Toni Cipriani

General VG character|width=240px
name=Antonio "Toni" Cipriani


caption = Toni Cipriani, as depicted in "".
firstgame = "Grand Theft Auto III" (2001)
series = "Grand Theft Auto"
voiceactor = Michael Madsen ("GTA III")
Danny Mastrogiorgio ("GTA:LCS")cite web | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465482/fullcredits | title = Full "Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories" credits | work = Internet Movie Database | accessdate = October 2 | accessyear = 2006]

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 major character, and the playable protagonist of "" ("GTA: LCS"). Toni is the Caporegime of the Leone family of the Mafia in Liberty City, working directly for Don Salvatore Leone. Toni lives in Liberty City, and has a mother, Momma Cipriani (also known as Ma Cipriani in). Toni's complete first name, Antonio, was not revealed until "GTA:LCS". Toni is also called Anthony on some occasions. His mother is from Florence and his father is Sicilian-American.

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

Appearances and Role

"Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories"

Toni's first chronological appearance was in "", Toni Cipriani assumes the role of the playable character and protagonist of the game. The event explores Toni's history and exploits in 1998, Liberty City, three years prior to "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, 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 during his leave of absence. In return, Toni finds himself having to once again work for the Don, in order to secure a high ranking position in the Leone family.

Much of his efforts in achieving this goal include battling two other Mafia families (the the Forellis and the Sindacco family) via several ways, allowing him to be "made" halfway through the storyline. Later, he fights the Liberty City Yakuza on orders from , and finally the Sicilian Mafia, which Caporegime intended to use to wipe out the 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 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, the protagonist of "GTA III".

"Grand Theft Auto III"

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 Salvatore's meetings, a full-blown war between the Leone family and the Triads occurred, and Claude ends up being an enemy to the Triads. The war leads to the destruction of the Triads' Fish Factory, with Toni instructing Claude to deliver a garbage truck armed with a bomb to the factory.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.]

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 IIIs depiction; this is commented or criticized by , Maria and Salvatore Leone, with his mother and Salvatore in particular commenting about him not being fed well.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".)] 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 by no longer performing jobs and instead giving orders himself.

Notes and references