Characters in GTA Vice City

A number of recurring characters appear during various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Prominent characters are listed here in rough order of appearance. (The order in which some of these characters appear in-game depends upon the sequence in which the player completes certain missions.)

Note also that facts covered in this article is as of the release of Vice City in 2002, and as such, primarily discusses the characters based on information in Vice City and earlier Grand Theft Auto games. For information on listed characters in later GTA games, see their respective "see also" link(s) at the end of each section (when available).

Tommy Vercetti
''Introduced in: Introduction, airport cut scene

Thomas "Tommy" Vercetti is the protagonist and playable character of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Vercetti's father worked all his life in a printing shop, and years later Tommy still has fond childhood memories of helping his father clean the rollers.Earnest Kelly: "Mr. Vercetti? Hey. You bought the old print works?" / Tommy Vercetti: "Yeah, my old man used to work on these [printing machines]...I used to spend the evenings with him, cleaning the rollers. I was going to follow him in his trade, but... I lived a different life." (Opening cut scene of "Spilling the Beans", Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.) Vercetti had wanted to follow his father in the family business, but Tommy had lived a different life and instead became a criminal in the employment of Forelli crime family of the Liberty City Mafia.

Vercetti was sent to prison in Liberty City in 1971 for multiple counts of homicide (which Sonny claimed totaled at eleven deaths),Sonny Forelli: "Didn't I say your temper would get you into trouble, huh?... How many was it? Ten? No, eleven men. That's how you get to be called the Harwood Butcher!" / Tommy Vercetti: "You sent me to kill one man, ONE MAN. They knew I was coming Sonny..." (Opening cut scene of "Keep Your Friends Close...", Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.) earning him the nickname of "The Harwood Butcher" (because Sonny Forelli called in favors and pulled strings, Tommy never received the death penalty or a life sentence in prison without parole). Tommy was released 15 years later, in 1986 and was quickly sent by mob boss Sonny Forelli to the Miami-like Vice City. There, Vercetti met up with various underworld figures and began his own vast criminal empire dealing with drugs, stolen vehicles and guns, to name but a few. Vercetti's efforts are rewarded with him becoming one of the richest and most powerful figures in Vice City, heading a large well-armed gang, controlling a local protection racket, and owning several successful businesses in Vice City.

It is eventually revealed that the incident which resulted in Vercetti's imprisonment was an ambush that was orchestrated by Sonny Forelli. Vercetti is said to have had his suspicions, but the truth is not unambiguously revealed until the final confrontation between both men, which leads to the slaying of Forelli. After the death of Sonny Forelli, it is unknown what happened to Vercetti. It is implied that he remains in total control of Vice City at least all the way to the setting of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, when Ken Rosenberg attempts to call Vercetti in order to ask a favor, only to be turned away by one of Vercetti's associates, as Vercetti has apparently abandoned him.

Tommy Vercetti was voiced by Ray Liotta and motion-captured by Jonathan Sale.

Sonny Forelli
''Introduced in: Introduction, first Marcos Bistro cut scene

''Killed in: "Keep Your Friends Close..."

Sonny Forelli is the head of the Forelli crime family in Liberty City circa 1986. The Forellis are apparently the richest and most powerful Mafia family in the city (contrary to Grand Theft Auto III, where the gang is a shadow of its former self and has been usurped by the Leone crime family). Sonny came to power young, and ordered several mob killings around the time of Tommy Vercetti's imprisonment. At the time of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Sonny is believed to have major influences in racketeering, gambling, union trouble, corruption and prostitution, with growing interest in the narcotics trade (which the Mafia families have tried to avoid).

Tommy Vercetti grew up with Sonny and they were friends. Sonny gave Tommy a position in the organization and was loyal to the family above all else. Then, fifteen years before the start of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Tommy was sent by Sonny to Harwood to kill a man. Tommy was apparently ambushed, and ended up killing eleven rival mobsters in a massacre. Tommy believes to this day that Sonny set him up, though his motive is unknown.

