Sal Maroni
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Salvatore Vincent "The Boss" Maroni is a fictional character, owned by DC Comics, who exists in that company's DC Universe. He is one of Batman's first enemies and among the toughest gangsters in Gotham City. He is most famous for being the one who scarred Harvey Dent, setting the stage for the young attorney's transformation into Two-Face.
[edit] History
Maroni first appeared in Batman: Year One and is later featured prominently in Jeph Loeb's maxi-series Batman: The Long Halloween. As of 2006, he has been included further into Batman's early days in the form of a major role in Matt Wagner's Batman and the Monster Men, where he has been involved in funding of Hugo Strange's experiments.
Salvatore Maroni grew up in the privileged Maroni crime family, headed by his father Lugi "Big Lou" Maroni. In The Long Halloween, Maroni is mobster Carmine Falcone's biggest rival, and both believe that serial killer Holiday (a killer who killed mobsters on holidays) is working for the other (although they also think that Harvey Dent has something to do with the killer). When his father is killed, Maroni makes a deal with Dent to reveal all of Falcone's criminal activities, in exchange for leniency.
However, Maroni really plots to scar Dent as revenge for his father's death. Dent's assistant, Vernon Field, provides him prior to court with "stomach medicine" for a supposed ulcer. During the trial, Maroni throws acid into Dent's face, disfiguring him and permanently changing him into Two-Face after escaping from hospital. Maroni takes two shots to the chest by the baliff after getting into a tussle following the scarring, but he survives.
When he is moved out of his cell, Maroni was finally killed by Holiday, who is revealed to be Alberto Falcone, the late crime boss' son who acted out against the family for wanting to make a name for himself.
[edit] In other media
In a scene in Batman Forever, Bruce Wayne is watching a news story which features a man in a courtroom witness box throwing acid into the face of Harvey Dent, the film's antagonist. The reporter refers to the man as "Boss Maroni". He is portrayed by Dennis Paladino.
Rupert Thorne was used in place of Maroni in the Bruce Timm/Paul Dini hit show Batman: The Animated Series episode Two-Face. In this version, Thorne blackmails Dent on giving him secret information or else will reveal his mental problems. A fight ensues at a chemical plant, but it is a damaged wire and chemicals that disfigure Dent and bring about Two-Face.
Maroni is rumored to be a character in the Christopher Nolan-directedBatman Begins sequel The Dark Knight. Casting calls for a "Italian mobster aged forties to fifties" have been made, and it is rumored that he will play a big part in this film and the third film. However, according to David Goyer, the "trilogy" will end with The Joker going to trial and scarring Dent, so this could be changed. Australian actor Alan Dale is rumored to have been cast in the role.
