Kostantinos Stroker

Kosta

Racing Alias

* skull

Son

* Clayton Stroker

Fathers

* Leonardo "Willie" Stroker
* Antonio "Tony" Delino

Mother

* Gretta "Petunia" Stroker

Uncles

* Shanetti "Shane" Stroker
* Louie Stroker
* Danny Stroker

Brothers

* Igor Stroker
* Buck Salvatore

Mother & Father In-Law

* Annete Sugar
* Frank Sugar

**Kostantinos Stroker**

## Backstory

Kostantinos Stroker was born & raised in Sicily, Italy. Kosta never knew his Mother but had a very close bond with his Family and Father. He spent much of his childhood pondering the stories his Father told him of his mother, only really revealing that she was the famous Gretta Stroker, who was a fashion model working in Sicily and known by many. His father, Leonardo Stroker, also known as Willie Stroker was a Sicilian-born businessman. He raised him single-handedly, alongside the rest of his family and he was Kosta's best friend growing up. Willie worked hard, lengthy hours over the week, taking on multiple “jobs'' in order to provide for the family and put food on the table for him, & put him through schooling.

Throughout his entire upbringing, Kosta's father perpetually reminded him of his manners and the way of life that he and his family went by. He constantly encouraged him to be kind to others regardless of where they had come from, or what choices they have made, and always to never tell on your friends or family. Forgiveness, empathy, perspective. All of these traits were ironed over time into his moral fabric.

The years of grooming Kosta in this fashion had, however, paid off. Kosta was incredibly social throughout his schooling. He effortlessly floated from social circle to social circle desperately trying to leave a lasting impression on everyone he came into contact with.

Shortly after Kosta turned 18, his Father had gotten into some trouble with the federal government in Italy after a Murder that happened in 1967 came back to bite Willie in the ass. He was sentenced to 25 to life. Kosta was missing his father out of his life for the first 6 months of his newly found adulthood and was so confused and misguided in the whole thing when Willie was being taken away from his family in his home, he pulled Kosta to the side and told him never to turn his back on the family, he also said a line that would become one of the most said things to Kosta in his life… “Omerta”, Willie calmly whispered into Kosta’s ear as the men in suits and bulletproof vests took his father away. Kosta looked at his family, with tears in his eyes and questions in his head, he looked confused, hurt, angry… but at the time all he had was questions. He turned to his Uncles and asked, “Omerta…?” with a questioning look in his eye and a tone that felt angry. “What the fuck does that even mean?” he asked, and at that point, just by the look in his Uncle’s eyes Kosta finally realized the life he was living, it all made sense now, he understood why the kids in school always treated him different, were never rude to him and were always trying to be on his good side, that was the moment in his life that he realized that he was never going to have a normal life as long as his family was in his life. At this time, his uncles Shanetti Stroker and Tony Delino raised him.

When Kosta was 19, Willie got out of prison after only having 15 months served in the pen due to him not having long left to live, the cancer was growing, and Willie was becoming more and more sick by the week. The prison let him out to spend the rest of his days alongside his family.

September 27th, 2020. The day everyone in his Family looked forward to. The day his Father finally was set to be released from the Prison. Kosta started the day out by showering. All morning, thoughts rushed through his head. He laid on his bed, taking a deep breath of fresh air and looking over to his night stand to see a pack of cigarettes lying there.. “Empty.” Kosta said as he reached into his nightstand drawer and pulled out another pack and slapped it onto the surface of the nightstand. Kosta began moving around his room, opening up his closet to pull out a white button up dress shirt, black slick pants, his jet black dress shoes and his jacket. He laid the jacket over the side of his chair at his desk in his room and turned on his radio, listening to his favorite song he began making way towards the balcony of his room, he grabbed a lighter off of his dresser and opened the door out to it when he quickly remembered his pack of cigarettes, Kosta made his way back to the nightstand, picked the pack up looking at the label as if it was the finest thing on earth and read it aloud… “Warning…” he sighed loudly and began reading it again… “This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.” he said as he had a neutral expression on his face. He made his way back to the balcony and began smoking a cigarette on the balcony just outside of his room. He sat there, leaning over the edge, sucking the smoke in as if it gave him life, or maybe a will to live. He stood there taking in the view, listening to the sounds of the streets of Sicily. He began to turn around just as his Uncle Tony was there followed by his Uncle Shane, Tony passed by Kosta, brushing against the side of his shoulder and leaning over the side railing of the balcony as well…

“Ayeee buddy, come talk with us.” said Shane as he grabbed Kosta’s shoulder turning him around putting his arm around Kosta bringing him back to the ledge.

A look of worry swept down Kosta’s face like a garage door closing out all of his emotions.

Kosta slowly leaned back onto the railing of his balcony, looking out at the streets of Sicily once again, it was the same as ever, the sounds of activity, a nation of respect, birds chirping, the smell of nature in the air… but it all slowly collapsed into silence as his Uncle Shane grabbed his shoulder and shook him. “Snap out of it buddy.” Shane said worried. Kosta shot up and looked Shane in the eyes, shocked from what had just come out of his mouth…

“We have to leave the country, nephew.” Shane said as he looked Kosta in his eyes while still having his hand on his shoulder. Kosta looked confused, worried, he slowly turned his head back to look off the side of his balcony, he looked out to the streets once more, taking all of it in one again as he took another deep drag of his cigarette. “I-I don’t understand... why?” Kosta asked, as the smoke came out of his mouth with his exhale. Watching his Uncles every move in curiosity, he turned to see Tony, who nodded down at the street to a jet black Cadillac Escalade, Tony pulled a Cigar from his coat pocket, cutting and lighting it, taking one long puff, he exhaled and sighed, looking at one of the families workers next to the car waiting for them. Kosta waited anxiously for the words to come out of Tony’s mouth.

“Dobbiamo andarcene, sbrigati.” were the only words he was told as Shane and Tony exited the balcony, leaving Kosta in utter confusion, he listened as they walked away down the stairs, each sound of their foot on the steps feeling like a stab in everything he ever knew, he kept repeating those words over and over in his head… “s.” Kosta repeated in his mind while watching from the balcony as his Uncles stepped out the front door with suitcases in their hands. As the worker helped them load the luggage into the back of the car, Kosta had a million different thoughts going through his head… “Where are we going?... Why are we leaving… why me?” as he sat there watching everything his family has built in Sicily the past hundreds of years go to nothingness.