Gangs in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

There are five major gangs and seven minor gangs in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

Major Gangs

Leone Crime Family

Leone Crime Family.

The Leone Crime Family is an Italian-American criminal organization, originating from Sicily. During the events of the game, which is based in 1998, they were led by their Don, Salvatore Leone. The Leone's are based primarily in the Saint Mark's district of Portland, with their primary headquarters being Salvatore's Gentlemen's Club.

Upon Tony Cipriani's return to Liberty City, the Leone's are in a three-way gang war with the Sindacco and Forelli families. These hostilities lead to Salvatore Leone being arrested, the assassination of the Forelli-controlled Mayor Roger C. Hole, the death of Sindacco family Don Paulie Sindacco and the bombing and destruction of Fort Staunton. The Leones also manage to weaken the Sicilian Mafia, led by Uncle Leone and Massimo Torini, making them the only Mafia family with significant power in the city. The Leone family also regain ownership of Paulie's Revue Bar in the city's Red Light District, renaming it Luigi's Sex Club 7. They also gain new territories in the Red Light District and parts of both Hepburn Heights and Chinatown. However, these events lead to a weakening of the Leone family, with the Diablos and Triads moving into Portland. Hostilities with the Yakuza also remain, as Toni Cipriani had murdered the Yakuza leader, Kazuki Kasen. Having failed to secure Donald Love as Mayor of Liberty City, they begin to control new Mayor Miles O'Donovan after rescuing him from the Sicilian Mafia.

Sindacco Crime Family

Sindacco Crime Family.

The Sindacco Crime Family is an Italian-American mafia family based in Liberty City and Las Venturas. During the events of the game, they are led by their Don, Paulie Sindacco.

In 1998, the Sindacco Family had expanded further into Liberty City, moving into Leone Family territory in Chinatown and the Red Light District.

During the events of GTA Liberty City Stories, Toni Cipriani uses JD O'Toole, the man running the Sindacco-controlled Paulie's Revue Bar, as an inside-man to get plans from the Sindaccos and claim the Red Light District and Paulie's Revue Bar (renamed Sex Club 7 by Salvatore Leone) as Leone territory.

Following their defeat in the first gang war of 1998, the Sindaccos were reduced to only having territory in Torrington on Staunton Island, while also starting to move into Forelli Family territory in hopes of taking it over. This resulted in the second gang war of 1998, this time between the Sindaccos and the Forellis, weakening both families. Franco Forelli and Paulie Sindacco attempted to establish a truce, but before it could be established, Toni Cipriani used a remote control device to assume control of Paulie Sindacco's car and run over dozens of Forelli Family members with it. This fueled the Sindacco Family war with the Forelli Family, which doesn't end until the assassination of Paulie Sindacco in Shoreside Vale later that same year and the destruction of Fort Staunton, all caused by Leone capo Toni Cipriani.

Forelli Crime Family

Forelli Crime Family.

The Forelli Crime Family is an Italian-American mafia family based in Liberty City. During and after the events of the game, they are led by their Don, Franco Forelli.

In 1998, the Forellis deal with the death of Mayor Roger C. Hole, who was working for Franco Forelli. They later use Miles O'Donovan to defeat the Leone Family candidate Donald Love in the new mayoral race, however the Leone family later take control of O'Donovan as Mayor.

Later on, a war between the Forellis and the Sindaccos in Fort Staunton leads to both families being severely weakened, allowing smaller gangs such as the Uptown Yardies and Yakuza to take over some of their former territories. The two families eventually try to broker a truce, only for Salvatore Leone to use Paulie Sindacco's car to kill the Forellis attending the peace meeting. As the war continues, the Forellis continue to lose territory on Shoreside Vale, after Toni Cipriani and the Southside Hoods take over the last expanding turf the Forellis have occupation in.

Sicilian Mafia

Sicilian Mafia.

The Sicilian Mafia is an unnamed Cosa Nostra family that, during the events of the game, is led by Salvatore Leone's unnamed uncle, Uncle Leone.

In 1998, the Sicilians sparked several wars between rival families in Liberty City in the hope of controlling the city once the previous families had destroyed each other. Their plan was foiled, however, when Salvatore Leone and Toni Cipriani were able to hold their own against all of the other criminal organizations in the city. To retaliate, the Sicilians attempted to intimidate the mayor into convicting Leone on racketeering charges. This strategy was never fully executed due to the fact that Cipriani, under orders from Salvatore, killed Massimo Torini. After this, Salvatore's uncle acknowledged defeat and the Sicilian Mafia left Liberty City.

Yakuza

Yakuza.

The Yakuza is a Japanese criminal organization based in Liberty City. During the events of the game, they are led by Kazuki Kasen.

The Yakuza first began operating in Liberty City during the 1970s due to financial crises in East Asia. By 1998 they had become one of the strongest gangs in the city and had begun to stockpile weapons, including a tank, which Toni Cipriani destroys on orders from Salvatore Leone. Due to his actions, Toni gains the interest of Toshiko Kasen, wife of the Yakuza leader Kazuki, who hires Toni to sabotage the Yakuza's actions to weaken them before killing her husband.

Toni carries out several hits on the Yakuza for Toshiko, then kills her husband on the roof of his casino, and returns to Toshiko's apartment where she commits suicide, leaving the Yakuza without a leader. Despite having no leader, they maintain their control of Torrington, south Belleville Park, Pike Creek and west Wichita Gardens.

