Frank Vincenzo

> *"What I did to your family, it wasn't personal. It was just business"*
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-Frank Vincenzo to Damon Jones

**Frank Vincenzo** was the Don and Patriarch of the Vincenzo Mafia that had seized power in Los Angeles during the latter half of the 20th century. Adept at strategic and ruthless schemes, Vincenzo managed to rise to the top of the mobster food chain in the States, eliminating the competition mercilessly. Many considered him to be the greatest and most successful mobster in history when taking into account the income and territorial expansion of the Vincenzo Mafia. Some even referred to him as ’The Godfather’, or the ‘King of Los Angeles’.

## Biography

### **Early Life**

#### **Crime Prodigy**

As a member of the Vincenzo Mafia crime family, he quickly became Consigliere at the age of 17 to his father and then Don, Vincent Vincenzo.

#### **The Future is Now, Old Man**

Later at the age of 25, he became tired by his father’s lackadaisical and aloof leadership and felt that the Vincenzo family wasn’t reaching their full potential, so he had his father assassinated by his childhood friend, Joel Galtem Lorenzo. After Vincent’s death, Frank ascended to Don and family patriarch as Lorenzo became his Consigliere. Rapidly changing and updating their activities and businesses. Installing a more aggressive and forceful regime, the Vincenzo Mafia rose to power in Los Angeles, rivaling other groups such as the Wushu Clan and Killer’s Guild.

It’s rumored that at some point Vincenzo was responsible for the assassination of US Admiral Harden Gruber, these claims have yet to be corroborated.

### **Activity during the 80s**

> ”*It would be unfortunate if you made me mad, commissioner, for me and especially you.”*
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-Frank Vincenzo

Prior to the turn of the decade, the 70s saw an increase in crime in Los Angeles some of it stirred by Vincenzo himself. This coupled with Vincenzo’s growing power, propelled the Mafia to new heights by the start of the 80s. Overmatched and overwhelmed, the LAPD failed to subdue the mobsters and other criminal organizations and therefore Vincenzo had near-complete control of the Los Angeles underworld and influence in the LAPD and city governing body themselves.

#### **Tussles With Other Mobs**

> *”We offer them our assistance and this is how they repay me? With disrespect? With dishonor? So be it.”*
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-Frank to Lorenzo when hearing about the murder of Marco

While governing and maintaining his criminal activities, much of Vincenzo’s time was preoccupied and his attention spread across other projects. By 1983, several Yakuza clans and the Russian Mafia deemed it their opportunity for a power grab and started entering the city in small amounts. They remained undetected due to their low numbers and did business which proved affluent for them. This anonymity came to a stop when they killed and tortured one of Vincenzo’s own, Marco Vincenzo, Vincenzo’s favorite uncle. Having knowledge of their infiltration and offense, Frank would be infuriated at the disrespect and attack of the other Mafias. Riled up and seething with wrath, even members of the Vincenzo Mafia were scared of him and what he might do. Effortlessly uncovering their hideouts and locals, Vincenzo captured all from both sides and stripped them of all their assets. Later on, he had the Japanese chained to metal balls and thrown into the ocean, while the Russians remained alive but had their hands chopped off and were sent back to their boss as a warning. After these events both Mafias were never seen again in the region.

#### **A Worthy Foe**

The early 80s were a difficult time for the LAPD and Lt. McCormack but prosperous for Vincenzo and his Mafia. Each time a police commissioner did not comply with Vincenzo’s demands he ended up in a body bag in a dumpster. Even the population began to decrease due to the constant murders and citizens moving due to the city becoming so crime-ridden. But this would change when the young detective known as Damon Jones graduated from the academy in 1983. Initiating a city-wide operation known as Project Wipeout, Jones gathered all the top detectives and officers in the country to combat Vincenzo and his forces, something Vincenzo took little notice of at first.

Disrupting a few of Vincenzo’s dealings at first, Vincenzo took first note of Jones when the detective halted a drug deal between the Mafia and the Desmond Boys which ended with John Vincenzo’s death. Alerted and rageful, Vincenzo ordered the killing of Jones immediately. After numerous failed attempts at assassinating Jones, Vincenzo began to take Jones and his team of law enforcing seriously. Strategizing and developing schemes to eliminate the threat, Vincenzo failed to circumnavigate the detective’s aggressive and ruthless offensive. Growing increasingly impatient, Vincenzo started to commit egregious and heinous crimes immoral even by his standards. One by one, Damon’s team either were killed or had to capitulate due to Vincenzo’s threats. But the detective relented not and pressed on.