By the time the game starts, Sonny Forelli is wary of the possibility of the other gangs, including the Families, cutting into Vice City's drug business, and wants to stake a claim for the Forellis first. At the same time, Tommy Vercetti is back in town, just fresh from prison. Because Tommy kept quiet when he did his time, Sonny is obliged to give him a job; however, Sonny believes Tommy is still too well-known as the "Harwood Butcher" and doesn't want him associated with the family. He sends Tommy out to Vice City as a Forelli representative to set up a drug outpost there.

When it is learned that Vercetti emerges without the millions in cash or the drugs he was sent to buy as a result of the ambush during a drug deal, Sonny is enraged and promises to kill Tommy if he doesn't get both back.

As Tommy Vercetti grows powerful and builds his empire, Sonny calls in periodically to pressure Tommy into giving him his cut. Once it is clear that Tommy has gone solo, he sends enforcers to Vice City to rough up Tommy's men and take his businesses. When Tommy slaughters all of them, Forelli approaches his partner, Lance Vance (or possibly vice-versa), and the two conspire against Tommy.

Tommy is expecting Sonny and his men when they arrive at his mansion's door, ready with suitcases full of (counterfeit) money to pay the Forellis off. When Lance Vance tells Sonny the real money is in Tommy's office safe, Tommy realizes the time for diplomacy is over. He slaughters Sonny's men and Lance at the mansion, ending with a showdown between Sonny and himself in the main room. Tommy finally gets revenge for his 15-year imprisonment by killing Sonny along with each and every one of his men.

The Introduction, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas's prequel film, implied that the death of Sonny Forelli struck a severe blow to the Forellis and resulted in the incursion of the Sindaccos into Liberty City. Leone Don Salvatore Leone has referenced Sonny's name when responding in anger to Sindacco underboss Johnny Sindacco.Salvatore Leone: "Ever since Sonny Forelli got himself pasted all over Florida, you Johnny Sindacco think you run things in this town." (The Introduction)

Sonny Forelli was voiced by Tom Sizemore. Of minor note is that Sonny's name is also similar to that of Miami Vice character, Sonny Crockett. Sonny Forelli's violent temper is similar to that of Santino "Sonny" Corleone, a fictional character and son of Don Vito Corleone, in The Godfather novel and film. Sonny Corleone also speaks out against his father, voicing an opinion to become involved in the heroin trade.

Ken Rosenberg
''Introduced in: Introduction, airport cut scene

Ken Rosenberg is a shady, neurotic lawyer (a partner at the "Rosenberg & Associates" legal firm) who is closely affiliated with Tommy Vercetti and loosely connected to the Forellis, often serving as comic relief. Rosenberg meets Vercetti at the Vice City airport and remains his ally throughout the game. He secures Tommy's release from prison whenever he is arrested, and his voice on a phone is sometimes briefly heard in these situations ("Tommy Vercetti is an innocent man!" and "Officer, do you really think my client is capable of that?").

Rosenberg has been reported to have problems with narcotics (including cocaine) and egomania. He is also suspected of cheating on law school exams and having employed heavies on numerous occasions to intimidate and corrupt juries; Georgio Forelli, a cousin of Sonny Forelli, is a "blue chip" client of Ken. Rosenberg's inability to firmly take control of situations meant he would also be the subject of jokes on occasions. One example of this is during the planning stages of a bank heist, where Tommy jokingly stated that Rosenberg can "[wash] the money for [the rest of the team] and [keep] the drinks on ice" when Rosenberg wanted to participate in the heist. Rosenberg even mocks himself, saying "I couldn't intimidate a child - and believe me, I've tried!" Rosenberg has a very poor success rate at trial and is referred to as a "bonkers ambulance chaser" by Kent Paul. However, Paul also states that "that guy could defend an innocent man all the way to death row", and later befriends Rosenberg after Vercetti abandons and refuses to speak to him.

Rosenberg's character parallels the lawyer David Kleinfeld (played by Sean Penn) in the movie Carlito's Way—Kleinfeld is Jewish while Rosenberg is a common Jewish surname, with the same frizzy hair and gaudy suits, and both are rendered increasingly paranoid and incoherent by their cocaine addictions throughout Vice City.