Minor Gangs

Liberty City Triads

Liberty City Triads.

The Triads are a Chinese gang based in Portland, Liberty City.

The Triads unnamed gang leader and several members were killed by Toni Cipriani after his mother had assumed that he left Liberty City because he was scared of the Triads. After the Sindacco Family were forced out of Portland, the Triads became a big problem for the Leones as they started moving in on the rest of Chinatown. Massimo Torini of the Sicilian Mafia had predicted them to do so; it was part of his plan to destroy all other mob influence in Portland. Toni was sent to follow Torini through Chinatown for information, but he was spotted by the Triads, whom he killed during his escape. The Triads later retaliated by blowing up Salvatore Leone's warehouse in Callahan Point.

Colombian Cartel

Colombian Cartel.

The Colombian Cartel are a powerful Latin-American drug syndicate and street gang based in Liberty City. During the events of the game, they are believed to be led by Miguel.

By 1998, the Colombian Cartel had become well established in Liberty City, and were supplying the city with a new drug called SPANK. They used the Panlantic Construction Company as a front for their illegal businesses.

Diablos

Diablos.

The Diablos are a Latin American gang based in Hepburn Heights, Liberty City. During the events of the game, they are led by El Burro.

The Diablos play an important role in GTA Liberty City Stories, being one of the gangs used by the Sicilian Mafia to attack interests of the Leone Family. They are first seen when Toni Cipriani is enlisted to follow Massimo Torini, the Sicilian Mafia's right hand man. Massimo meets with a group of Diablos at Hepburn Heights and tells them that if they worked with his associates (later revealed to be the Sicilian Mafia), Hepburn Heights would belong to them. The Diablos then attacked the Leone Family goons in a large scale battle that takes place in Hepburn Heights, where the Leones are overwhelmed by a large quantity of Diablos armed with Mac 10 submachine guns. The fight was won by the Leone Family, but Toni says that the Leone's wouldn't be able to hold on to Hepburn Heights much longer.

Uptown Yardies

Uptown Yardies.

The Uptown Yardies, also simply known as the Yardies, are a Jamaican gang based in Newport, Liberty City. During the events of the game, they are led by King Courtney.

In 1998, they work with the Leone Family and corrupt LCPD officer Leon McAffrey, who owed them a favour, to gain contol of the Newport district of Staunton Island, Liberty City from the Forelli Family. Leone Family member Toni Cipriani then assists them in holding on to the district from a Sindacco Family assault, with Rudyard being seriously injured during the fight. Once Leon McAffrey ceases to meet with Toni, the Yardies suddenly turn hostile towards Toni for unknown reasons.

Southside Hoods

Southside Hoods.

The Southside Hoods, made up of two subdivisons: the Purple Nines and the Red Jacks, are a set of prominent African-American gangs in Shoreside Vale, Liberty City.

In 1998, they are assisted by the Leone Family in taking Wichita Gardens as their turf and driving out the Forelli Family. At this point in time, both gangs were allied and acted as a single gang.

Liberty City Bikers

Liberty City Bikers.

The Liberty City Bikers are an outlaw motorcycle club based in Portland, Liberty City. During the events of the game, they are led by Cedric Fotheringay, known as "Wayne".

The biker gang is primarily involved in drugs and street racing. Their leader, Wayne, sells drugs to Maria Latore and becomes romantically involved with her.

Toni Cipriani discovers the club whilst assisting Maria, who had put herself up as first prize in a street race between gang members and Toni. It is also revealed that Wayne had abused Maria, which would prompt Toni to retaliate and kill him. Later, after Maria overdoses, she has Toni drive to Rusty Brown's Ring Donuts, an old haunt of Wayne's, thinking that a cure would be there.

The club is believed to be on very bad terms with the Avenging Angels, which leads many to believe that the Avenging Angels are the LC Bikers' main rivals. While helping the Angels, Toni is required to kill many groups of LC Biker members. In some bike races, one of the competitors is a member of the LC Bikers.

Avenging Angels

Avenging Angels.

The Avenging Angels are a group of vigilantes based in Liberty City. During the events of the game, they are led by Jesus Sentenz.

Founded following the mission Ho Selecta!, the Liberty City chapter of the Avenging Angels seek to clean Liberty City's streets of crime in their own "special" way, by training "ex-street punks, reformed gang-bangers, or anyone with a grudge" to patrol and protect the city. Players can see them walking the streets, patrolling and keeping the neighborhood safe, working to put an end to violence on the streets of Liberty City.

Avenging Angels members are required to don a members-only beret and jacket, similar to the uniforms of the Guardian Angels. However, Avenging Angels berets are black (green in the PS2 version), green jackets as opposed to red used on both the berets and jackets of the Guardian Angels. Avenging Angels members also sport long combat pants, a T-shirt of varied designs and colors.

The Angels always work in pairs, and Toni Cipriani joined them to fight the crime in the city. If a player opts to work with the Avenging Angels, he will recruit members of the organization in side missions, fight against Liberty City's underground biker gangs, carjacking gangs, and dispatch riotous mobs by any means possible with a special vehicle and outfit offered up as rewards.

Liberty City Car Jacking Gangs

The Liberty City Car Jacking Gangs is an alliance of small time gangs seen as an enemy to the Avenging Angels. Their leader is never seen or mentioned. Their base in Liberty City is also unknown.