Toni Cipriani
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| Antonio "Toni" Cipriani | |
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| Game series | Grand Theft Auto |
| First game | Grand Theft Auto III (2001) |
| Voice actor(s) | Michael Madsen (GTA III) Danny Mastrogiorgio (GTA:LCS) |
Antonio "Toni" Cipriani is a fictional character in the Grand Theft Auto video game series. He appeared in Grand Theft Auto III (GTA III) as a non-player character, and the playable protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (GTA:LCS). Toni is a primary member of the Leone Mafia family, working for Leone Don Salvatore Leone. Toni lives in Liberty City, and has a mother, Momma Cipriani (known also as Ma Cipriani in GTA:LCS). Toni's complete first name, Antonio, was not suggested until GTA:LCS.
Toni Cipriani was voiced by Michael Madsen in GTA III and voiced by Danny Mastrogiorgio in GTA:LCS.
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[edit] Role
[edit] Grand Theft Auto III
In Grand Theft Auto III, Claude, the game's player character, is introduced to Toni Cipriani by Salvatore Leone's son, Joey Leone, who indicates Toni's position as a capo for Salvatore Leone. Early missions with Cipriani were primarily focused on extorting protection money from a Triad-controlled laundromat, by destroying several of the business's delivery trucks. Coupled with a Triad attack during the transportation of the Family's high-ranked members to one of Don Salvatore's meetings, a full-blown war between the Mafia and the Triads occurred, and Claude was now an enemy to the Triads. The war led to the destruction of the Triads' fish factory, with Toni instructing Claude to deliver a garbage truck armed with a bomb to the factory.[1]
Toni lives with his mother, Momma Cipriani, and is frequently seen in his family-run restaurant, Momma's Restaurante (or Cipriani's Ristorante, as seen in its sign at the restaurant), providing jobs for Claude. The constant nagging from his mother about him not being able to match up with his father and failing to meet up to her expectations had forced him to call the local chat radio station, Chatterbox FM, and complain about his mother's constant bickering.
[edit] Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Toni Cipriani assumes the role of the playable character and protagonist of the game. GTA:LCS explores Toni's history and exploits in 1998 Liberty City, three years prior to events in GTA III.
Toni Cipriani left Liberty City for several years and kept a low profile after killing a "made man" for Don Salvatore Leone. He finally returned to the city in 1998, ready to continue his life of organized crime. Toni is given jobs by a grateful Salvatore Leone, but because he was out of town for so many years, other members of Salvatore's Leone Mafia family have had the time to move up in the hierarchy. Salvatore was forced to strip Toni of his rank and give the position to Vincenzo Cilli during his leave of absence. Toni now finds himself as a low-ranking goon that has to once again gain favor with the Don, in order to secure a leadership position in the Leone Mafia family.
Much of his efforts in achieving this goal include battling two other Mafia families (the Forellis and the Sindaccos) via several means, allowing him to be "made" halfway through the storyline. Later, he fought the local Yakuza on orders by the Yakuza leader's displeased wife, and finally the Sicilian mob, which key member Massimo Torini has intended to wipe out the Liberty City Mafia families and assume control of their territories. With Massimo successfully killed by Toni, the Leones are assured to control Liberty City, with mayor Miles O'Donovan under the Leone's influence.
Toni's behavior in scenes of the game suggest that he is very loyal but is very easy to irritate (of course, this may be in part of that he is surrounded by such strange people, for instance, Vincenzo Cilli, Maria, JD O'Toole or Donald Love).
[edit] Physical apperance
In Libery City Stories, Toni is significantly thinner than GTA III's depiction; this is commented or criticized by his mother, Maria and Salvatore Leone, with his mother and Salvatore in particular commenting about him not being fed well.[2] [3] [4] By GTA III, Toni is fatter and has aged considerably in the three years that have passed.
[edit] Relation to Tony Soprano
Toni Cipriani is likely a parody of Tony Soprano, the main character from The Sopranos. Aside from their names, both characters also share ongoing problems with their mothers, who also ordered hits on them (Cipriani would face this predicament in GTA:LCS).
[edit] See also
- List of characters in Grand Theft Auto III
- List of characters in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ In Liberty City Stories, while on the mission "The Trouble with Triads," Toni is sent to a warehouse owned by the Leones at the time to pick up some money for the Don. When Toni arrives, the Triads detonate a bomb that destroys the factory. Ironically, the Triad's new fish factory in GTA III (built over the site of the bombed building) was destroyed by a truck bomb sent by Toni, now a Leone capo.
- ^ Maria: (On the phone, as Toni Cipriani enters) "Spot it! One of Salvatore's dogs is bringing me right over...Oh, he's a charmer...Maybe too thin tough." (Opening cut scene of "Taken for a Ride," Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.)
- ^ Toni Cipriani: "Ma? I'm back..." / Ma Cipriani: "Look at you! You look so thin! If you were still living here, with your mother, like a son should, you'd be eating right!" (Opening cut scene of "Grease Sucho," Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.)
- ^ Salvatore Leone: "Toni! How are you my boy? You look a little thin. Isn't your momma feeding you right?" (Opening cut scene of "Frighteners," Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.)
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Grand Theft Auto characters
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