Toni Cipriani

Character
Antonio Cipriani
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Appearances [[Appearance::Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories]]
Full Name Antonio Cipriani
Aliases Toni
Toni Cipriani
Anthony
Status

Alive (as of 2001)

[[Status::Alive (as of 2001)| ]]
Gender Gender::Male
Place of Birth Saint Mark's, Portland, Liberty City
Nationality American
Home Saint Mark's, Portland, Liberty City
Family Ma Cipriani (mother)
Main Affiliations Leone Family
Salvatore Leone (until 2001)
Luigi Goterelli
Joey Leone
Mickey Hamfists
Maria Latore (until 2001)
Vincenzo Cilli (until 1998)
Giovanni Casa (until 1998)
Joseph Daniel O'Toole (until 1998)
Toshiko Kasen
Donald Love (1998)
Leon McAffrey (1998)
Mr. Wong (2001)
Claude (2001)
Uptown Yardies (1998)
Southside Hoods (1998)
Vehicles Kuruma
Leone Sentinel
Businesses Momma's Restaurante (owned by Ma Cipriani)
Voiced by Michael Madsen (GTA III)
Daniel Mastrogiorgio (GTA Liberty City Stories)
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3D Universe
HD Universe

Antonio "Toni" Cipriani, also referred to as Anthony Cipriani, is a recurring character in the Grand Theft Auto series who appears as a main character in Grand Theft Auto III (set in 2001) and as the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (set in 1998). He is a made man in the Leone Family, the main Mafia family in Liberty City and also helps run his mothers restaurant in Saint Mark's, Portland, Liberty City. Cipriani is voiced by Michael Madsen in GTA III and by Daniel Mastrogiorgio in GTA Liberty City Stories.

Character history

Life until 1998

Antonio "Toni" Cipriani was born to Ma Cipriani and an unnamed father, a member of one of the city's Mafia families, in Portland, Liberty City. He lived his parents in their home and restaurant located in the Saint Mark's neighbourhood. Cipriani grew up in a Mafia controlled neighbourhood and later became involved in the criminal underworld before joining the Leone Family. In 1994 Toni killed a made man on orders from Salvatore Leone, Don of the Leone Family, and left Liberty City for an unknown destination.

Return to Liberty City

When Toni returns to Liberty City on a bus in 1998, Salvatore is grateful to him but places him under the supervision of Vincenzo Cilli. Despite being much younger, Vincenzo has become a made man while Toni has not. They resent each other, which accumulates into Vincenzo setting Toni up to be arrested by police.

During this time, Toni speaks to his mother for the first time since going into hiding four years ago, and goes to great lengths to try to earn her acceptance. However, he always falls short of her expectations and she eventually places a hit on Toni, flatly telling him "It's for the best, son. At least try to die like a real man. Try to stop shaming me."

Salvatore switches Toni to work with Joseph Daniel O'Toole, owner of Paulie's Revue Bar who works for the Sindacco Family but wants to work with the Leones instead. Toni eventually rescues Salvatore from the police and is promoted to working with Sal directly. Together they fought union boss Jane Hopper, a former ally of Sal's, for control of harbor. Toni is also asked by Sal to entertain his trophy wife, Maria Latore - she is having an affair with a biker named Wayne and also makes advances on Toni, who rebukes her out of loyalty to Sal. Toni again saves Sal, this time from a Sindacco kidnapping. JD is eventually killed, after which point the Revue Bar is replaced with Sex Club 7, run by fully-fledged Leone member Luigi Gotorelli.

Being made

Toni Cipriani, about to become a made man, talking to the Don of the Leone Family, Salvatore Leone, as Mickey Hamfists looks on.

Salvatore Leone faced two major adversaries. First was Massimo Torini, Sicily's most powerful mafia boss who turns the Triads, Diablos, Forelli and Sindacco families against Sal. Second is mayor Roger C. Hole, who is bribed by the Forelli family and blames all the city's crime on Salvatore Leone. Though they initially tried to fight them off, Salvatore and Toni retreated to a safehouse in Newport, Staunton Island. Salvatore's first act in exile was to have Toni kill mayor Hole, after which Toni finally became a made man. His mother was finally proud of him, and called off the hit.

Made Man

A free Salvatore Leone talking to Toni Cipriani after being released from police custody.

Salvatore then sent Toni to aid in the mayoral campaign of Donald Love, a rich businessman who agreed to pull strings for Salvatore. Love's opponent Miles O'Donovan was in the Forelli family's pocket. Around the same time, Toni helped Salvatore continue fighting the Forelli and Sindacco families, and sabotaged a peace meeting that they had planned. They had the help of corrupt cop Leon McAffrey. Donald Love barely lost the election to O'Donovan, blames the loss on Toni, and went bankrupt.