In 1985 the former Council member of the Wushu Clan, Akiara drove off some of Vincenzo’s dealers in Alaska. Knowing that he was a Wushu Master, Vincenzo did not want to waste any of his men against him. And moreover, he did not want to risk himself so Vincenzo employed the Killer’s Guild and their leader Thorn, to take him out as well as eliminate a couple of employees that owed him money. After an elaborate plan to draw Akiara out and gain infamy, Thorn failed but he managed to survive. Vincenzo was displeased but allowed the crimelord to live for future employment and business.

Afterwards Vincenzo hired a mercenary worthy of Akiara’s ability, Yamanashi, newly appointed Master of the Wushu Clan. After successfully eliminating Akiara, Vincenzo met with Yamanashi to discuss the Clansman’s scheme of infiltrating and hijacking the city. Attempting to avoid a war with the Wushu Clan, Vincenzo made a deal with Yamanashi where he would allow him access into the city in exchange Yamanashi would rid them of Jones and his team. As Yamanashi’s plan did not succeed, the Vincenzo’s went back to their usual dealings.

By the mid-80s, it seemed that the family had complete control over Los Angeles, as Damon’s team had been massacred by Vincenzo and left only a few willing to face Vincenzo’s purge. The years preceding were bloody and full of losses, Vincenzo managed to kill and torture half of Damon’s group, but was never able to do the same to Damon. At the tail end, Frank Vincenzo was able to scare off the other half of the group with threats to them and their families of similar fates, but Damon would not give up. It was this persistence and sheer will that would later result in the deaths of his wife and two kids. Broken, wrathful and overtaken by grief, Damon would eventually bring an end to Vincenzo’s tyranny, but not without breaking his own moral codes. Thinking the Vincenzo family would not return by the “death” of Frank Vincenzo, Damon retired and retreated to a secluded area where he would live in isolation until the next call of duty would ring again. However, little did Damon know, that would come sooner than later when Frank Vincenzo surfaced again in 1988.

### **Final Stand**

#### **Cutting Off Loose Ends**

Prepared to be discovered and for Damon's wrath, he hired Cobra, an enforcer, and bodyguard. Hendford Rylance was able to discover Frank's resurfacing and report it to the authorities, but at the cost of his life which was personally, but not so personally, taken by Frank Vincenzo. Expecting an attack from Damon Jones at any moment, he brought his most trusted men to his hideout and there they waited.

#### **Damon's Resignation**

Damon arrives at no surprise to Vincenzo. Sending his enforcer to take care of him, Cobra puts up a mighty fight against the retired detective but retreats once the fight gets tough, leaving Frank to take Damon on head to head. Putting the most he ever could in his final stand, he pulled no punches, but with respect by refraining from using a weapon. His respect his not mutual though, as Damon uses any means to kill Frank, and there Frank lost his life to his own gun he refused to use out of respect for his enemies

## Personality

> *“And by the way, the boss felt like we should just whack him.”*
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> *”That’s odd.”*
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> ”*What?”*
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> *”Didn’t know he had feelings that’s all.”*
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- Unnamed Vincenzo Mafia members

Throughout his life, Frank has shown to be ruthless, cold-blooded and strictly about business. Close to a thousand of lives being lost can be attributed to his actions, including in some instances kids. Vincenzo does not dwell much on the consequences of his actions and closes his heart to the sufferings of others other than those who are in his family. Even though he hates Damon Jones with all of his fiber, he respects the Detective as Vincenzo has never met anyone in his life who wasn’t intimidated by the mobster, indicating that there is more to him than just hate and greed. Vincenzo does care about his family and its success, but at the same time, he has seen this as a way for him to gain power showing that all in all, he is motivated for selfish reasons. The only person in his life that he’s really cared about and shown compassion for, is his daughter. But after she left the family cause she felt guilty for her own family’s actions and doings, this made Vincenzo even more cold and prone to heartless decisions.

## Relationships

### **Family**

* Vincent Vincenzo † - Father
* Valentina Vincenzo - Daughter
* Donald Vincenzo - Uncle
* Raymond Vincenzo
* Antonio Vincenzo † - Grandfather
* Dario Vincenzo - Distant Relative
* Marco Vincenzo - Uncle

### **Allies**

* Joel Galtem Lorenzo
* Cobra
* Wushu Clan
	+ Yamanashi †
* Killer's Guild

### **Enemies**

* LAPD
	+ Damon Jones
	+ Lt. McCormack †

## Quotes

> *"Nothing personal, kid"*
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> *"First things first, there's a squealer among us"*
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> *"I guess you haven't met our new friends. Speaking of new friends"*
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> *"I guess what I'm trying to say is... wha... what I did to your family, it wasn't personal, it was just business"*
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> *"Like always, Mr. Jones. It ain't personal"*
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