Grotto

: "I'll keep it simple. Give me a deal, put up a camera, I'll tell you everything about those Irish pricks. Names, dates, their favorite titty bars."
: ―Grotto to Samantha Reyes[src]
Elliot Grote was a small-time criminal going by the street name of Grotto, affiliated with the Kitchen Irish. In the wake of a massacre that had seen much of the Kitchen Irish slaughtered, Grotto barely survived, as he sought out the legal protection of Nelson and Murdock. However, despite being protected, Grotto continued being targeted by the Punisher, until he was eventually found and captured by the vigilante, who then shot and killed Grotto in front of Daredevil, who was unable to rescue him in time.
== Biography ==
=== Kitchen Irish ===
==== Hitman ====
: "She saw my face... I had no choice."
: ―Grotto[src]
Grotto was occasionally tasked with carrying out hits for the Kitchen Irish. One day, after killing a target, he was spotted in the act by an old woman. Grotto panicked due to her seeing his face and ended up killing her as well. Grotto seemed to feel guilty about his actions while working for the mob as, according to Father Paul Lantom, he regularly sat in the church and put various items in the offering, from money to a Rolex watch, in hope of redemption.
=== Punisher's Target ===
==== Massacre at the Burren Club ====
: "Fifteen men, tough Irish, armed, all of them blown away, it was a massacre. We weren't hit by any rival family no I'm telling you, we were hit by an army."
: ―Grotto[src]
Grotto was present during the meeting of members of the Kitchen Irish at the Burren Club, where Nesbitt greeted them all and Grotto collected a glass of whiskey for him, being mocked by Johnny in the process for kissing up to Nesbitt, but Grotto completely ignored the insults. Now he had his drink, Nesbitt ranted about Wilson Fisk and the hole left in the organized crime of New York City after he was arrested by the FBI, before announcing his intention to take over crime in the neighborhood.
However, at the height of Nesbitt's speech, the entire assembly was massacred by the unknown shooter, who gunned down Nesbitt, Cullen, George and everybody else attending. Grotto barely managed to survive the attack, as he had jumped behind a bar counter when the shooting started, although he did suffer a gunshot wound before he could get to cover. Once the bullets had stopped, Grotto managed to flee the scene moments before the New York City Police Department arrived to look over the carnage.
==== Looking for Help ====
: "If you're the only one who survived your good fortune is going to rub some powerful people the wrong way.""No shit! I got a pack of killers gunning for my men, my people think I'm a traitor or a rat."
: ―Matt Murdock and Grotto[src]
Grotto soon arrived at Josie's Bar where Matt Murdock, Karen Page, and Foggy Nelson were playing pool. Murdock picked up on Grotto's heartbeat and the sound of his finger tapping his own gun. Murdock walked over to talk to Grotto thinking he was going to cause trouble. Murdock told him that this was a good place with good people and that he should find somewhere else to drink, but Grotto stated that he is there on business with Nelson and Murdock, noting he knew who Murdock was.
Grotto sat with the trio and began to inform them all of what he had witnessed happen to the Kitchen Irish and claimed that the massacre was carried out with military precision. When Page asked what his own involvement was, he admitted that he sometimes did jobs for the Irish, before asking them to help him get placed in witness protection as he was paranoid that the shooter was currently looking for him. Despite Murdock's protest that they only help good people, Nelson told Grotto that they will look into it. Grotto then passed out and fell out of his chair due to blood loss from his gunshot wound.
==== Metro-General Shooting ====
: "Someone's come to finish the job.""Just don't move.""The hell with that."
: ―Grotto and Karen Page[src]
Grotto awoke in Metro-General Hospital with Karen Page at his side and immediately began freaking out and saying that he could not stay there because whoever was looking for him would undoubtedly find and kill him. Page urged him to relax and reassured him of his safety by telling him that he was checked in under a fake name, Steve Schaffer, and that she was posing as his wife, noting that her story had nearly made the nurse cry.
Just as Grotto began to relax, however, the gunman arrived at the hospital looking to finish wiping out the Kitchen Irish. The pair heard the noise of a fight and a nurse screaming which made Grotto panic while Page went to check out the hallway. Page saw the gunman walking towards their room armed with a shotgun and pulled Grotto from the bed in a desperate attempt to escape their attacker. Grotto and Page fled the hospital while being shot at by the gunman's shotgun, barely avoiding the blasts as they ran downstairs.
