Vito Matarazzo

**Vittorio "Vito" Matarazzo** is a character played by I Me Mine.

## Description

Vito stands tall at 6'1" with a fit, athletic build. He has slicked back dark brown hair and serious, deep-set brown eyes.

Vittorio is a reserved man who often keeps to himself if he's not familiar with his environment or he's in the company of strangers. Vittorio is very avid and quick to express his irritation, either on his face and verbally with his words. Beneath his reserved exterior, Vito is actually quite sociable and doesn't mind lengthy conversations in settings and groups where he feels most comfortable. In these settings, he can be rather charismatic and outspoken, tending to gear more towards being comedic and easy-going.

## Background

Vittorio "Vito" Matarazzo was born in Massapequa Park along the south shore of the rather peaceful Long Island, a short 2 hour drive from the heart of Manhattan. He was born to Lorenzo and Chiara Matarazzo on the early Christmas morning of '53, after his earlier-than-expected birth gave his parents quite the shock as a Christmas Eve present. Lorenzo and Chiara insisted on Vito being their one and done. The male, through his youth, suffered an intense amount of emotional and mental strain with no outlets of relief, due to his lack of siblings and the weaning attention he'd receive from his parents, who often left him home unattended for years as they went out to big parties, dinners, clubs, you name it. Due to this, around age 15, he'd begin sneaking out and slithering his way into various bars, clubs, and other attractive forms of nightlife. Street racing, however, became his passion and Vito quickly took up the underground motorsport.

Vito was able to build a pretty impressive win streak after he got started, managing a PB of 15 wins, his record standing at a total 21W-6L before he started his own scheme within the underground racing scene. Vito delved into the world of pink-slip racing, offering his talent up for a hefty fee, and in exchange he'd race in the place of his client in a pink-slip race. His record and reputation had made his talent undeniable, especially given his age, and he had started to really gain traction. He'd go on to win 8 separate pink-slip races spaced out across a few months. One day, he was approached by three men who offered him a much bigger payout, one he simply couldn't refuse, and all he needed to do was drive the car.

Vittorio had accepted an offer to stand in as a getaway driver for a bank hit. Didn't need a weapon, didn't need to crack a vault, just had to sit in the car and do what he does best. The four discussed two drop off points, one for the men and their duffelbags, and one for Vito, to dump the car to their man who would chop it, and to gather the one final bag that would lay in the trunk that contained Vito's cut for the job.

It went off without a hitch, up to a point.

Vito pulled into the second drop off and would run around the back of the van to pop the trunk. He'd feel the cold barrel of a firearm give the back of his head a poke. "NYPD, hands, now!" He'd hear as an entire squad would surround him, and he'd have no choice but to surrender himself.

His luck had run out, and Vito had gotten ambushed by the NYPD. He'd been sold out by what he'd thought was his friends, and the young Matarazzo was bitter. Vito was sent to a federal penitentiary in upstate New York in December of '69. He had become quite reserved after that night he was arrested, often responding that he "wasn't a people person" when asked why he was so quick to shut people out in prison, even in the smallest of interactions. Vito's sentence was cut short in 1970, as he was forced into Vietnam in a P.M.B, a Penal Military Battalion. Most P.M.B's didn't see combat in Vietnam, but thanks to his rotten luck, his battalion were the throwaways who often were sent in to do the grunt work no one else had 'deserved' to do. It was there in Vietnam, where he had met Vincenzo Toscano. The two had become very close. Due to his lack of a brotherly figure in his life and the intensity of the war, he'd very quickly open up to the man. Their extremely rude Commanding Officer died during a mine clearing expedition, yet Vito, Vincenzo and the rest of their unit were able to complete it without any further casualties. Vito always wondered how that Commanding Officer could be such a clutz... though, he had a few ideas. After that, Vito and Vincenzo had both been shuffled into the 187th Infantry Regiment.

A few weeks prior to the closure of the war, Vito would sustain a gunshot wound to his left forearm that would require some physical therapy once healed to regain full ROM and muscle strength in his arm. Due to this, he was discharged from the military and would receive his purple heart, granting Matarazzo his much desired freedom. Vittorio would return to his old stomping ground in Long Island, beginning a successful recovery. Once he was back up on his feet and restrengthened the muscles within his arm, he would attempt to open up his own tuning shop out of his garage. Needless to say, it wasn't very popular. The underground racing scene seemed to die out very quick while he was gone. He had always assumed he was only the start of a decade long operation by the NYPD to nip illegal street racing in the bud. Vito then began to job hunt, finding that although he had served for his country, the country did not take his felony record very lightly. At least, not New York. Deciding he'd better get a fresh start before he ends up dirt poor, dead under a bridge somewhere, the male flew westward headed for good 'ol Los Santos.