Who is Tommy Vercetti? Breaking down the story of the GTA: Vice City protagonist

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's Tommy Viscetii is considered the greatest Grand Theft Auto (GTA) protagonist to ever be introduced. Furthermore, with the successful release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, fans have expressed their desire to see Tommy reintroduced in future GTA games.

While there's no indication that such a possibility might ever occur, we take a look into the life history of the Vice City protagonist's character and understand what earned him legendary status.

Note: This article reflects the writer's subjective opinion.

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Tommy Viscetti's backstory: Everything GTA fans need to know about him

Childhood

Tommy's childhood is not explored extensively in GTA Vice City, but there are moments in the game that give players a vague idea of what his childhood might have been like.

He was born in the year 1951 and wanted to work in the same printing shop where his father worked. However, in one of his dialogs, he says that instead of doing so, he "led a different life", and even mentions that he had a troubled relationship with his mother.

From this, fans can assume he was exposed to a life of crime at an early age. Tommy probably did not have the most privileged childhood and his strained relationship with his mother is believed to have turned him into a rebel.

This little amount of information about his childhood provides a lot of emotional resonance to his character, as some fans might relate to not having the perfect childhood.

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Before the events of GTA Vice City

From his late teens to his early 20s, Tommy worked for the infamous Forelli Crime Family, a highly influential Italian-American Mafia family in Liberty City. Tommy quickly went on to become one of the family's strongest assets, while gaining a lot of loyal followers.

His growing influence soon became a point of contention for Sonny Forelli, who was the head of the family, and in 1971, he ordered Tommy's assassination.

Miraculously, Tommy eliminated all of the eleven men that were sent to kill him, and he was subsequently arrested for their murders. As this assassination was done under the guise of a random hit, Sonny was able to influence Tommy's judicial proceedings.

Furthermore, Tommy never snitched on the family he worked for and was given 15 years of prison time. His run-in with the assassins also earned him a new name, "The Harwood Butcher."

This gritty backstory makes Tommy a hardened criminal with principles in GTA Vice City. Additionally, Tommy eliminating all of the assassins single-handedly not only makes him a tough protagonist but also creates a logical consistency with the gameplay where he is presented as someone who can virtually defeat anyone.

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Tommy Viscetti in GTA Vice City

The events of the game reflect Tommy Viscetii's redemption after the major setback that he encountered in Liberty City. After getting out of jail, he travels to Vice City, where he plans to expand his drug trade and become the new kingpin. This time, though, Tommy has to start from scratch.

But this rags-to-riches story is what makes this game special, as Tommy meets new friends Ken and Lance, who decide they want to work with him.

Thus, the first act of the game generally sees Tommy eliminating key players in the underworld of Vice City and improving his street cred. A major highlight is the killing of powerful drug lord Richard Diaz in prison, which changes the power dynamics of Vice City.

However, all of these killings come at a price as many of his close friends such as Lance soon betray Tommy. Unfortunately, for them, they betrayed a merciless individual.

Tommy kills Lance and finds out the truth behind the assassination attempt in 1971. Thus, he also eliminates Sonny and finally, after dealing with all of the loose ends, Tommy becomes the most powerful criminal ever to rule Vice City.

From in-game events and dialogs, one can establish that Tommy is a unique protagonist created by Rockstar Games, as he has his own distinct personality and objectives dealt with on a personal level.

Moreover, playing as an overpowered criminal mastermind is a fantasy for most players, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City gave fans exactly that.

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