To make matters worse, Salvatore was soon after arrested and awaited trial in prison. Toni, disguised as a lawyer named Lionel, visits Sal in prison. On Sal's orders, he continues fighting the Forelli and Sindacco families, and destroys a Yakuza weapons cache. Toni meets Toshiko Kasen, wife of Yakuza leader Kazuki Kasen who betrays him to Toni. With her help, Toni kills Kazuki before returning to Toshiko and witnessing her commit suicide.

Toni meets a down-and-out Donald Love in a Pike Creek flophouse, makes amends and agrees to be part of a real estate scheme to become wealthy again. They begin by silencing Love's old mentor Avery Carrington, and Liberty Tree reporter Ned Burner - Toni was previously fooled by Ned, disguised as a pastor, into wreaking havoc around town to benefit his journalism career.

Ultimately, Donald directed Toni to plant explosives, supplied by 8-Ball, throughout old subway tunnels under the Forelli turf of Fort Staunton. Catastrophic explosions completely obliterated Fort Staunton, and presumably thousands of innocents died in one of the worst disasters in human history. The public presumed that it was an accident and caused by ignited Forelli weapons caches. Donald Love rebuilt his wealth by investing in the area's real estate, and was later shaken down by the Colombian Cartel for profits and fled Liberty City on his private jet.

Salvatore is found not guilty, returns to his mansion in Portland and vows revenge on Massimo Torini and Miles O'Donovan. In the last mission of the game, Toni and Sal kill Torini as he tries to kidnap O'Donovan. They bring O'Donovan back to their mansion and bully him into pulling strings for the Leones. Salvatore makes peace with his uncle, a fellow mafia boss back in Sicily whom he does not trust, gives Toni $500,000 (even though he promised $2,000,000) and they continue business.

1998 to 2001

Toni survived the bombing of his Little Italy apartment and moved back in with his mother above the restaurant (older men living with their mothers is much more common in Italy than the United States). During this time, he put on more weight like his mother wanted and helped run the restaurant. He once punched a man for claiming the ziti at the restaurant was over-baked. He was further investigated for his ties to Salvatore Leone - Salvatore's public charade was that he sold tomato sauce, and Toni claimed to simply be a major customer of Leone's on behalf of the restaurant.

Toni becomes Salvatore's right hand man, even above his son Joey Leone. In The Offer, Salvatore previously told Toni "After what you did, you're like a son to me. Better than my son, better than any son".

At the start of Grand Theft Auto III, Toni is still running the restaurant when he meets Claude Speed. Claude helps him shake down the Triads for protection money. Eventually, Salvatore decides to have Claude killed - first he sends him on a presumed suicide mission against the Colombian Cartel, then deliberately sets his own trap for Claude, which Maria warns him against and helps him escape Salvatore's wrath. Claude is taken in by Asuka Kasen, who directs Claude to kill Salvatore.

Either Toni Cipriani, Joey Leone or their co-leadership becomes the new Leone family don. After this point, the family becomes much more powerful and armed to the teeth with M4 assault rifles, ready to kill Claude if he ventures into their turf in Little Italy.

Life in 2001

Joey Leone introducing Claude to Toni Cipriani during the mission Cipriani's Chauffeur.

Personality

Toni's behaviour changes somewhat throughout his appearance in the series. He is initially shown to be reserved when dealing with people such as Maria Latore and quickly annoyed, although his annoyance remains controlled. In GTA III, however, he is shown to have a short temper likely caused by living with his mother and her high expectations. Toni is also shown to be very loyal to those he trusts, in particular towards Salvatore Leone, saving his life on at least one occasion, and towards his mother, killing Giovanni Casa after he angered her. He also believes in showing proper respect to parents as seen through his disgust at Vincenzo Cilli while he received a blow job from Cheryl while talking on the phone to his mother. Toni, despite his temper, is also shown to be remorseful and makes a confession at the Cathedral in Bedford Point.

Trivia

  • Toni Cipriani ages significantly in the three years between Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto III and also puts on weight after being called thin by his mother, Maria Latore and Salvatore Leone.
  • Toni Cipriani is likely homage of Tony Soprano, the main character from The Sopranos. Aside from their names, both characters also share ongoing problems with their mothers, who also ordered hits on them (which occur to Toni in GTA: Liberty City Stories).
  • It is possible that Toni is a reference to Robert De Niro's character in Goodfellas.
  • An Easter egg in Grand Theft Auto IV suggests that Toni Cipriani died after 2001. However, this is not been considered canon with the GTA III Era.
  • Toni is the only protagonist to give another protagonist (Claude) missions.
  • The surname 'Cipriani' is a possible reference to the Itailian dish occupying the same name.

Gallery

Mission appearances

GTA III


GTA Liberty City Stories
  • As the protagonist, he appears in every mission.

Murders committed

Protagonist
Main characters
Supporting characters
Minor characters
Radio DJ
Radio guests
Mentioned characters
News reporters
Deleted characters
Protagonist
Main characters
Supporting characters
Minor characters
Radio DJ
Radio guests
Multiplayer characters
Mentioned characters
Leone Family


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