Steve Claude

Steve Claude was a lieutenant in the Faustin Crime Family and worked as the Mafia's debt collector.

"If you want the members of the church to continue enjoying my protection then you must be prepared to donate to my treasury.."-Steve warning Father O'Brien about his friends.

## Steve Claude

### Relatives

John Claude (Brother)Martin Claude (Brother)

Handsomodo (Brother)

Joan Claude (Sister)

### Affiliation

The Faustin Crime FamilyMikhail Faustin

Dimitri Rasaclov

Jimmy Karnov deceased

Andrei Bradford

Sergei

Father O'Brien formerly

Monk Trunk formerly

## Overview

Though not Russian, Steve Claude was a high-ranking enforcer for the Faustin Family serving as the gang's debt collector. He was very vain even though Mikhail Faustin thought he was an idiot. As the family's debt collector, Claude is in charge of doing collections from businesses which owe Faustin protection money. Steve then hands over a percentage of the money over to Faustin and Rasaclov. Steve and the Faustin Family took over the extortion racket which formally belonged to Vlad Papkov. Steve was assisted in his debt collecting by his right-hand man Jimmy Karnov. He tries his best to extort money from the church which ultimately led to him getting killed by Father O' Brien. O'Brien and Monk Trunk were kidnapped by Steve's Russian Mafia buddies. Mikhail Faustin allowed the pair to live admitting to O'Brien that he thought Steve was an idiot and only kept him employed in the organisation because he was having an affair with Claude's sister.

## Background

Claude grew up in rural Birkland in the same village as Steve and Sammy Coin. He was the second born of the Claude Brothers, and was always determined to make his mark in the world often being overshadowed by his elder brother John. He has also been stated to have a sister. In the early 2000's, Claude moved to Empire Bay. While in Empire Bay, Steve affiliated himself with two Russian mobsters named Mikhail Faustin and Dimitri Rasaclov. He served in Faustin's organisation as a hitman for a couple years and was said to be very ruthless during this time.. By 2011, Steve had become one of the most powerful members of the Faustin Gang, and served as the Mafia's debt collector. Aided by his right-hand man Jimmy Karnov, Steve was in charge of making sure that businesses were paying Faustin protection money. He also acted as the Mafia's loan shark. He was however only the debt collector for the Empire Bay branch of the family while two other unnamed debt collectors maintained the Lost Heaven and London branches. In 2017, he met a priest named Father O'Brien from whom he began extorting money from on a regular basis in the means of protection money. He also promised O'Brien to protect the church from gangsters, but he regularly forgot to do so.

## Going After The Church

On Faustin's orders, Steve attempted to enforce an incredibly costly protection racket onto Chichester Chapel. He threatened Father O'Brien and Monk Trunk that his friends will be having words with the pair if the debt is not paid in full by sundown. That evening, Steve with permission from Dimitri Rasaclov performed an all out assault on the church. During the assault, Karnov was killed while Steve made his way onto the rooftops in order to kill O'Brien.

## Death

Steve and O'Brien had a massive fight with Steve warning O'Brien of an inevitable reprisal from his boss Mikhail Faustin. O'Brien refused to listen, and instead responded by throwing Steve off the roof of the church plummeting him to his death.

## Aftermath

A few days later, O'Brien and Monk Trunk were both kidnapped by Andrei Bradford and brought to Faustin's house in order to answer for their role in Steve's death. Faustin then showed up, and killed Andrei. He spared the pair's lives, and admitted to O'Brien that he thought Steve was an idiot, and only kept him employed in the organisation because he was having an affair with Steve's sister. O'Brien and Monk Trunk were free to go, and Mikhail told the pair that he lived their lives because it was Dimitri who wanted them to be killed for murdering Steve not Faustin.

## Quote

"You think you can get away with killing me? My friends will track you down and wipe the floorboards with you and your entire stinking church!"-Steve's last words.

"If you want your church to continue receiving my protection: then you must pay me what is owed."-Steve trying his best to extort Father O'Brien.

## Story Appearances

The Shadow Reader's Dark Secret

Passion Of The Heist (Veggietales Lost Episode) (Killed)

## Trivia

* Claude was the younger brother of John and Jehan Claude and the older brother of Handsomodo.
* His high-ranking position in the Faustin Family, is likely the reason John Claude was able to establish such strong ties with the family.
* Steve was married four times prior to his death.
* He is one of many members of the Faustin Family to not be Russian.
* The Shadow Reader owed a lot of money to Claude but the debt was presumably absolved following Claude's demise.
* He resided in Greenfield.
* He used to be a lightweight boxer back in Birkland.
* Claude owned a gentlemen's club in North Millville called Claude's, and following his death the club was taken over by the Albanian Mob and was the name became Dardan's. It is presumed that the Albanians also took control of the protection racket that Claude once controlled.