He was voiced by William Fichtner (credited as Bill Fichtner)

Lance Vance
''Introduced in: Introduction, botched drug deal cut scene

''Killed in: "Keep Your Friends Close..."

Lance Vance is a drug dealer who soon becomes Tommy Vercetti's partner in crime. Lance worked in the narcotics trade with his brother, Victor Vance (who is featured as the main character in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories). Lance piloted the helicopter and Victor conducted the deals themselves. In Vice City, the two are indicated make up the entire "Vance crime family," with Victor as the head. In the game's opening cut scene, Lance flies Victor to a cocaine deal with Sonny Forelli's men (Ken Rosenberg, Tommy Vercetti, and two minor Forelli goons named Harry and Lee). But before the goods could change hands, Victor, Harry and Lee are shot down in an ambush. Lance, still in the helicopter, flies away unscathed, while Vercetti jumps into the car with Rosenberg and narrowly escapes.

Lance meets Vercetti face-to-face shortly after Tommy murders a small-time gangster/cook named Leo. Each agrees to help the other get revenge on whoever wrecked the cocaine deal. Lance, however, comes to resent Tommy's attitude and greater share of their money, and eventually betrays Vercetti in the last mission of the game. Lance is killed by Tommy during this mission.

Lance on the surface appears cool and collected, but he is very impulsive, and his quest for vengeance against Ricardo Diaz lands Tommy in a great deal of trouble. He's also very sensitive about his name, and will protest every time somebody makes fun of it. Tommy Vercetti: "One thing puzzling me, what's with Quentin?" / Lance Vance: "I don't know, I always kinda liked it. Quentin Vance." / Tommy Vercetti: "Vance? Your name's Lance Vance!?" / Lance Vance: "Hey, I got enough of that in school!" (In-game conversation from "Phnom Penh '86", Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.) Lance Vance is also well known on the Vice City club scene and the Underworld for the infamous "Lance Vance Dance", and has been seen owning and driving a distinctively white Infernus, a Lamborghini Countach-like sports car.

Lance Vance was voiced by Miami Vice star Philip Michael Thomas, as another one of Vice City ' s many references to Miami Vice. Also, both Vance and Thomas's character in Miami Vice, Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, share the same quest of exacting revenge for the murders of their brothers at the hands of drug dealers.

Colonel Juan García Cortez
''Introduced in: "The Party"

Colonel Juan García Cortez, a retired colonel from an unspecified Central American nation, is an acquaintance of Ken Rosenberg. He helped set up the failed exchange that brought Tommy Vercetti to Vice City. Tommy continuously asks Cortez when he is getting reimbursed for the money he lost at the setup, but Cortez tells Tommy that he is "not in Liberty [City] anymore", and encourages him to take charge, which Tommy does. Cortez more or less strings Tommy along with payments for jobs he wants done, using Tommy's debt with the mob to make him work for Cortez. Nonetheless, Cortez is not unappreciative and behaves as such. The Colonel also ties together nearly all areas of criminal activity, including narcotics, firearms, weapons, and military secrets. When the French begin to pursue Colonel Cortez for their stolen "missile technology," he asks Tommy for help one more time flee Vice City for safer harbor with his extravagant yacht.

Recognizing that the Colonel is honorable (in his way), Tommy is happy to oblige and boards the yacht, fending off the French authorities alongside Cortez's crew. Once the boat is free of pursuers, Cortez graciously gives Tommy a speedboat as a parting gift, and asks him to look after his daughter Mercedes. The two men part on pleasant terms.

Cortez phones again following the game's final mission to wish Tommy well, and to ask about his daughter, whom he heard was studying law. Tommy tells him that he is mistaken, much to the Colonel's immense relief (he apparently was not aware that she was starring in porn instead).

