Bernardo Ortolani

>  *"I am dense. Didn't you know? It's because I don't have enough of some things. No, perhaps it's more that I never had them from the start"*
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## Section Header

### Likes

Tinkering with machines, movie-making and taking photographs, the best of everything, and wordplay

### Dislikes

Dark and narrow places, dealing with people, being buried alive

### Origins

Italian

*Bernardo is the second-in-command and the head capo.*

Responsible for coordinating the capos' meetings and consultation with the Boss, advisors, and board members. Bernardo is also in charge of external negotiations such as negotiations with the mayor of Daivan, senior police officers, and the family's opposing parties.

Acts in accordance with the absolutist regime the family abides by; giving priority to the code of Omertà and the boss in all matters, and in return, he has a lot of trust from the boss and consultant Cavalli. Besides his crucial position, Bernardo handles stock trading, labor disputes, and land transactions in addition to guidance and supervision of the executive board within the organization.

Has been a capo for eight years. Following Cavalli's retirement and Gian taking over his capo seat, as the oldest member of the presidium, Bernardo was keen on looking out for Ivan and Giulio, who are both young and have their own troubles, and Gian, who was newly appointed as a capo. Along with Luchino, Bernardo takes care of CR:5's internal and diplomatic affairs; occasionally, the two of them cooperate beyond their respective jurisdictions.

Bernardo had previously set up a telecommunications network throughout Daivan. Establishing nodes covering the police, the city center, CR:5 affiliated dignitaries' homes, and both domestic and foreign stock exchanges, he uses payphones and store telephones to send out orders and direct the family's troops in town. In order to keep this method convenient as perfectly as possible, Bernardo tasks the vagrants and stray children to keep an eye on the public phones. Furthermore, if necessary, he is willing to install a wiretapping device to record telephone conversations in the surroundings, homes of his targets, and even his own girlfriend's home.

Bernardo would have succeeded the Boss seat, hadn't Gian been named the next Boss.

## Personality

A conscientious and punctilious person who shows great indecisiveness and hesitation on certain occasions. Always maintains a relaxed posture and keeps his composure, but when irritated his glare, as sharp as a dagger, is enough to make even a domineering heavyweight shudder.

Due to the nature of his position within the Family, Bernardo knows everything about the capos; starting from their locations, rackets, homes, and even hideouts. He is also most close with Boss Alessandro, whom he holds in a high respect.

Loyal and holds the benefit of the family above everything. However, Bernardo still ends up getting suspected and deemed untrustworthy by the capos in spite of being the least likely person to betray the organization.

Bernardo feels more comfortable and at ease tinkering with machines rather than interacting with humans as they only leave him tired whereas machines "*Do their fixed job until they break down*".

Despite the wide hierarchical difference between him and Gian, they have always been familiar with one another. The two developed a habit of pulling a married couple act, cracking jokes, and mutually referring to each other by pet names such as *Honey* and *Darling*.

He is aware that he's a cruel, unscrupulous person who stops at nothing and isn't restrained by morals nor bonds. Bernardo makes the capos an exception to this estimation.

Bernardo's dream was to have an everlasting proof that he was alive and ever existed in this world.

## Background

Being born into a modest family, Bernardo had to spend two years in the army in order to enroll in the university. Yet soon after, he was thrown behind bars and beaten up by a nameless mob who held a grudge against him and then locked him in a bag for few days. Which caused Bernardo to develop a fear of darkness and the incident became a traumatizing one that had been hindering him for a while. Causing him a severe fit of terror whenever his surroundings are entirely dim.

Started going out with his girlfriend, Nastasha, nearly a decade before the main story took place.

Bernardo displayed a direct opposition to the idea of being in the Toscanini family, currently known as CR:5, at the beginning. Even when he became a possible candidate for the capo position, he was still against the thought and considered himself downright unfit for it.

During the time he was in a loop of disconsolation, Bernardo met Gian. Mistaking him for an *'Angel'* upon first glance, he was riveted by him. However, Bernardo was irritated by Gian's meddlesome attitude, right afterwards.

After Gian helped Bernardo out from the economical issue that threatened his succession to the capo seat and even his own life, Bernardo decided to make Gian his direct subordinate as soon as he was officially promoted.

* Bernardo had met Gian two times in total before he had became captain. One time in which Gian saved his life.

Bernardo used to go to the club where Nastasha sang every Friday night, with a bunch of flowers to present to her and entertain himself with listening to her songs. During Bernardo's absence, GD executive David Owen (Dave) who came from his hometown Rockwell as a so-called peace negotiator began to frequently visit the club.

For a long while, Dave has been an acquaintance with Bernardo; jeopardizing Bernardo's position within the family as it was out that he had been indebted to Dave and got deeply involved with one of the higher-ups of CR:5's enemy gang. Dave was the one responsible for the leak of information from Bernardo's side at the beginning of the story which had led to CR:5's arising mistrust of him then. And as if to further corner Bernardo as he struggled with the organization wavering due to skepticism, Dave intensified his advances on Bernardo's girlfriend. Until Bernardo decided to take action against him.

