Jon Gravelli

Jon Gravelli, as he appears in Grand Theft Auto IV.

**Jon Gravelli** is a character in the *Grand Theft Auto* series, appearing as a major character in *Grand Theft Auto IV*; he is also mentioned in *Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony* and *Grand Theft Auto V*.

Don Jon Gravelli is the legendary leader and boss of the Italian-American Gambetti crime family, and one of the most powerful men in Liberty City's underworld, with a criminal career dating back to the 1940s.

## History

### Background

#### Early years

Jon Gravelli was born in Meadow Hills, Dukes, Liberty City, to an Italian family related to or affiliated with the Gambettis, in 1923. Gravelli himself appears to have been affiliated with Cosa Nostra families since young age, given his awareness of a rival criminal organization, the Ancelotti crime family, since childhood.

The exact time Gravelli began his criminal activities is unknown, but in his criminal record dates back to 1940, when the 17-year old Gravelli was arrested for possession of gambling records.

Gravelli was highly active throughout the 1940's, probably working as a soldier, hitman and loan shark for the Gambettis by this point. In 1942 alone, Gravelli was arrested twice; once for promotion of gambling, and secondly for an assault. Two years later, in 1944, Gravelli was arrested yet again, this time for vehicle theft.

In 1946, Gravelli was arrested for an attempted murder, although it is unknown whom he attempted to murder. The last of his 1940s records, and for the next five decades, states he was arrested for bribery in 1949.

According to the LCPD, despite his multiple arrests, Gravelli was never convicted or put in prison. By the late 1950's, his family would begin to have control over many lucrative rackets including windows, bus lines and cleaning.

#### Rise of the Don

*"Mr. Gravelli has been head of the Gambetti crime syndicate since 1978 and under his stewardship, the family had become the most powerful of Liberty City's crime families, rivaling the Pavano family."*
―Tony Smith.
In 1968, Gravelli's only known child, Jon, Jr., was born, during which time Gravelli was living in Broker; his son would grow to an associate of the family, but eventually disowned following the development of a cocaine addiction.

By the early 1970's, Gravelli became involved in a gang war with the Ancelotti crime family, another Italian crime syndicate; in 1972, he was close to kill the uncle of Giovanni Ancelotti, the eventual Don of the Ancelotti's, but decided to spare the elderly mobster, a decision he would later regret.

In 1978, the 55-year old Gravelli was named Don of the Gambettis after the death of Sonny Cangelosi, the previous Don and Gambetti's uncle; following his rise as a Don, Gravelli managed to make the Gambettis into the strongest and largest Cosa Nostra crime syndicate in Liberty City, gaining multiple allies in the process ranging from other mobsters such as Harvey Noto to politicians such as Bobby Jefferson.

As the Don of the most powerful mafia family, Gravelli eventually surrounded himself with loyal and trustworthy lieutenants, namely Sammy Bottino and Roy Zito, the former serving as Gravelli's right-hand man. In addition, Gravelli took advantage of his Don status and protected his son from loan sharks and debt collectors.

#### Later life

By the 1990s, Gravelli, now in his late 60s to early 70s, was still a powerful crimelord and mobster controlling multiple businesses across Liberty City, both legal and illegal. In 1990 he was detained for both racketeering and murder, while two years later, in 1992, he was detained for obstruction of justice; despite those charges, Gravelli was again not put in prison.

Around that time, Gravelli became associated with the United Liberty Paper, a front organization for the International Affairs Agency; he would work with them, and befriend one of their most senior agents.

In 2005, the 82-years old Gravelli was admitted to the Schottler Medical Center when he was diagnosed with a serious illness. The following year, he was charged with racketeering, and was awaiting trial while still being hospitalized.

In 2007, two years after Gravelli was hospitalized, Bottino was forced into hiding following a murder he committed in Vice City; Zito took his place as Gravelli's right-hand man, and was fiercely loyal to him, at one point offering one of his kidneys to his dying Don, and later showing up with a kidney in an ice bucket after Gravelli refused the offer.