Colonel Cortez hosts huge parties on his yacht for his beautiful daughter, Mercedes, and fellow crime bosses. He also enjoys dining on endangered species, which he considers a hallmark of fine living. He has managed to survive up to thirty coups in his native country, has been sentenced to death nine times (but always survived and receives a promotion), and has diplomatic immunity (although near the start of the game he is referred to as "exiled"). Later, Cortez also expressed his disliking of the French (including the French secret service), claiming that they used to rob poor nations for centuries, but are now accusing Cortez of stealing. Cortez is also a widower.

Juan Cortez was voiced by Robert Davi.

Kent Paul
''Introduced in: "The Party"

Kent Paul is a Cockney English youth who works in the music business but claims to be a criminal mastermind. "Kent Paul" is probably an assumed name; his real name is unknown, although an early voice clip featured him calling himself "Paul from Kent." He also goes by "KP", "Paulo" and "Kent". He tapped the local biker gang to provide security for the band he represents, but had a falling-out with Big Mitch Baker and was stripped and thrown out of their bar.

Paul is a notorious kiss-up to all of Vice City's elite, and as such is very good "with rumors." He has information on most of the major crime figures in the city, and seems to have contacts in certain SWAT divisions. He is also, however, a pathological liar and a suspected alcoholic. Kent serves as a manager to the metal band Love Fist and is usually found at the local Malibu nightclub.

In a drunken phone call at the end of the game, Paul insinuates he is seen as a disgrace back in England. Paul claimed to have moved to the United States in 1982 at the age of 17, which would suggest he was born in 1965.

Kent Paul was voiced by Danny Dyer.

Avery Carrington
''Introduced in: "The Party"

Avery Carrington is a successful Texan property magnate, real estate mogul and extreme capitalist. He enjoys quoting his father and using old-western euphemisms. He is willing to do anything to manipulate property prices and land value, including arson, rioting, bribery, intimidation, and murder. He always wears a cowboy hat and rides in a black limousine. Carrington has been suspected by the police to be wearing a wig, although this is only explicitly revealed in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.Donald Love: (As Avery's corpse is stolen by Toni Cipriani) "Avery. Oh, Avery! How you've aged since we last met. You used to feed me such pearls of wisdom. And soon I shall dine again! My God! He's wearing a wig!" ("Morgue Party Resurrection," Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.) The official Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories website appears to reference this trivia as well. MeTV News presenter: "Since they helped us win Vietnam, helicopters have been America's favorite way of dying in air accidents. But the helicopter traffic in Vice City has made it unsafe. Only last week, a popular local real estate entrepreneur had his wig blown off by a run away chopper." (Official Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories website; "Helicopter" segment.)

Carrington is believed to be behind many lucrative development plans and responsible for violent slum-clearances. However he is careful to be out of town on business when any violence arises. He is a frequent guest at Colonel Cortez' parties; he is also Ken Rosenberg's biggest client, which is how he comes into acquaintance with Tommy Vercetti. Carrington has an apprentice, Donald Love who is a major character in Grand Theft Auto III and in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories as a corrupt business tycoon. Carrington taking Love under his wing and teaching him about real estate explains Love's ruthlessness in later games. It is also from Avery that Donald is believe to have learnt a quote that has been repeated in almost the same manner in GTA III scene of "Two Bit Hit," Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Carrington is also featured as a billboard resembling Vegas Vic in Las Venturas. Carrington reprises his role Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, only to be killed by the player during his one cameo (under orders of his old protégé, Donald Love).

Avery Carrington was voiced by Burt Reynolds.

Ricardo Diaz
''Introduced in: "The Party"

''Killed in: "Rub Out"

Ricardo Diaz is the extremely dangerous and volatile individual behind the ambush of Vercetti's drug deal. He is also the head of his own gang, and the initial leader of the drug trade in the city. Diaz later recruits Vercetti to run errands for him, but eventually Vercetti discovers Diaz' role and takes him out, seizing his estate in the process. Diaz bribed the INS for a green card in 1978, after entering the country from Colombia. His contacts there believe he is a major player in the illegal drug industry and anti-government activity.