## Weaknesses

* Bernardo suffers from both Nyctophobia and Claustrophobia due to trauma.
* Doesn't know much hand-to-hand combat nor self-defense. Being more of a brains-than-brawns type.
* He is, helplessly, weak against pain.
* Despite working well under pressure, stress and anxiety often life-drains him.

## Trivia

* Bernardo is one of the few who knows Gian is the Boss' son and hides the fact from him.
* Likes Black coffee and will go days without sleep for the sake of work.
* CR:5’s headquarters, on the surface, is disguised as a movie making company called Daivan Shading Pictures, DSP for short.
* Making movies also happens to be Bernardo’s hobby and was once his dream.
* During his free time Bernardo sometimes indulges in movie making and preparing costumes, scenarios, and directing to make it believable to the public.
* Being the leading capo, he was close with the former boss.
* A godfather of six children.
* Loves to own the finest of everything.

* Before joining the mafia, Gian started a small business of selling watches and sold one to Bernardo. However, the watches were considered counterfeits. Till now Bernardo always wears that old watch on his right wrist, contradicting his habit of always pursuing the finest.
* Familiar with one another's mindset, Bernardo and Gian can list each other's habits when frustrated and understand each other through mere eye-contact.
* Bernardo has been in love with Gian for over 10 years and considers him the one who saved him.

## Relationships

***Giancarlo Bourbon Del Monte:*** As time progressed since their first meeting, Bernardo committed himself to never let Gian be aware of his feelings towards him and resolved to live and die with these emotions. As he convinced himself he would be fine if they never reached Gian. Preferring to wallow in self-derision. And, although Bernardo completely yields to desperation and hopelessness, his feelings towards Gian were a sweet, vivid, and significant existence to him.

In prison at the time Gian was tasked with getting all four capos out, Bernardo knew that such a mission might prove to be difficult, nearly impossible, even if it was Gian the one carrying it out. Thus, he planned a substitute plan, in case the escape failed, to guarantee that somehow Gian still manages to return safely back.

Bernardo had known since long ago that Gian would, *eventually*, become the boss. Firmly believing in that and seeing the hidden potential in him, it was the only outcome he expected. Regarding Gian as the most fitting and unfitting one to be a boss, he sees him as a person who embodies freedom, not shackled by anything, and overturning even destiny. Which was the one thing Bernardo had long wished he was able to do.

* Despite being aware fun times and happiness last a little and that he’s fated to lose everything he deems precious, Bernardo believes this doesn't apply to Gian.

***Ivan Fiore:*** Bernardo distrusted him for a while. Knowing Ivan's nature and origins being half-Italian, Bernardo expected him to turn on them or ditch the organization upon any misconception or miscalculation due to having no regard for the famiglia and members. However, Bernardo came to trust him deeply, later on.

At the beginning of the story, the two went into fights because of their contradicting opinions. Nonetheless, Bernardo is aware of how important Ivan is, to them, as a family and even as a comrade. Willing to do everything in his might to help Ivan if he was in a pinch, Bernardo thinks of Ivan as a nuisance to him but a *necessary* nuisance.

They work well together and later Bernardo affirms that he doesn't want Ivan to leave nor betray them at any point.

***Giulio Di Bondone:*** Their relationship takes more of a professional approach. Bernardo deems Giulio an extremely reliable force, whilst looking out for him and trying to keep Don Bondone at pay so he wouldn't use Giulio as a pawn for personal gains nor enforce Giulio into taking suicidal missions and putting his life at stake as if he's some kind of dehumanized weapon.

Following the boss *Alessandro's* wishes during his absence, Bernardo is stern on being the one giving Giulio orders and protecting his position as one of the capos.

***Luchino Gregoretti:*** Bernardo gets along with Luchino the most. And the two oftentimes spend time together.

Having mutual respect and overfamiliarity with one another, both Bernardo and Luchino rely on and trust each other. Moreover, as the one responsible for economics, Bernardo often borrows large sums of money from Luchino. Which is left unspoken of, as it's not a rare occurrence and neither of them thinks much of it.

* They crack jokes and bond over being the reliable *oldies.*

Luchino is someone Bernardo knows has got his back. The two, usually, don’t deal with any conflicts amongst themselves. And even though Luchino suspected Bernardo at one point, he claimed it sprouted not from lack of trust, but worry over a friend, *possibly*, going the wrong path.

Overall, their interactions are mostly chill and easy-going.

## Quotes

1. *" 'The whole of life consists of wanting and not succeeding, succeeding and not wanting.'.I am an exemplary exception to this maxim, don't you think...?"*
2. *"Because this is war...If we lose the war, then we lose everything. Not just our lives, but we will really lose every last thing"*
3. *"Our spring cleaning schedule is basically this: start from the top down. Proceed by destroying whatever you can."*
4. *"I've been wondering this for a while now, but. do you two have some sort of grudge against me?"*
5. *"But, even more importantly... We don't want you to leave. We don't want you to betray us."*
6. *"Sometimes, there are just nights … where you stand crying in the rain holding a bouquet wouldn’t you say?"*
7. *"Life is a cup of mortal poison, eh…"*
8. *"'Crying in the rain’… Green eyes crying in the rain … huh… How about it? Did I seem a little cool just now?"*
9. *"I was just barely hanging on. Gian, you..took me out of there…With that one feat, I would give my entire life to you. That’s how I feel."*