy Vercetti: ...no Sonny...I don't have the money.
    Sonny Forelli: That was my money, Tommy, MY MONEY! You better not be screwing me Tommy because you know I'm not a man to be screwed with!" (from the An Old Friend mission)
  12. BJ Smith: "B.J. Smith. And you must be Mr. Vercetti."...Well, I'm very sad to be selling the dealership to y'all." (after purchasing Sunshine Autos)
  13. Maude Hanson: "Who are you?"
    Tommy Vercetti: "Your new owner." (after purchasing the Cherry Popper Ice Cream Factory)
  14. Dwaine: "Hey suit dude! I guess you're the new owner?"
    Tommy Vercetti: "Yeah.." (after purchasing the Boatyard)
  15. Delores: "Our new management, the Vercetti Gang, is gonna make sure we get no trouble." (after purchasing the Kaufman Cabs)
  16. Tommy Vercetti: "Look, you pompous asshole, I own you now. I own all of this." (after purchasing the InterGlobal Films)
  17. Earnest Kelly: "Mr. Vercetti? Hey. You bought the old print works?"
    Tommy Vercetti: "Yeah, my old man used to work on these.." (after purchasing the Print Works)
  18. Sonny Forelli: "I hoped you'd see sense, see what's good for business. I trusted you, Tommy, and you disappointed me." (from the Keep Your Friends Close mission)
  19. Earnest Kelly: "Tommy...some mob thugs ...said they'd come to take their cut... said it was a Mr. Forello's money...I feel like crap."
    Tommy Vercetti: "Forelli? SONNY Forelli?"
    Earnest Kelly: "Yeah, that's the guy...I think...they were very insistent..." (from the Cap the Collector mission)
  20. Lance Vance: "They ain't too happy you capped their man" (from the Keep Your Friends Close mission)
  21. Lance Vance: "It's your friends up north Tommy. They ain't too happy you capped their man. They're coming down to see the business today." (from the Keep Your Friends Close mission)
  22. Sonny Forelli: "Anyone would think you blame me for that unfortunate set of circumstances." (from the Keep Your Friends Close mission)
  23. Sonny Forelli: "You still don't get it do you! I OWN you, Tommy. Those fifteen years were mine to spend!" (from the Keep Your Friends Close mission)
  24. Sonny Forelli: "But at least someone in your chicken shit organization knows how to do business, Isn't that right, Lance?"
    Lance Vance: "I'm sorry Tommy. This is Vice City. This is business."
    Tommy Vercetti: "You sold us out..."
    Lance Vance: "No. I sold YOU out, Tommy, I sold YOU out." (from the Keep Your Friends Close mission)
  25. SALVATORE LEONE: "Just a Business Man". Julius Cohen and Liberty Tree.
  26. Salvatore Leone: "Ever since Sonny Forelli got himself pasted all over Florida, you [Sindacco Family] think you run things in this town." (from The Introduction DVD)
  27. Salvatore Leone: "The Sindacco's and the Leone's? That's impossible. That's been impossible since your associates whacked my cousin." (from The Introduction DVD)
  28. Sindacco Family gangster #1: "You know, I hear the Leones are lending the bosses some money."
    Sindacco Family gangster #2: "The Leones?"
    Sindacco Family gangster #1: "Yeah."
    Sindacco Family gangster #2: "Get the fuck outta here. We hate the Leones.".
    Sindacco Family gangster #1: I know. That's what I said to Johnny, but he said they needed the money." (from The Introduction DVD)
  29. Salvatore Leone: "So, Johnny, you want five million dollars of my money?"
    Johnny Sindacco: I want to help you make a fortune, Mr. Leone. My father wants to unite our organizations." (from The Introduction DVD)
  30. Salvatore Leone: "You can have the money." (from The Introduction DVD)
  31. Johnny Sindacco: "So, we got a vacancy." (from The Introduction DVD)
  32. Sindacco Family gangster #2: "I mean, why'd we whack Mickey anyhow? He was a stand up guy."
    Sindacco Family gangster #1: "I dunno, something about money."