Diaz is an extremely popular philanthropist who gives money to foundations across Vice City and Central and South America, but all are believed to be fronts. He is short in stature and is thought to suffer from a Napoleon complex. His medical records show he has over-active glands and sweats more than is socially acceptable. He is a noted gun collector and is almost always armed; he has a private militia and is heavily guarded at all times. He has been involved in a long-running battle for control of the drug business in Vice City and has bribed most police officers and officials within the town. He is feared due to his reputation of unpredictable behavior and may be responsible for 18 murders.

Ricardo's foul tempered and hot headed person is evidenced in game, damaging or destroying items either by hand or with whatever weapon is available, such as shooting his unplugged VCR when he thought that the device was malfunctioning, shooting birds when he learnt that there is bird feces on his car, or pushing down and repeatedly stamping on a television set after watching a horse on which he has bet lose a race.

Ricardo lives in a mansion in the affluent neighborhood of Starfish Island. Dubbed Diaz Mansion, the interior of the home closely resembles that of fictional drug lord Tony Montana from the 1983 film Scarface. His clothing is also an exact copy of what Tony Montana wore in Scarface's famous chainsaw torture scene. Ricardo Diaz's first name is also similar to that of Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, a major Miami Vice character.

Ricardo Diaz was voiced by Luis Guzmán.

Umberto Robina
''Introduced in: "Stunt Boat Challenge"

Umberto Robina is a Cuban warlord (and leader of the Los Cabrones) who has been involved in a long-term Vice City turf war with Haitian criminals. He is an extremely macho man who wants to wage full scale war with the Haitian gang, however, he has never been personally implicated in a crime and his bravery has been questioned within Cuban circles. He is good friends with Tommy Vercetti and treats him as an equal. His quote on it: "Tommy, to us, you Cuban".

Umberto Robina is voiced by and shares the likeness of Danny Trejo.

Auntie Poulet
''Introduced in: "Juju Scramble"

Auntie Poulet is an elderly Haitian matriarch, leader of the Haitian gang (which she also uses as her own protection). She gives Tommy Vercetti mind-altering voodoo potions to get him to cooperate in the missions she wants him to undertake. This includes acting against the Cubans, with whom he has friendly relations. However, when the potion's effects wear off, Tommy shows no memory of what he has done for the Haitians. Ultimately, she cuts her ties with him and wishes that he not return to Little Haiti, but when Tommy does do so, he receives a final phone call from Auntie Poulet ("Why you [Tommy] coming here fee? Me tell you we don't want to see you around here no more.") and makes permanent enemies of the Haitian gang. Following Poulet's final mission, Tommy is given the opportunity to destroy the Haitians' main drug operations plant.

Auntie Poulet was voiced by Youree Dell Harris, better known as infamous "psychic hotline" spokeswoman Miss Cleo.

Love Fist
''Introduced in: "The Party" (Jezz Torrent only), "Love Juice" (other band members). However, Jezz Torrent may be heard in an interview on the K-Chat radio station before the mission, and two Love Fist songs may be heard on the V-Rock radio station.

Love Fist is a Scottish hard-rock band in Vice City, managed by Kent Paul. The band's members are Jezz Torrent, Willy, Dick and Percy. The last three names are all slang terms for penis, while Jezz, when said in a Scottish accent, is heard as "Jizz", a British idiom for semen. During the game, Tommy has to help organize the group's appearance in Vice City, by providing the band members with drugs and prostitutes, protecting them from a deranged stalker, hiring a biker gang to work as security for the show (a reference to The Rolling Stones' show at Altamont Speedway, where the Hells Angels were hired as security, with disastrous results) and driving them to their show in their bomb-rigged limo (a reference to the movie Speed).

A number of songs by Love Fist are named in the game, notably during a radio interview of Jezz Torrent on K-Chat and in a commercial of Love Fist's Steel Heart Stone Cold Prostate tour on V-Rock. Of all the songs mentioned, only "Dangerous Bastard" and "Fist Fury" can be heard on V-Rock, although a portion of "Fist Till Morning" can be heard during the Love Fist commercial.

