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Toni Cipriani

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Antonio "Toni" Cipriani
'Grand Theft Auto' character
Toni Cipriani as depicted in Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories.
Toni Cipriani, as depicted in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
First gameGrand Theft Auto III (2001)

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 the Caporegime of the Leone family of the Liberty City Mafia, working directly for 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 is also called Anthony on some occasions. His mother is from Florence (mentioned in GTA III) and his father is Sicilian-American (mentioned in GTA: LCS.).

Toni Cipriani was voiced by Michael Madsen in GTA III and voiced by Danny Mastrogiorgio in GTA: LCS.

Appearances and Role

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

Toni's first chronological appearance was 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 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 the Leone 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 having to once again gain favor with the Don, in order to secure a leadership position in the Leone family.

File:CIpriani Party.jpg
Toni Cipriani as he escorts Toshiko Kasen into an opera house in Liberty City Stories. Toni is depicted in the game to be much thinner than his depiction in GTA III, which takes place three years later.

Much of his efforts in achieving this goal include battling two other Mafia Families (the Forelli family and the Sindacco family) via several ways, allowing him to be "made" halfway through the storyline. Later, he fought the Liberty City Yakuza on orders from Toshiko Kasen, and finally the Sicilian Mafia, which Caporegime Massimo Torini intended to use to wipe out the Liberty City Mafia families with and assume control of their territories. When Massimo is successfully killed by Toni, the Leone family are assured to control Liberty City, with Mayor Miles O'Donovan under the Leone family's influence. However, this victory is fleeting and in only a matter of years his work will be undone by Claude.

Toni's behavior in scenes of the game suggest that he is very loyal but is very easy to irritate.

Grand Theft Auto III

File:GTAIII Toni.jpg
Toni as depicted in Grand Theft Auto III is depicted in game as being fatter and having aged significantly, in comparison to his younger self in Liberty City Stories.

In Grand Theft Auto III, Claude, the game's playable character, is introduced to Toni Cipriani by Salvatore Leone's son, Joey Leone, who indicates Toni's position as a Caporegime 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 Leone family 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.[3]

Toni lives with his mother, Momma Cipriani, and is frequently seen in his family-run restaurant, Cipriani's Ristorante, 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.

Physical appearance

In Liberty 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.[4][5][6] By GTA III, Toni is fatter and has aged considerably in the years that have passed between GTA:LCS and GTA III, this is possibly because Toni had become fed up of being called thin, or simply takes advantage of his position in the Leone family (no longer performing jobs and instead giving orders himself).

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Full Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories credits". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved October 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Full Grand Theft Auto III credits". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved October 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ In Liberty City Stories, while on the mission "The Trouble with Triads", Toni is sent to a warehouse owned by the Leone family 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.
  4. ^ 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.)
  5. ^ 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.)
  6. ^ 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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