The pair made it to Page's car and drove away from the hospital as Grotto narrowly escaped being killed when the gunman began shooting at the car with a rifle from the rooftop of the building. As they continued driving, they were unaware that the gunman had Grotto in his sights as he prepared to fire. However, Grotto was saved when Daredevil arrived on the scene and attacked the gunman before he could make a kill shot, ensuring Page and Grotto get away safely as they headed to seek the NYPD's help.
==== Making a Deal ====
: "Every hit was just like some kind of SEAL Team Six. Then people started saying it was one guy doing all that. One man? I thought it was a ghost story. Some campfire shit you tell freshies to make them crap their pants. But now... You saw. That guy was the Grim Reaper."
: ―Grotto to Foggy Nelson[src]
Grotto and Karen Page headed for the 15th Precinct Police Station where Grotto was interviewed by Page while he continued to panic about the gunman attempting to kill him again, noting that Page did not seem scared although she insisted she was terrified. Foggy Nelson rejoined them as he confronted Grotto about him telling them the Kitchen Irish were massacred by an army. Brett Mahoney gave Grotto a change of clothes and put him into witness protection.
Samantha Reyes and Blake Tower then arrived and informed Grotto, Page, and Nelsonn about the Punisher, who had spent months hunting down the Kitchen Irish and other criminals, ruthlessly killing them with military precision. Grotto insisted that they give him a deal, although Reyes claimed this was not good enough and instead told him that they wished him to wear a wire to assist them in arresting Edgar Brass. Grotto refused but Page and Nelson convinced him that this was the help offer he was going to get, when Grotto asked what would happen if he refused and Reyes told him he was free to go, but Tower showed Grotto images of the Punisher's previous victims, including Michael Jortrier and Adrian Blanc to make him change his mind.
==== Fake Exchange ====
: "We're all set on our end.""Well good for you lady, me I got some serious reservations about this shit!"
: ―Samantha Reyes and Grotto[src]
Grotto agreed and they prepared to move forward, with Grotto being given a wire which he complained was far too large to go unnoticed. Foggy Nelson advised him about how to speak to Edgar Brass in order not to arise suspicion while Samantha Reyes rudely suggested that he could still walk away and risk being found by the Punisher. Grotto continued to complain so Karen Page reminded him since Wilson Fisk was arrested so were a lot of corrupt cops so Grotto was safe. Grotto agreed to go and asked for a kiss from Page, but she only gave him a middle finger.
Doing as instructed, the nervous Grotto moved forward towards Brass' warehouse where he called him out while the New York City Police Department and the FBI listened closely to the conversation. Grotto called out Brass in the darkness and told him to come out where he could see him, but when nothing appeared to happen, Grotto got spooked and threatened to walk away, suggesting he find someone else to sell heroin to. Eventually, Grotto seemingly spotted Brass standing between some shipping crates and went to speak to him in order to make an apparent drug deal.
The man turned out, however, not to be Brass but a cop who was part of a team setting up a trap for the Punisher in which Grotto was being used as bait. Grotto watched as the police fired upon an incoming truck, only to realize it was being driven by a captured member of the Dogs of Hell and was a distraction set up by the Punisher. However, before the Punisher could shoot Grotto, he was attacked by Daredevil and Grotto ran away, calling Page to berate her about using him as bait before Grotto decided to leave New York City by himself.
==== Rooftop Execution ====
: "Stay still, I'm gonna get you out of here.""No, put me down. Why didn't you stop him?"
: ―Daredevil and Grotto[src]
Grotto stole a car while attempting to leave New York City; however, he was found and captured by the Punisher. Grotto was beaten and taken onto a rooftop where the Punisher presented him to the captured Daredevil who he ordered to kill him before he shot Grotto, giving him the power to chose who died. Punisher tortured Grotto and made him confess to his murders to explain to Daredevil why Grotto deserved to die.
