Vercetti Estate



Vercetti Estate, also known by its former name of Diaz's Mansion, is a mansion located on the south side of Starfish Island in Vice City. The mansion and its surrounding compound has been prominently featured in both Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories for different uses.

Description
Basically, the property consists of a large red and pink mansion surrounded by well cut lawns, pools, lavish terraces, and a low wall. The compound is also equipped with a private dock to the south, as well as a helipad on the mansion's roof.

Use in storyline
In GTA Vice City, the mansion starts of as Ricardo Diaz's place of residence; as a result, the estate is known under Diaz's name and is considered Diaz's Gang territory, the only place where the gang may be seen. Over the course of the storyline, Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance eventually launch an attack against Diaz at the mansion, killing Diaz and claiming the mansion as his own. Tommy promptly renames it the "Vercetti Estate", and Diaz's Gang ceases to exist as the mansion grounds is henceforth occupied by the Vercetti gang. After Diaz's death, the mansion serves as a staging area for Tommy to tighten his grip on the city's businesses, eventually leading to the property earning the player $5,000 a day.

Vercetti Estate is eventually featured prominently during the final mission of the game "Keep Your Friends Close", when a firefight in the mansion ultimately leads to Lance's and Sonny Forelli's deaths.

Amenities
Until "Rub Out", the mansion is primarily known to only spawn an Infernus or a Stretch on the driveway of the compound. When the player acquires the mansion, the aforementioned cars are changed so that the Infernus will always appear white (implying it belongs to Lance Vance), while a white Admiral (similar to that driven by Ken Rosenberg) occasionally takes the place of the Stretch. The mansion will also come equipped with a working garage that can hold up to two road vehicles. The compound itself features other special quirks. To the west of the mansion is a hedge maze where the player can find a Sniper Rifle, while the southern terrace will eventually spawn a Sea Sparrow when the player collects 80 hidden package.

The interior of the mansion comes complete with several rooms. The centerpiece of the mansion is its main hall, with high ceilings, dark decors, doorways to two rooms, and a massive stairway that leads to the second floor. Downstairs, players have access to a living room to the right that includes a bar and a posh sitting area. The second room, Ricardo's/Tommy's office room, is located on the second floor, containing a desk, a safe, seating, and security televisions. The room contains a save point, as well as the player's default "Street" clothing pickup. Upon 100% completion of the game, a "Frankie" shirt will also be made available in the room.

The mansion's remaining interiors consist of hallways that lead to a stairwell to the roof and basement, as well as the mansion's indoor swimming pool towards the back. A small room in the basement contains nothing but Health, Body Armor, a Pump Action Shotgun, and an M4. This room is most likely the Mansion's armory.

The rooftop of the mansion features a helipad which usually spawns a Maverick. Explosive barrels are also scattered around the lower level of the roof.

Upon 100% completion, three sitting bodyguards will spawn in the living room; the player can "hire" any of them for a fee by walking into any of the three halos next to them.

Visual changes
As the player progresses through the GTA Vice City storyline, the interior of the mansion becomes progressively messier. Soon after the player acquires the mansion, the painting in the hallway are the first to be vandalized and defaced. After completing various asset missions, a shovel will appear beside the main entrance, followed by garbage bags, cigars, wine bottles and glasses, and pizza boxes around the stairs and entrance near the end of the storyline.

Other changes may be found as a result of other missions. Inside the first room is an unplugged TV with trophies on top of it (if the player passes all the Hyman Memorial Stadium missions). There is also a table with more pizza and a tiger rug, plus a box for an RC helicopter (after the completion of Demolition Man). In the second room, Tommy's desk is cluttered with books, paper work, a few posters of Candy Suxxx, and a vault filled with money.

GTA Vice City Stories


The mansion is depicted in GTA Vice City Stories to be undergoing renovations. The western side of the compound is significantly different, featuring a more natural pond instead of GTA Vice City's hedge maze, and dug out trenches. More significant is construction work on the mansion itself for a new west/left wing. The opening leading to the indoor pool has also been blocked off by an opaque window.

Predictably enough, Diaz resides in the mansion, with mission strings from the character activated within the grounds of his estate. Cutscenes reveal one of the mansion's additional room, although it is unclear where exactly it is located in the mansion.

References to Scarface
The mansion is a parody of Tony Montana's mansion in the famous 1983 movie Scarface. The interior lobby of the mansion is of the same design as Tony's mansion, except that Tommy's mansion sports a middle staircase rather than two side staircases. Also, the "The World Is Yours" fountain -into which Montana fell after being killed- is absent.

In addition, there are twelve security televisions to the right of the office roof. If the player looks closely at them, they are pictures of Tony Montana's mansion. One picture is only a rear picture of his mansion (which is most likely from the climax of Scarface), but the other is of the inside of his mansion showing the one of the two side staircases and showing most of "The World Is Yours" fountain.

Comparison of building structure
In GTA Vice City Stories, the prostitution business lobby is almost the same as that of Vercetti Estate in GTA Vice City.

Manhunt
In Rockstar Games' horror game Manhunt, Starkweather's mansion is vitually identical to the Vercetti estate.

Glitch

 * If you drive a car inside the building then up into the hallway, set it on fire, stand in between the car and the little space near the wall, you will then get launched into Blue Hell.

Weapons

 * Vice City
 * Python
 * Shotgun
 * M4 Carbine
 * Body Armor
 * Sniper Rifle


 * Vice City Stories
 * MAC-10

Vehicles

 * Vice City
 * Infernus
 * Admiral
 * Stretch


 * Vice City Stories
 * Cheetah

Vercetti Estate Mansión de Starfish Island