Cubans

GANG
Cubans
Members of the "Cubans" in GTA Vice City.
Games: GTA Vice City
GTA Vice City Stories
Locations: Little Havana, Vice City
Leader: Umberto Robina
Type: Street gang
Enemies: Haitians; Cholos; Sharks
Affiliations: Victor Vance and Vance Crime Family (formerly)
Tommy Vercetti and Vercetti Gang
Colors: Red
Vehicles: Cuban Hermes
Weapons: Pistol
Katana (Dirty Lickin's mission only)
Uzi (missions only)
Tec-9 (missions only)
Ruger (Bombs Away and Vigilante missions only)
M4 (Cannon Fodder mission only)
Shotgun (Vigilante missions only)
Businesses: Drug trade
Fronts: Café Robina
Members: Alberto Robina, Rico, Pepe, Hilberto, Carlos, Fernandez, Juan, Ronaldo and Joaquin Noff

The Cubans, also known as Los Cabrones, are a Cuban street gang in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. In both games they are led by Umberto Robina and are based in the Little Havana district of Vice City. Cubans are considered the prominent gang in the southern end of the mainland, considering that they defeated the Cholos and most likely the Haitians.

1984

The Cubans as seen in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

In 1984 the Cubans are known as the Los Cabrones and are in conflict with a Mexican street gang named the Cholos, over control of Little Havana and Little Haiti. Umberto Robina employs Victor Vance to aid him in his fight against the Cholos. Umberto Robina asked Victor to prove his worth to his gang by picking up a package from Downtown in a race with Hilberto, Carlos, Fernandez, Ronaldo and other Cuban gang members.

Victor Vance then begins to work with the Cubans, which includes killing various Cholos gang members who are causing havoc in Little Havana, and picking up Alberto Robina from the Hyman Memorial Stadium to avoid a possible abduction and/or murder. The Cubans eventually win the war with the Cholos after stealing their weapons supply and destroying the warehouse they had been stored in.

1986

By 1986, the Cubans found themselves in a war with the Haitians. Umberto Robina contacts and employs Tommy Vercetti to aid him in the war with the Haitians. After completing a boat challenge with Rico, Tommy begins to help Cubans against the Haitians. Following this, Tommy Vercetti helps steal a van full of drugs, killing various Haitians for two briefcases and blowing up a factory owned by the Haitians.

Tommy Vercetti is, however, also working for Auntie Poulet, the leader of the Haitians. Auntie Poulet drugs Tommy with her Juju Juice and has him collect three briefcases before the authorities, blow up boats and Cuban gang members using a remote controlled plane and killing various Cuban gang members in a fight between the Cubans and Haitians. Auntie Poulet eventually turns on Tommy, telling him that she no longer needs his services.

Tommy eventually returns to working for Cubans, and helps them destroy a Haitian drugs factory in Little Haiti. The final result of the war between Cubans and the Haitians is unknown, although the Cubans appear to have the upper hand. Umberto Robina and Cuban gang members also treat Tommy Vercetti as an equal, with Umberto once saying: "Tommy, to us, you Cuban". The Cubans most likely beat the Haitians in the gang war causing the Haitians to lose power.

Cuban gang members are either seen wearing white sleeveless shirts, red bandanas and jeans, or a fedora hat, light yellow shirts and black pants. They are armed with 9mm pistols.

Behavior

The Cubans congregate and move in groups. They usually do not patrol the streets separately. The Cubans are not ordinarily hostile to Tommy, and will only attack in self-defense or if they are under the influence of the "Pedestrians Hate You" cheat; Cuban members will also attack the player if they hijack an occupied Cuban Hermes.

Cubans may attack or be attacked by the Vercetti Gang if they are seen entering or walking near the Cherry Popper Ice Cream Factory, Sunshine Autos or the Print Works. Likewise, Cubans will shoot and kill Haitians seen in Little Havana or near the Print Works. Also, PIGs will shoot and kill Cubans traveling near or into Starfish Island. Furthermore, the Haitians are frequently in conflict with the Cubans gang over turf and the Vercetti Gang over control of their assets; police act against both parties when gun battles occur. In addition, policemen will pursue and kill Haitians members in the same manner as they do with gang members and street criminals, allowing the player to attain "Good Citizen Bonuses" worth $50 each for each punch/kick/attack delivered to a fleeing Cuban member. Player must be careful though, as the Cuban (or any nearby Cubans) may attack player with a pistol. Also, accidentally hitting the cop will give the player a one star wanted level, killing the cop will give the player two.

Cuban-American discrimination controversy

The third version of GTA Vice City had all references to the Cuban and Haitian people removed, (along with a number of other trademarks), in response to Cuban and Haitian groups in the United States, who threatened to use action against Rockstar Games, on the basis that they were being discriminated against. This is why in GTA Vice City Stories the gang is referred to as Los Cabrones as opposed to simply "The Cubans," as they were in GTA Vice City. Los Cabrones literally means "The Bastards" in Spanish.

Trivia

  • The white-shirt Cuban gang model in GTA Vice City features clothing identical to the those worn by an extra during the airport scene in the first episode of Miami Vice, and Aswell Kurt Russell's character in Big Trouble in Little China.

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