Punisher aimed his gun at Grotto's chest and began counting down, while Daredevil promised that he would hand Grotto over to the New York City Police Department, but Punisher refused to listen and Grotto continued to beg for his life. Just as Punisher counted down, Daredevil used his one bullet to break his chains before running at Punisher. He came too late and Punisher fatally shot Grotto point blank in the chest. Once Punisher had been subdued, Daredevil tried to carry the bleeding Grotto to safety, but he died in his arms.
=== Legacy ===
==== Daredevil's Guilt ====
: "What are you looking for?""Forgiveness.""For what?""Not doing more?""You just said you did everything you could?"
: ―Paul Lantom and Matt Murdock[src]
Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, and Matt Murdock prepared a funeral for Grotto. Sadly, they were the only three to show up. Father Paul Lantom claimed that Grote died still in the dark, but each of them are a world. And a world is lost. Afterwards, Murdock took a moment to stay back with Lantom. Murdock told him about the Punisher. Lantom asked what he was looking for. Murdock replied with forgiveness. Lantom reminded him it wasn't his fault, but Murdock still felt guilty. He later finally took down the Punisher.
== Personality ==
Grotto, although not an important member of the Kitchen Irish, was nevertheless tasked with at least one hit. Although he seemed remorseful about having to kill a woman who witnessed the hit, it's difficult to ascertain if he was sincere or was simply saying he was remorseful to avoid being killed by the Punisher. The fact that he often dropped large sums of money, and even a Rolex watch once, into the collection plate at Paul Lantom's church, hinted that his remorse may have been genuine.
== Abilities ==
* Expert Assassin: Grotto was a hitman for the Kitchen Irish and regularly performed acts for them. However, on one mission, an old lady saw him kill a target, so Grotto killed her. Feeling awful about his actions, he stopped his wrongdoing and tried to change.
* Marksman: As an assassin, Grotto was skilled with guns and used it to kill his targets and anyone who saw him in the act.
== Equipment ==
=== Other Equipment ===
* Bulletproof Vest: Samantha Reyes' men gave him a bulletproof vest to keep him safe as the Punisher started attacking.
== Facilities ==
* Burren Club: Grotto used to visit the Burren Club as a place to meet up with the Kitchen Irish before the place was gunned down by the Punisher. Once the coast was clear, Grotto left the club before he was found to be alive by him.
* Clinton Church: Grotto dropped off a rolex and cash to make himself feel less guilty.
* Josie's Bar: Grotto met with Nelson and Murdock at the bar. He then collapsed of blood loss.
* Metro-General Hospital: Grotto was taken to Metro-General by Karen Page. She then helped him escape when the Punisher attacked once more.
* 15th Precinct Police Station: Grotto met with Samantha Reyes at the precinct to strike a deal.
== Relationships ==
=== Allies ===
* Kitchen Irish
** Nesbitt †
** Finn Cooley †
** Kelly Cooley †
** Cullen †
** Thomas †
** Michael Jortrier †
** Johnny †
** George †
** Adrian Blanc †
* Paul Lantom †
* Josie
* Nelson and Murdock - Lawyers
** Foggy Nelson
** Karen Page
* New York City Police Department
** Brett Mahoney
* Daredevil - Savior	
=== Enemies ===
* Frank Castle/Punisher - Killer
* Samantha Reyes †
* Blake Tower
* Edgar Brass
== Trivia ==
* In the comics, Grotto is a partner of Turk Barrett, an enemy of both Daredevil and Elektra. Grotto usually takes orders from the Kingpin and serves as the voice of reason for Barrett.
* Grotto hates Florida.
== Behind the Scenes ==
* Jason Mello was a stunt double for McCaleb Burnett in the role of Grotto.
== References ==
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Grotto.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of quotes related to Grotto.
# ↑ Jump up to:1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Daredevil: 2.01: Bang
# ↑ Daredevil Season 2 Overlaps with Luke Cage Season 1
# ↑ Daredevil: 2.13: A Cold Day in Hell's Kitchen
# ↑ Jump up to:4.0 4.1 Daredevil: 2.03: New York's Finest
# ↑ Jump up to:5.0 5.1 Daredevil: 2.04: Penny and Dime
# ↑ Jump up to:6.0 6.1 6.2 Daredevil: 2.02: Dogs to a Gunfight
== External Links ==
* Grotto on Marvel Database