    Sindacco Family gangster #2: "Oh man. What, he was on the take?"
    Sindacco Family gangster #1: "Nah, he was kosher. A little too kosher. That's why he had to go".
    Sindacco Family gangster #2: Oh, I get it."
    Sindacco Family gangster #1: "Yeah, he was declaring too much money, so we gotta get a new guy in". (from The Introduction DVD)
  33. Salvatore Leone: "Hey, we're gonna need a real idiot. A guy we can all push around." (from The Introduction DVD)
  34. Ken Rosenberg: "I've been disbarred from the law." (from The Introduction DVD)
  35. Salvatore Leone: "There's this lawyer, used to work for the Forellis down in Florida. I heard he's sniffing around for a job. Just got out of rehab or something." (from The Introduction DVD)
  36. Ken Rosenberg: "I couldn't lay off the blow, so I went into rehab." (from the Intensive Care mission)
  37. Ken Rosenberg: "Ah, yes. Tommy Vercetti, please. Tell him Ken Rosenberg called. Ken Rosenberg. You haven't heard of me? Who are you? Ken Rosenberg. Rosenberg! Oh! Oh really? You told him I called? Look, I made that ingrate, and now he won't take my calls? Just put him on the phone right now! Hello? Hello? Damn it!" (from The Introduction DVD)
  38. Salvatore Leone: "Hey, we're gonna need a real idiot. A guy we can all push around. There's this lawyer, used to work for the Forellis down in Florida. I heard he's sniffing around for a job. Just got out of rehab or something." (from The Introduction DVD)
  39. Ken Rosenberg: "So when I came out I started representing the Liberty City mob, again and that's how I ended up here." (from the Intensive Care mission)
  40. Ken Rosenberg: "So when I came out I started representing the Liberty City mob, again and that's how I ended up here. But, no one family would trust another family to run the casino, so I was put forth as a neutral party. So now I spend my days waiting for one family to cap me and blame the other one." (from the Intensive Care mission)
  41. Salvatore Leone: "I'm the job! Me and my money. And I want it back, and I want it back fast." (from The Introduction DVD)
  42. Ken Rosenberg: "My only friend is a bird named Tony." (from the Intensive Care mission)
  43. Kent Paul: "Kent Paul, here to see Rosie." (from the Don Peyote mission)
  44. Kent Paul: "These are my boys - Maccer and Carl." (from the Don Peyote mission)
  45. Carl Johnson: "What we need... is to hit the Mafia casino. Yeah, go jack the place." (from the Explosive Situation mission)
  46. Ken Rosenberg: "I mean, something terrible has happened to Johnny. I mean, he's in a shock-induced coma at the hospital across town. Now the Forellis - they will take this opportunity to rub him out. Now if any hit between the families succeeds on my turf, I will get the axe, bullet, machete, whatever..."
    Carl Johnson: OK, OK, relax. I'm gonna shoot over to the hospital, and move the body or something." (from the Intensive Care mission)
  47. Johnny Sindacco: "It's fucking him... It's him! Oh my God... Oh God... It's him... Aaargghh! My heart! Euchh... my heart..." (from The Meat Business mission)
  48. Carl Johnson: "Tie him to the front of the car, let him sweat it out a little and I'll be out there in a little while. See if we can make this guy squeal..."
    Johnny Sindacco: "Hey, hey, who the fuck - who are you? Untie me, huh?"
    Carl Johnson: "You know what? I think we're gonna take a little drive." (from the Fender Ketchup mission)
  49. Salvatore Leone: "You did a real number on those Forelli losers. Now, it's time the Forelli's found out what it means to screw with Salvatore Leone!" (from the Saint Mark's Bistro mission)
  50. Salvatore Leone: "How would you like to hit the St. Mark's Bistro?" (from the Saint Mark's Bistro mission)
  51. Carl Johnson: "I had the pleasure of doing business with your son, Joey, back in Liberty City."
    Salvatore Leone: "You know my Joey? I like that." (from the Freefall mission)
  52. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas review. GameSpot.