Love Fist was voiced by Kevin McKidd (Jezz Torrent), Mark Hanlon (Willy), Peter McKay (Dick) and Russel Foreman (Percy). Their songs were written by Allan Walker, Paul Mackie, Trevor McDonald, Dr. Boogie and Craig Conner, and performed by musicians Andy Thomson, Mark Farquhar, Neil Mchaffie, Trevor McDonald and Paul Mackie.

The character of Jezz Torrent makes a minor cameo appearance in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, where he claims to have joined the Epsilon Program cult. According to his testimony and the Epsilon website, the cult helped him get off smack. Pictures of Love Fist also appeared as posters and billboards in both San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

Steve Scott
''Introduced in: "The Party"

Steve Scott is a porn film director at Interglobal Films. He has an uncanny resemblance to Steven Spielberg. Tommy Vercetti buys his studio and brings him stars, while funding a new film starring Candy Suxxx (who is also implied to have had sex with Steve in his trailer). Steve is obsessed with making a movie about a giant shark; a movie poster for the Candy Suxxx movie Bite appears later in the game and is clearly a homage to Steven Spielberg's film Jaws. Another poster depicts another Steve Scott film starring Candy Suxxx called Closer Encounters, an obvious reference to the Steven Spielberg film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The last name could also be a reference to yet another director, Ridley Scott, director of 80's classic Blade Runner whilst the first name is probably that of Steven Spielberg.

Steve Scott was voiced by Dennis Hopper.

"Big" Mitch Baker
''Introduced in: "Alloy Wheels of Steel," although he may be heard as a caller on the V-Rock radio station beforehand

"Big" Mitch Baker is a Vietnam veteran turned biker, earning a Purple Heart for killing a village full of Viet Cong. Vice City's cops tend to mistreat veterans, which has led Baker into many clashes with them and 13 occasions of being jailed. He runs the local biker gang at the Greasy Chopper bar and is extremely loyal to them. Tommy Vercetti has to earn Baker's respect before he can get the gang to provide security for a Love Fist concert. This is most likely a reference to the disastrous Rolling Stones concert where the Hells Angels were hired to work security. Big Mitch also occasionally calls into Vice City's rock-and-roll radio station complaining of the fact that they play too many hair bands and not enough hard rock.

Big Mitch Baker was voiced by Lee Majors.

Phil Cassidy
''Introduced in: "The Shootist"

Phil Cassidy is a firearms expert and dealer who first appeared in GTA III, where he claimed to have lost an arm in Nicaragua. In contrast to his appearance in GTA III, the younger Phil is more energetic, but drinks to the point of drunkenness during one mission (qualities which become more common during his appearance in Vice City Stories). He also appears with both arms intact and participates in Tommy's "Job," a heist at a local bank. In Tommy's final mission for him, Phil loses an arm when his "boomshine", a homemade and hazardous explosive/alcoholic beverage, explodes directly in front of him. After the explosion, Tommy must drive Phil to the hospital while suffering from blood loss and the intoxicating effects of the boomshine. On the way to the hospital, Phil has Vietnam flashbacks and post-traumatic stress disorder. After that point, he continues to sell Tommy rare and powerful weapons.

Although Phil claims to serve in various divisions of the Army, Army records show that Phil was repeatedly rejected for service because of drunkenness and an unsuitable temperament for combat. Phil is also a gun enthusiast, with memberships in various Second Amendment organizations and Vice City gun clubs. Phil is also known to be fighting against Mexican gun-running gangs.

It is interesting to note a ontinuity error regarding Phil's blown arm in Vice City. In GTA III, Phil loses his left arm, whereas in Vice City, the cut scene of the boomshine accident depicted him losing his right arm, but after Tommy delivers him to safety, Phil is seen without a left arm while his right arm remains intact. Retrieved on September 7, 2006.

Phil Cassidy was voiced by Gary Busey.

Victor Vance
''Introduced/Killed in: Introduction, botched drug deal cut scene

Victor Vance is Lance Vance's elder brother and head of the two-member Vance crime family (alongside Lance), who is killed in the beginning of the game, along with Vercetti's escorts Harry and Lee, as he engages in a drug transaction with Vercetti.

