Carl Johnson: Difference between revisions

As soon as Carl is in Los Santos, he is immediately confronted by [[Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums|C.R.A.S.H.]], who explain that either CJ will work for them, or they will frame him for killing their rival, officer [[Ralph Pendelbury]]. CJ finally meets with his siblings and friends of [[Grove Street Families]], who explain that they lost much of their power since the last five years - a result of the growing crack cocaine trend. Carl and Sweet work furiously to successfully bring the gang back to power, CJ regaining his brother's respect in the process. This included reuniting with [[Seville Boulevard Families|Seville]] and [[Temple Drive Families|Temple]] families, as well as [[Varrios Los Aztecas|Aztecas]] leader [[Cesar Vialpando]] (who, although a rival of Sweet's at the time, began a loving relationship with Kendl). CJ also helped [[OG Loc]], a highly laughable "poser" who aspired to be a rapper (ruining rap superstar [[Madd Dogg|Madd Dogg's]] career in the process). The gang is at the second height of its power until Cesar reveals to CJ that [[Ryder]] and [[Big Smoke]] have betrayed the gang and [[Frank Tenpenny]] killed CJ's mom. CJ then must immediately rush to a gang war and rescue a heavily-wounded Sweet until both of them are arrested (by [[C.R.A.S.H.]]). Grove Street and Aztecas practically disappear, Big Smoke becomes head of a drug ring and takes over the city (Cesar later explains the loss of gang loyalty and that Ballas, Vagos and former Groves alike all work for Smoke, saying "this shit is bigger than any gang, ese"). [[OG Loc]] also becomes a rich and famous rapper, with Big Smoke acting as his manager as a means to launder his money.

C.R.A.S.H. abandons CJ in rural [[Whetstone]] to [[Badlands|eliminate a witness against them]]. It is slowly revealed that they are being tried in court over their corruption (in a case that is quickly building in media attention). Cesar connects CJ to his (mentally unstable) cousin [[Catalina]]. Tenpenny introduces CJ to [[The Truth]], who is supplying Tenpenny and CJ with tons of weed to [[555 We Tip|frame a D.A. and enemy of Tenpenny's]]. Tenpenny demands that CJ pay for the shipment, which forces him to return to work with Catalina, who now has bipolar love-hate feelings towards him. CJ meets [[San Fierro Triads|Triad]] leader [[Wu Zi Mu|Wu Zi Mu ("Woozie")]] during a [[Wu Zi Mu (mission)|street race]]. Catalina finds him at the race and feels neglected/enraged at CJ, also proclaiming that she has a new boyfriend, [[Claude]]. CJ defeats Claude in a street race, gaining the deed to Claude's run down [[Doherty Garage|garage]]. Carl leaves for San Fierro with Truth and Tenpenny's marijuana (despite Tenpenny [[Are You Going to San Fierro?|betraying]] The Truth). They meet Cesar and Kendl at the garage in [[Doherty]], [[San Fierro]]. CJ is angry and believes that the garage is completely useless. Kendl explains to CJ that the property is a great opportunity, and through Truth, he [[Wear Flowers in Your Hair|hires]] [[Dwaine]], [[Jethro]] and [[Zero]] to work in the garage.

CJ meets with Woozie in San Fierro and the two quickly become strong allies, collaborating to take down each other's enemies - CJ targeting the [[Loco Syndicate]] (Big Smoke's suppliers) and Woozie's rivals the [[Da Nang Boys]]. CJ infiltrates and eventually kills all the chief members - [[Jizzy B.]], [[T-Bone Mendez]], [[Mike Toreno]] (as it would seem) and even [[Ryder]] from his old gang. The garage (now a car theft ring), as well as renting out property, has now made CJ a millionaire. He receives a surprise phone call from an alive-and-well [[Mike Toreno]], who is a government agent and is recruiting CJ's help in exchange for releasing [[Sweet Johnson|Sweet]] from a supposedly permanent life sentence. Although it is a well-kept secret from all his friends, Truth finds CJ at Toreno's [[Verdant Meadows Aircraft Graveyard|place of operation]] and tells CJ that Toreno can't be trusted. He continues to recruit CJ's help in [[Black Project|stealing]] a [[jetpack]] from [[Area 69]], which is needed for Truth's main goal of stealing mysterious, all-important [[Green Goo|green goo]].

Woozie invites CJ to the Triad's extremely glamorous [[The Four Dragons Casino|Four Dragons Casino]] in Las Venturas. Upon arrival, CJ is given shares in the casino by Woozie, "in exchange for some help setting it up". They are faced with aggressive competition from Mafia-run [[Caligula's Palace]] and as revenge, spend weeks and weeks planning [[Breaking the Bank at Caligula's|an extremely elaborate heist]] of Caligula's. This dually involves CJ infiltrating Caligula's inner circle of management (by chance of Truth's association with music industry men [[Kent Paul]] and [[Maccer]]) to work with manager [[Ken Rosenberg|Ken "Rosie" Rosenberg]] and even don [[Salvatore Leone]] (CJ helps Rosie, Paul and Maccer fake their deaths to escape Salvatore's rage). During this time period, [[C.R.A.S.H.]] extracts the last of CJ's labor before they try to kill CJ (and their own [[Jimmy Hernandez]] for snitching on them), CJ killing [[Eddie Pulaski]] and escaping alive. CJ also, by chance, sees [[Madd Dogg]] [[Madd Dogg (mission)|attempting suicide]] and saves his life, partially out of guilt for ruining his career.

His ongoing vendetta on [[Frank Tenpenny|Tenpenny]] and [[Big Smoke]], finalized by Madd Dogg having to sell his [[Madd Dogg's Crib|mansion]] to drug lord [[Big Poppa]], prompts CJ to return to Los Santos, [[A Home in the Hills|taking back the rapper's mansion by force]]. While recording Madd Dogg's new album, [[Mike Toreno|Toreno]] gives CJ [[Vertical Bird|the last]] of his work (despite CJ's extreme frustration at first) before [[Sweet Johnson|Sweet]] is released from prison. Carl attempts to persuade Sweet into moving away from Grove Street and joining him in Madd Dogg's Mansion, but Sweet is disgusted at CJ, who is now a lavish millionaire and has abandoned Grove Street and his gang lifestyle. Sweet immediately takes Carl to begin their task of reclaiming all of their turf. As the gang returns to power, he finds time to [[Cut Throat Business|get back Madd Dogg's rhyme book]] from OG Loc, repairing Madd Dogg's career as well as being another strike to Big Smoke. In the case against Tenpenny, it's shown on the news that since there is no evidence implicating him in his criminal activities (evidence that Tenpenny had CJ destroy), he would walk free, and only minutes after there were citywide [[Riot (GTA SA)|riots]]. During the confusion, [[Grove Street Families|Groves Street]] takes almost half of the city's turf, CJ personally kills [[Big Smoke]] (to earn Sweet's respect), and [[Frank Tenpenny]] also dies after crashing his firetruck off the bridge above [[Grove Street]]. At a celebration at the Johnson house, Madd Dogg announces "''our'' first gold record" to CJ and [[Ken Rosenberg]]. Later in the night, [[Sweet Johnson|Sweet]] insists on making Grove Street a priority, [[Kendl Johnson]] suggests going back to Las Venturas with [[Wu Zi Mu]], but Carl's only reply was that he is "fitting to hit the block, see what's happening".