Niko is introduced to two associates of the McReary Crime Family, Gordon Sargent and Michael Keane. The crew plan to storm a warehouse that belongs to the Ancelotti Crime Family and rob them. After being persuaded by Gordon in a quasi-threatening manner, Niko accepts to join the crew.
The player must find a four-seat car, pick up the crew, and drive to the Colony Island Waste Management Plant in Colony Island. There will usually be a Schafter at the side of the house for the player to use. During the drive, Packie reveals to Niko the crew's plan to rob an Ancelotti Crime Family operation. They plan to run in the front of the warehouse, wipe out anyone in their way, take the money, then run out back to commandeer a boat near the docks on recommendation of Ray Boccino.
First Shootout: Junkyard[]
When the player arrives at the warehouse, they must follow the crew on foot to a small junkyard beside the warehouse. There will be several goons patroling outside, so after the player jumps the fence, they must eliminate the targets and make sure to protect Packie and the others.
Packie tends to rush into battle and therefore gets killed fairly quickly. The door to the warehouse will not be unlocked until the targets have been eliminated.
Second Shootout: Warehouse[]
When the player reaches the warehouse door facing the street, they must run in and eliminate everyone inside. The player must then run up the stairs, across the catwalk to the overhead office to grab the bag of cash. Three targets are above the ground floor (the office & the catwalk) and are immune to NPC attacks (Packie, Michael, Gordon, even Dwayne's backups), to being killed by falling, and to Niko's trample.
Third Shootout: Third party attacks & the escape[]
At this point, some Italian mobsters, who are also planning on stealing the money, come into the warehouse and start firing at Packie and his group. The player must kill the mobsters and head down the stairs. Packie will tell Niko to follow him to a getaway boat. The player must ignore any mobsters after this point and run, Gordon and Michael will stay behind to eliminate them.
After Niko steals the money and the Italian mobsters come in, they spawn indefinitely.
The player must exit the warehouse and follow Packie to the docks. They will have to swim to the boat. Once Niko and Packie are in the boat, the player must head to the yellow marker. Once they are there, the mission is passed.
Afterward[]
After the mission, Packie will call Niko and ask if he can take his sister Kate out on a date. Packie will also text Niko and tell him to wear a suit for the next mission.
Ray will call Niko after this mission, unlocking his first mission: A Long Way to Fall.
Transcript[]
This section/page depicts all cutscenes and dialogues in the mission Waste Not Want Knots in Grand Theft Auto IV.
You fuckin' guessed it. It's an Ancelotti operation. Ray tipped us off about a big payoff they just got. A fat cash payoff.
Michael:
Ancelottis, eh? I can't tell none of those wop families apart. Ancelottis, Gambinos, Pecorinos.
Patrick:
It's the fucking Pegorinos, man. We're workin for them. Pecorino's a type a cheese. Pegorinos is a bunch of guido gangsters outta Alderney.
Niko:
They're all Mafia though?
Patrick:
Course they are. Cosa Nostra and all that shit. Our family used to be bigger than all them Mafia families put together. Back in the day, that is.
Gordon:
Not this shit again. I heard this speech a million times. The McRearys ran the city. People was scared to say their name let alone come near their place in Purgatory. Life was great. We were in charge.
Patrick:
It's fucking true. I'd like to hear you tell Gerald that it's a boring story. Me brother wouldn't take too kindly to that now would he? You know that Purgatory is called what it is because people were so scared of the McRearys. Did you know that, Niko?
Gordon:
It's called that because people found the McRearys' stories so fuckin' boring, listening to them was like being in Purgatory.
Patrick:
Fuck you, Gordon. I'll fucking come back there and kick your fucking ass in a minute.
Fucking Frankie, my brother. He may have a badge, but I tell you for a fact he's as crooked as the rest of us McRearys. More so. At least we ain't fucking hypocrites. Kate's the only decent one.
Niko:
I can believe that.
Patrick:
You know Frankie do ya? I got a story for you if you do.
Gordon:
Another fucking story.
Patrick:
Shut up, Gordon. So, Niko, when Francis and Gerald was growing up, Frankie becomes an altar boy. He swears to this day that he wanted to serve the Lord. Gerry knows the truth though. He only put on that cassock so he could pocket the change in the collection plate. Fact. That's Francis down to a fucking T. I don't even know if he realizes what a crook he is.
Niko:
That sounds like the Francis McReary I met.
Patrick:
I bet. Model community leader, my ass.
Gordon:
You're just worried he'll start clamping down on you, ain't ya Packie?
Patrick:
I'd like to see him try it. Not gonna happen with the things Gerry knows.
Niko:
Packie, you hang out in some strange places. First you take me to a fish market and now a waste plant.
Gordon:
It looks like he ain't too pleased with the dates you been taking him on, Patrick. You got to learn how to treat a man right.
Patrick:
Shut it, Gordo. Ray's given us a tip off about a big payment the Ancelottis just got. We're all gonna do real well outta this.
Niko:
These places are messed up. I think this Ray guy is fucking with you.
Patrick:
No one's fucking with me, Niko. This is how things work here. The whole city is turning into a fucking theme park. Only places an honest criminal can make any money are these shit holes.
Gordon:
I think they're fucking with ya, Packie. They're laughing at ya.
Patrick:
You think they're having a laugh with Gerald, Gordo? You think even these Alderney guidos would have the balls to do that?
Gordon:
Them guidos use you for what they like, if the Peg asked Gerald to wipe his ass he probably would.