Unusually, despite assuming an African-American appearance like Lance, Victor speaks in an Latin accent (Victor speaks in a more Afican-American accent in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories). This is related to a retcon from Vice City Stories that suggests the Vance brother's father was from the Dominican Republic, while the brothers spend most of their time there following their experiences in Vice City Stories. Due to this, there has been many discussions among fans of wether he was really Victor or his other brohter, Pete.

Mercedes Cortez
''Introduced in: "The Party"

Mercedes Cortez is Juan's wayward daughter. She is initially set up as a possible love interest for Tommy Vercetti, but this plot line is never explored. Tommy is first introduced to her during a party aboard the Colonel's yacht. Afterwards, she asks Tommy to give her a ride to the Pole Position strip club. On another occasion, she has sex with the band Love Fist. Later in the game, she becomes involved in the porn film industry, co-starring with Candy Suxxx in a film directed by Steve Scott and produced by Vercetti.

Hidden and unused phone conversation between Tommy and Mercedes revealed that there were originally intentions by the game developer to include a deeper relationship between the two characters. Audio files of Mercedes' phone calls usually have to deal with the fact that she wants to "spend some time alone with Tommy" when she is mad, happy or bored. One particular phone conversation is thought to be triggered after the killing of Ricardo Diaz, in which Mercedes praises Tommy for being a real man for killing Ricardo, while Tommy attempts to cover the incident by saying that Diaz died in a fire in his mansion.

Mercedes Cortez was voiced by Fairuza Balk.

Donald Love
''Introduced in: "The Party"

Donald Love, previously depicted as an influential tycoon in Grand Theft Auto III, makes two minor appearances as a young apprentice of real estate tycoon Avery Carrington, learning the tricks of the trade. The Vice City rendition of the character has little voice acting; Love remains silent throughout his appearances, and his second appearance sees him uttering only one or two minor words before being interrupted by Carrington.Avery Carrington: "Tommy, this is Donald Love. Donald, this here is Tommy Vercetti, the latest gunslinger to come to these parts." / Donald Love: "Yeh...uh..." / Avery Carrington: "Donald, you just shut up and listen, and you might learn something." (Opening cut scene of "Two Bit Hit," Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.)

Hilary King
''Introduced in: "The Driver"

''Killed in: "The Job"

Hilary King is a talented, neurotic, and highly dependent driver who is involved in two missions with Vercetti. He is afraid of venturing on the deadly missions but will do as his team requires regardless. In "The Driver" (a mission notorious for being one of the hardest in the game), he agrees to help Tommy if he can beat him in a street race. In "The Job", he participates in a bank robbery and is slain in a hail of gunfire during the escape, trying to cover for his partners. This is a reference to the 1995 film Heat, directed by Michael Mann, who also was the executive producer of Miami Vice. While he is thought by the police to be raised in a stable family, Hilary has serious childhood abandonment issues due to his mother's neglect, and is a compulsive eater. He is loosely similar to Stevie, one of the bank robbers featured in the film Dog Day Afternoon, who is also afraid of a bank robbery.

Hilary King was voiced by Charles Tucker.

Cam Jones
''Introduced in: "No Escape?"

''Killed in: "The Job" (The possibility of this occurring depends on the player's actions: The player may choose to defend Cam, or have him killed by the police or the player him/herself.)

Cam Jones is a kleptomaniac safecracker Tommy frees from jail to recruit for his "bank robbery" team. He is an expert at what he does, but is suggested by the police to have dubious expertise. Prior to his first appearance in the game, Cam was arrested by the police when he was caught running down the street with a safe he couldn't open. He is awaiting trial for attempted robbery (which would see him sentenced to a 10-year prison term), when he is rescued by Tommy Vercetti and asked to help pull off "the job."

