Not to be confused with the Vercotti Crime Family from the original Grand Theft Auto.
The Vercetti Gang is a powerful criminal organization based in and around Vice City, Florida. They are led by Tommy Vercetti and are essentially a splinter group of the Forelli Family, of which Vercetti was previously recognized as a member, and the former Diaz' Gang. They first appear midway through Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and are later mentioned in passing in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
The Vercetti Gang are never formally named in the game. The name 'Vercetti Gang' came from Kaufman Cabs dispatcher Doris announcing Tommy Vercetti's takeover of the business to the drivers.[1]
Description[]
The Vercetti Gang is headed by Tommy Vercetti, a renegade Forelli Crime Family member who has assumed control of many businesses and property ventures during the events of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, circa 1986. The organization is known to be involved in various illegal enterprises, including extortion, drug dealing, counterfeit and pornography. They are very territorial, and hostile towards the other gangs in the city, even the Cubans and Vice City Bikers, who are on friendly terms with Tommy Vercetti.
The Vercetti Gang follows classic Mafia leadership structure and methods of operation, although whether they can actually be considered a Mafia family is up to debate due to the inclusion of people such as Lance Vance and Ken Rosenberg, who are not Italian, however they could be considered high ranking associates which are common in Mafia families, various high ranking members of the Five Families are not Italian, and the majority of the gang seems to consist of Italian-Americans. The Vercetti Gang are mentioned in passing in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas by The Truth, who mentions that Dwaine and Jethro had their business bought out by the "Mob".
History[]
Events of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
Tommy Vercetti was originally dispatched by the Forelli Crime Family to Vice City to oversee a drug deal funded by Forelli family money; the drug deal was supposed to be the beginning of the Forelli expansion down south towards Vice City.
After the deal was ambushed by the Diaz Cartel, Vercetti was forced to start over with no money or property and aided only by Ken Rosenberg, a bent lawyer with Forelli connections. He eventually killed the perpetrator of the drug deal attack, Ricardo Diaz, aided by his new friend Lance Vance.
Following the demise of Ricardo Diaz, he received ownership of Diaz's mansion on Starfish Island, using it as his main base of operations, and subsequently acquired various properties and businesses in the city, including a nightclub and porn studio. Tommy cut his ties with the Forelli Crime Family, as his operation expanded greatly throughout Vice City, which thus made Tommy a very rich, powerful and influential man, infuriating Sonny Forelli who was demanding his cut of the profits.
Ricardo Diaz controlled a very lucrative protection ring across the island, prior to his death; on hearing of his passing, some of the stores in the North Point Mall were refusing to pay for protection, which led Tommy to vandalize them, sending a message.
Not too long after, Tommy drives a security firm out of Ocean Beach so that he can assume control of their protection racket at the Front Page Café, and eventually consolidates his control over the lucrative protection ring by blowing up the Tarbrush Café at the North Point Mall along with Lance, while disguised as police officers.
While building up his gang's illicit and legitimate businesses, Tommy also established ties with various criminals and gangs in the city, including the Cubans, Vice City Bikers, crooked property developer Avery Carrington, and smuggler and narcotics trafficker Colonel Juan Garcia Cortez.
Tommy's refusal to cut Sonny into the profits, however, prompted him to send collectors to Vice City in an attempt to "tax" his businesses, even going so far as to ordering his men to badly beat Earnest Kelly, which resulted in Tommy killing all of the men that Sonny had sent to collect from his businesses.
Following this, Sonny personally confronted Tommy at his mansion, and revealed that Lance had informed him about Tommy's plan to con Sonny with counterfeit money, which ultimately ended with Tommy killing everyone at the mansion in a large shootout, including several Forelli gangsters, Lance Vance and Sonny Forelli.
Tommy claimed to be "untouchable" now in Vice City, as Sonny Forelli, the man who wanted him dead the most, had been killed in the massacre, and it was implied that with the death of their boss, the Forelli Crime Family would be weakened too much by his death to be able to send men to take care of Tommy.
Following Sonny's death, the Vercetti Gang is assumed to have total domination of Vice City. The Vercetti Gang, or at least Tommy Vercetti himself, is presumed to remain in power for an undisclosed time.
After the events of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
In The Introduction, the prequel film to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Ken Rosenberg, a close friend and business accomplice of Tommy, is assumed to have been abandoned by Tommy after Ken is forced into rehabilitation for prolonged cocaine abuse. Following his release from the Fort Carson Medical Center, Vercetti no longer takes his calls and their relationship is dissolved. This led to Ken's subsequent assignment as a middleman for the Leone Crime Family, the Forelli Crime Family and the Sindacco Crime Family over Caligula's Palace along The Strip, Las Venturas and then employment as an accountant to rapper Madd Dogg.
Tommy is also mentioned on Kent Paul's website in 2002 under the list of social problems of the 1980s, saying, "(see, Tom, I didn't mention your name, nowhere. Maybe you won't get us killed now, okay?)" This could mean that Tommy is still alive and in power during the early 2000s.
Members[]
- Tommy Vercetti - Boss
- Lance Vance - Underboss (Formerly/Resigned/Deceased)
- Ken Rosenberg - Adviser (Formerly)
- Mario - Bodyguard
- Mike - Bodyguard
- Unnamed bodyguard
- Three unnamed bodyguards (hired after 100% Completion)
- Unnamed secretary (hired after 1986)
Associates[]
- Juan Cortez - Crime lord
- Avery Carrington (Deceased) - Real estate owner and developer
- Kent Paul - Associate of Ken Rosenberg/manager of Love Fist
- Umberto Robina - Leader of the Cubans
- Big Mitch Baker - President of the Vice City Bikers
- Ricardo Diaz (Formerly/Deceased) - Leader of the Diaz Cartel
- Earnest Kelly - Owner of The Print Works
- Doris - Owner of Kaufman Cabs
- Maude Hanson - Owner of the Cherry Popper Ice Cream Factory
- Steve Scott - Owner of InterGlobal Studios and porn film director
- Phil Cassidy - Gunman and arms dealer
- Sonny Forelli (Formerly/Deceased) - Don of the Forelli Crime Family
- Cam Jones (Can be killed in The Job) - Safecracker/locksmith
- Hilary King (Deceased) - Driver
Prominent Appearances in Missions[]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
Influence[]
Tommy Vercetti's gang and empire are clearly inspired by the Montana Cartel from the 1983 film Scarface:
- Members of both gangs are made of employees of Drug Lords which the protagonist has killed in order to take over their empire (Mike and the unnamed Diaz' bodyguard in GTA Vice City and Ernie and Nick the Pig in Scarface.
- Both gangs have many business fronts around Florida.
- The Vercetti Estate is clearly based on Tony Montana's Mansion from Scarface.
Trivia[]
- Upon reaching 100% completion, three Vercetti gang members can be recruited and act as Bodyguards for $2000.
- Vercetti Gang members will fall to the ground If the player attacks them. If they accidentally shoot the player during a gun fight, no health or armor will be lost.
- The Vercetti Gang is the only gang in normal gameplay to use any firearm other than a pistol, as they begin to carry Uzis after the completion of Keep Your Friends Close...
References[]
- ↑ Doris: "Our new management, the Vercetti Gang, is gonna make sure we get no trouble".