Ricardo Diaz

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Character
Ricardo Diaz
	{{{caption}}}
Appearances	GTA Vice City ; GTA Vice City Stories
Full Name	Ricardo Diaz
Aliases	Mr. Coke
Status	Deceased
Gender	Gender::Male
Date of Death	1986 (in Rub Out)
Nationality	Colombian
Home	Diaz' Mansion, Starfish Island, Vice City
Main Affiliations	Diaz' Gang; Victor Vance; Lance Vance; Gonzalez; Juan Cortez; Mike; Tommy Vercetti
Vehicles	Grey Admiral; Cheetah; Infernus; White Stretch
Businesses	Drugs trade; Protection
Voiced by	Luis Guzmán
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When you're done, I'm gonna own this town. It's the American dream. And it's all because of you, Vic. You're a hero!
Ricardo to Vic Vance.

Ricardo Diaz is a character in the 3D Universe appearing in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (set in 1986) and in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (set in 1984). He is the leader of his own gang and, by 1986, is the drug baron of Vice City. Luis Guzmán, who has also starred in such films as ‘‘Out of Sight’’ voices him.

Character history

Up to 1984

Ricardo Diaz in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

Ricardo Diaz grew up in Colombia and moved to the United States in 1978, bribing the INS for a green card, before moving to Vice City in the early 1980s. He invests money into a mansion on the expensive Starfish Island and, whilst his home is partially built, meets and befriends Lance and Victor Vance. He has them steal a drugs shipment of Juan Cortez, under the supervision of Gonzalez, which Victor does successfully. Following his success, Diaz decides to employ Victor more work and has him go to a meeting with the DEA, which is ambushed by Gonzalez and his crew, although Victor manages to kill Gonzalez' men and make the deal with the DEA, securing Diaz gets a large supply of heavy duty guns. Diaz becomes aware that Gonzalez has betrayed Colonel Juan Cortez and explains to Gonzalez that he will inform him of all of Cortez' drug deals, with Diaz ordering Victor to drive Gonzalez to the airport.

Lance Vance then borrows money from Diaz and has his brother work to repay the debt, with Diaz having Victor destroy Armando Mendez' bearer bonds using a Domestobot, before having him steal an attack helicopter from the Fort Baxter Air Base in order to attack the Mendez Compound in Downtown, Vice City. Having been successful in stealing the helicopter, Victor attacks the Mendez Compound on Diaz' orders and kills both Diego Mendez and Jerry Martinez. Following this, Victor and Lance decide to leave Vice City.

Final years

In between 1984 and 1986, Diaz establishes himself as the drug baron of Vice City and finishes the building of his mansion. His drug habit continues and he has become far more paranoid. Diaz sets up a number of foundations across Vice City and Latin America, although the Vice City Police Department believe them to be a front, whilst they also suspect him of eighteen murders. Diaz has also established a protection racket in the city. Diaz, continuing to use information from Gonzalez, has a drug deal between the Forelli Family and the Vance Crime Family ambushed, stealing both the drugs and money. He later appears at one of Juan Cortez' parties, which was also attended by Forelli representative Tommy Vercetti. Cortez begins to investigate the deal and discovers Gonzalez' involvement and has him killed. Cortez openly suggests that Diaz may have been involved, but does not accuse him.

Cortez does employ Vercetti and Lance Vance, who Diaz does not remember, to protect him in a deal with the Cubans, which results in Diaz hiring the two for other jobs. Diaz first has the two deal with the Sharks, who have been stealing three percent of his profits, first following a gang member to an abandoned home and then attacking the home, killing a number of the gangs members. Later, Diaz has the two steal the fastest boat in the city from the Viceport Boatyard and then use the boat to purchase drugs from a dealer, before escaping the other potential buyers. Lance eventually decides to avenge his brother’s death and kills Diaz, although his plan backfires. He is rescued by Vercetti from the Little Haiti junkyard and they later assault Diaz' mansion, resulting in the death of Diaz, with Tommy and Lance both executing him point blank.

Development

Concept art on the Rockstar North's website shows that the working name for Ricardo Diaz was "Fernando Diaz". The name Ricardo may be a reference to Ricardo Tubs, a major character from the show Miami Vice. The character Tony Montana, from the 1983 film Scarface, may also be an influence of Ricardo Diaz' character. Diaz' mansion is similar to Montana's, whilst Diaz wears the exact same clothes as Montana during the famous chainsaw torture scene from Scarface.

Mission appearances

GTA Vice City

GTA Vice City Stories

Steal the Deal (Boss)
The Exchange (Boss)
Farewell to Arms
Domo Arigato Domestoboto (Boss)
Light My Pyre (post mission pager message)
Over The Top (Boss)
Last Stand (Boss)

VCBI record

The Vice City Bureau of Investigation has a file on Diaz^[1]:

Extremely dangerous.
Bribed INS for Green card in 1978. Entered country from Colombia.
Contacts in Colombia believe that he is a major player in narcotics industry and anti-government activity.
Extremely popular philanthropist. Gives to various Ricardo Diaz foundations across Vice City and Central and South America. All are believed to be a front.
Extremely short, is believed to suffer from Napoleon complex.
Medical records show that he has over-active sweat glands and sweats more than is socially acceptable.
Gun collector. Always armed.
Has private army / militia and is heavily guarded at all times.
Has been involved in long running battle for control of narcotics business in Vice City.
Known to have bribed police and officials within the town.
Feared due to reputation of unpredictable behavior.
Thought to be responsible for 18 murders.

Murders committed

18 unnamed murders - (the VCPD is aware of 18 possible murders committed by Diaz.)
Victor Vance - (sent hitmen to ambush a drug deal and murder those involved.)
Harry - (sent hitmen to ambush their drug deal and kill them.)
Lee - (sent hitmen to ambush their drug deal and kill them.)
Sharks Thief (sent Tommy Vercetti to kill a member of the Sharks who betrayed him and stole 3% of his merchandise)

Trivia

The player can play as Diaz in GTA Vice City by inputting cheats.

PS2:

PC: cheatshavebeencracked

Xbox:

Ricardo Diaz is one of only seven characters to appear in both GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories along with Victor and Lance Vance, Umberto and Alberto Robina, Phil Cassidy, and Gonzalez.
Ricardo Diaz is fan of El Burro's pornography.
The concept artwork of Ricardo Diaz appears on the front cover of the 1986 edition of Crime magazine in GTA Vice City.
Ricardo Diaz is the first named character in the GTA series that succesfully manages to have a protagonist killed (Victor Vance). He was followed by Trevor Philips, who ends the life of Johnny Klebitz.
Diaz is one of few characters to be killed by multiple characters, much like T-Bone Mendez in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas who was killed by Carl Johnson and Cesar Vialpando; Eugene Reaper in The Ballad of Gay Tony who was killed by Patrick McReary and Derrick McReary; and Devin Weston in Grand Theft Auto V who was killed by Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and Trevor Philips.

Gallery

Concept artwork of Ricardo Diaz for GTA Vice City.
Concept artwork of Ricardo Diaz for GTA Vice City Stories.
The Crime magazine cover depicting Ricardo Diaz' artwork in the Ocean View Hotel.
Ricardo Diaz about to be killed by Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance, from Rub Out.
Ricardo Diaz' partially built mansion in 1984.
Ricardo Diaz' mansion in 1986.
Members of Ricardo Diaz' gang.
Artwork of Ricard Diaz for GTA Vice City Stories.

Reference

↑ Vice City Crime Tree. Rockstar Games. official GTA Vice City website

[1] Vice City Crime Tree. Rockstar Games. official GTA Vice City website

[1]