Ricardo Diaz

"These idiots, they're always trying to screw you. That's the problem with this business...soon every mom and pop will think they can sell gallo in Vice City! "What's next, the stinking Mafia?!"

- Ricardo Diaz

Ricardo Díaz was a character in the Grand Theft Auto series who appears as a main character and the tertiary antagonist in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and as a main character in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

Diaz is the leader of his own drug cartel and, by 1986, is the drug baron of Vice City.

Background
Ricardo Diaz was born in Colombia on 1942 and moved to the United States in 1978, bribing the INS for a green card, before moving to Vice City in the early 1980s.

Events of GTA Vice City Stories
Diaz invests money into a mansion on the expensive Starfish Island and, whilst his home is partially built, meets and befriends Lance and Victor Vance. He has them steal a drugs shipment of Juan Cortez, under the supervision of Gonzalez, which Vic does successfully. Following his success, Diaz decides to employ Vic more work and has him go to a meeting with the DEA, which is ambushed by Gonzalez and his crew, although Vic manages to kill Gonzalez' men and make the deal with the DEA, securing Diaz gets a large supply of heavy duty guns. Diaz becomes aware that Gonzalez has betrayed Colonel Juan Cortez and explains to Gonzalez that he will inform him of all of Cortez' drug deals, with Diaz ordering Victor to drive Gonzalez to the airport.

Lance Vance then borrows money from Diaz and has his brother work to repay the debt, with Diaz having Vic destroy Armando Mendez' bearer bonds using a Domestobot, before having him steal an attack helicopter from the Fort Baxter Air Base in order to attack the Mendez Compound in Downtown, Vice City. Having been successful in stealing the helicopter, Vic attacks the Mendez Compound on Diaz' orders and kills both Diego Mendez and Jerry Martinez. Following this, Vic and Lance decide to leave Vice City.

Events of GTA Vice City
Sometime in between 1984 and 1986, Diaz establishes himself as the drug baron of Vice City and finishes the building of his mansion. His drug habit continues and he has become far more paranoid. Diaz sets up a number of foundations across Vice City and Latin America, although the Vice City Police Department believe them to be a front, whilst they also suspect him of eighteen murders. Diaz has also established a protection racket in the city. Diaz, continuing to use information from Gonzalez, has a drug deal between the Forelli Family and the Vance Crime Family ambushed, stealing both the drugs and money.

He later appears at one of Juan Cortez' parties, which was also attended by Forelli representative Tommy Vercetti. Cortez begins to investigate the deal and discovers Gonzalez' involvement and has him killed. Cortez openly suggests that Diaz may have been involved, but does not accuse him.

Cortez does employ Vercetti and Lance Vance to protect him in a deal with the Cubans from Haitians, which results in Diaz hiring the two for other jobs. Diaz first has the two deal with the Sharks, who have been stealing three percent of his profits, first following a gang member to an abandoned home and then attacking the home, killing a number of the gangs members. Later, Diaz has the two steal the fastest boat in the city and then use the boat to purchase drugs from a dealer, before escaping the other potential buyers.

Death
"I trusted you, Tommy! I would have had you made..."

- Ricardo Diaz, seconds before his death.

Lance eventually decides to avenge his brother’s death and kill Diaz. His plan backfires, however he is rescued from torture by Vercetti. The two of them later assault Diaz' mansion, killing all of his men and Diaz himself.

Development
Concept art on the Rockstar North's website shows that the working name for Ricardo Diaz was "Fernando Diaz".

The name Ricardo may be a reference to Ricardo Tubbs, a major character from the show Miami Vice.

The 1983 film Scarface may also be an influence of Ricardo Diaz' character, through the characters Hector the Toad (a Colombian) and Tony Montana. Diaz' mansion is similar to Montana's, whilst Diaz wears exactly the same clothes as Montana during the drug deal and famous chainsaw torture scene. The appearance of Diaz is also similar to Hector. Diaz' actions in scuttling the Forelli-Vance drug transaction and his men's torture of Lance is similar to how Hector betrayed Montana.

Mission appearances

 * GTA Vice City
 * The Party
 * Guardian Angels
 * The Chase (Boss)
 * Phnom Penh '86 (Boss)
 * The Fastest Boat (Boss)
 * Supply & Demand (Boss)
 * Rub Out (Killed)


 * GTA Vice City Stories
 * Steal the Deal (Boss)
 * The Exchange (Boss)
 * Farewell to Arms
 * Domo Arigato Domestoboto (Boss)
 * Light My Pyre (Post-mission pager message)
 * Over The Top (Boss)
 * Last Stand (Boss)

VCPD Crime Tree Record

 * Gun collector. Always armed.
 * Has private army/militia and is heavily guarded at all times.
 * Has been involved in long running battle for control of narcotics business in Vice City.
 * Known to have bribed police and officials within the town.
 * Feared due to reputation for unpredictable behavior.
 * Thought to be responsible for 18 murders.
 * Extremely dangerous.
 * Bribed INS for Green card in 1978. Entered country from Colombia.
 * Contacts in Colombia believe he is major player in narcotics industry and anti-government activity.
 * Extremely popular philanthropist. Gives to various Ricardo Diaz foundations across Vice City and Central and South America. All are believed to be a front.
 * Short in size, is believed to suffer from Napoleon complex.
 * Medical records show he has over-active glands and sweats more than is socially acceptable.

Trivia

 * Diaz has a gold plated Desert Eagle .50, that he uses to shoot his VCR at the beginning of Supply & Demand.
 * Non-chronologically, Ricardo is one of five antagonists to be killed in their first appearance (GTA VC) and to reappear in another game (GTA VCS), the others being Catalina, Salvatore Leone, Billy Grey and Gonzalez.
 * He is worried about competition since he doesn't like any independent business in his territory or the Forelli crime family expanding into Vice City.
 * Diaz of course, has no compunction about hiring employees and then back stab them for personal gain. Such as in the events of Vice City Stories of hiring Victor Vance but then Kills Victor when he ambushed the deal between Cortez and the Forellis.
 * Diaz is on the cover of "Crime" Magazine as the "Criminal of the Year (Can be best seen in PC version with resolution turned on max. It's in Ocean Beach save location. On the coffee table. Appears later on in the game. Use the sniper scope ). This is an obvious spoof of Time Magazine and its "Man of the Year" Award.

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