Michael:
What's that say about you then, Gordo? If you're taking orders from Packie.
Gordon:
That don't mean shit.
Patrick:
Fucking with us or not, these jobs pay the bills, don't they?
Michael:
The only thing they're doing for Gordon is keeping the bookies off his back for another week. How much you lose on that Swingers game last week?
Gordon:
That shit was rigged. I got screwed in the ninth damn inning. A guy who bats one-fifty hits a three-run homer. Bullshit!
Patrick:
Don't go dropping too much green after this. If the Ancelottis hear we've been spending it up they might finger us for this job. If that happens, the bookies will be the least of your worries.
Michael:
Don't trouble yourself about me, Packie. I'm sitting on my money. Not gonna throw it at the bookies like Gordon over here. I'm saving it up so...
Patrick:
I don't give a shit what you're doing with your cut. All I care about is you holding up your end on the job.
Gordon:
You shouldn't save too much, Michael. You never know, you might get hit by a bus tomorrow.
Patrick:
Nah, not Saint Michael here.
Niko:
My cousin, Roman, he has this gambling problem as well. Can't have a dollar in his pocket without spending it at a card game.
Patrick:
Are these his dollars he's spending, or yours?
Niko:
What's mine is his. We are cousins.
Colony Island Waste Management Plant
They arrive at the waste management plant.
Patrick:
Alright boys, if Ray is correct then the money's going to be kept in the office in the main building. And there should be a boat docked out back for the getaway. Alright, it's up and over the fence.
The group climbs over the fence and into the compound. Patrick can say the following.
Patrick:
Niko, stick fucking close to me.
Patrick:
Don't go too fucking far, Niko.
Once in the compound, they immediately get into a gunfight with Ancelotti goons. Once those goons are all taken out...
Patrick:
Alright boys, let's go inside and find this money.
They enter the building and get into another gun fight.
Niko:
Hey Packie, I'll go get the money. Cover me, will you?
Niko fights his way to the upstairs office and collects the cash.
Niko:
Okay kids, I got the cash. Shit! Looks like we're not the only ones after it.
More goons enter the building.
Patrick:
There's got to be a pizza parlor on this island coz I ain't never seen so many Italians. Out the back, boys.
The Escape
Niko and Patrick exit the building and head for the dock.
Patrick:
Gordon, Michael. You hold these boys back while me and Niko make a swim for it with the money.
Michael:
We'll see you back at the house, Packie.
Gordon:
Try to keep the money dry, won't ya? I don't know how my bookie's gonna be about wet notes.
There is a boat is some distance from the dock.
Niko:
Swimming for it, eh?
Patrick:
Sure, me boy. There's the boat just out there. I'll race ya.
They get into the boat.
Patrick:
Can you drive a boat? You got to this fine country in a boat didn't ya, Niko?
Niko:
That don't mean I can drive one. Fuck it though, I'll give it a try.
Once underway...
Patrick:
That was fucking beautiful. We did ourselves proud. My brother Gerry is going to be fucking ecstatic.
Niko:
Providing the Ancelottis don't figure out it was us that ripped them off.
Patrick:
Don't fucking worry about it. They'll just figure it was another one of the five families. Us McRearys are under the fucking radar nowadays. It ain't a problem.
Niko:
I hope you're right for my sake.
Patrick:
Shut up and think about the money. If that don't work, think about my sister. I tell you though, you're only getting your hands on one of those things, you maniac, and it ain't going to be my Katie.
Some time after completing this mission, Niko gets a call from Patrick.
Patrick:
Niko man. Look, I ain't a pimp or nothing.
Niko:
What're you talking about, man?
Patrick:
I'm saying, would you take my sister, Katie, out for a drink or something? She don't get out much and she sure as hell don't go on dates. We're starting to worry. She likes you, just as friends. I'm gonna send you her number.
Niko:
I'll give her a call man, but I don't think she'll wanna see me.
Packie uses a Pistol during this mission, while Michael uses an Assault Rifle and Gordon uses a Pump Shotgun. Strangely, during the cutscene, Gordon is left-handed (as seen in the picture) however during the main part of the mission, he is right-handed. No NPC in the game is seen as left-handed so this mistake is most likely due to limitations.
This mission could be a reference to the television show The Sopranos, in which the main character, Tony Soprano, is involved in garbage disposal (among other businesses), and his self-described job title is "waste management".
In some lines of dialogue, Packie tells Michael Keane to save his money, while Gordon comments "You shouldn't save too much, Michael. You'll never know. You might get hit by a bus tomorrow...". This is foreshadowing his death in the next mission.
In the conversations that take place on the ride to the waste depot, Niko may mention that he heard that Francis is Packie's brother, however, depending on the amount of time the player took to complete the most previous Francis mission and start this one, it is possible that Francis has not yet called Niko to inform him of this.
The player doesn't have to park next to the Colony Island Cemetery when they arrive at the depot. Instead, Niko can head directly to the small junkyard and enter the warehouse.
When Niko and Packie swim out to the boat to escape, Packie asks Niko if he can drive a boat, implying that he can't. However, when they reach the dock, Packie switches places with Niko and drives the boat away easily.
The assault rifle Packie gives to Michael in the beginning cutscene is most likely the same rifle Packie used himself in the last mission, seen that he mentions "one previous owner, safely driven" and uses only a pistol himself in the mission.
If the player fails the mission when either Michael, Patrick or Gordon dies, they will be placed in a light blue Schafter close to where Patrick's house is, along with the members of the crew that did not die.