Cam's fate is left at the hands of the player, allowing him to either die or survive. If Cam dies, the game indicates that both Tommy and Phil would receive a bigger share of the money from the heist (Phil Cassidy: "Too bad Cam didn't make it though." Tommy Vercetti: "But then again, more for us."  Phil Cassidy: "You got that right!") (although the amount of money the player receives after the mission does not actually change if Cam Jones dies during the bank robbery).

Cam Jones was voiced by Greg Sims.

BJ Smith
''Introduced in: "The Party", although he may be heard on KCHAT or commercials before the mission

BJ Smith is the former tight-end of the Vice City Mambas professional American football team, haunted by problems off the field. He is a frequent guest at Juan Cortez' parties, and has had a little trouble adjusting to life off of the gridiron. He created the exercise video "BJ's Fit for Football" and used to own BJ's Used Autos (which police suspect is a front for selling stolen cars; the showroom was later bought over by Tommy Vercetti), and is preparing for a comeback into football. BJ's approach in life is said to be heavy handed, citing football as an inspiration to his claims of resolving many of life's challenges with aggression and violence. BJ is also in debt with loan sharks and is doing anything for money.

BJ Smith was voiced by real-life former National Football League (NFL) player Lawrence Lawrence "LT" Taylor. As such, BJ Smith shares several traits with former NFL star and suspected murderer O.J. Simpson (BJ also hints robbing a store during a KCHAT interview, although it remains to be seen if this is simply a figure of speech or an actual event).

Candy Suxxx
''Introduced in: "The Party"

Candy Suxxx (real name Candice Shand ) is a large-breasted (the result of having silicone breast implants) and scantly clad woman (wearing little more than a bikini]] with a United States flag motif, and red high-heeled shoes) who is originally a prostitute residing in the Downtown area; is a regular of hers until she is hired by Tommy Vercetti to work at the Interglobal Films pornography studio, after Tommy killed her pimp.

Candy Suxxx would eventually rise to fame as a pornographic actress, as she is featured on posters and video covers of several pornographic movies in Vice City (Bite, Closer Encounters), San Andreas (Vinewood Call Girls, This Can't Be Legal, Return of the Anaconda) and Liberty City Stories (Let Me Bounce), while billboards erected to her likeness are featured in Los Santos and Las Venturas in San Andreas.

Candy Suxxx was voiced by real-life porn star Jenna Jameson.

Congressman Alex Shrub
''Introduced in: "The Party," although he may be heard on the VCPR radio talk show before the mission

Alex Shrub is a right wing politician who became the youngest state congressman in Florida history because, according to Maurice Chavez, "he has great hair and says things that make you nod your head." Shrub is a delusional congressman who knowingly tries to cover up and distract people from the fact that Vice City is going downhill under his term. He cares only about money and has allowed businesses to do as they please, such as the legalization of Giggle Cream, a hazardous dessert which has killed 23 people. Eventually, he is blackmailed by Vercetti and Scott after they acquire photographs of the politician engaged in crossdressing and extra-marital affairs.

There is a common (but unofficial) perception that Alex Shrub is a caricature of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Florida governor Jeb Bush. In addition to their political leaning and similar last names (bush and shrub are both kinds of plants, Congressman Shrub's voice is also very similar to that of George H. W. Bush. "Shrub" is also in use as a nickname for President George W. Bush popularized by Texas columnist Molly Ivins).

Alex Shrub was voiced by Christopher Lucas.

Maude Hanson
''Introduced in: Purchase of Cherry Popper Ice Cream cut scene

Maude Hanson (dubbed "Maude the Ice Cream Lady" in the Vice City manual) is the owner of the Cherry Popper ice-cream distributor before Tommy Vercetti purchases her business. Featured in only one cut scene, she claims that her business serves as a front for selling "other, non-dairy products." Maude also exhibits psychotic hatred towards children, and is believed to have once run a children's home.

Maude Hanson was voiced by Jane Gennaro.

Delores
''Introduced in: Purchase of Kaufman Cabs cut scene

Delores is a middle-aged dispatcher at the Kaufman Cabs taxi company. Appearing in one cut scene, she introduces the company and its dealings (competing aggressively against a rival taxi company). Delores may also be heard on the dispatch radio of Kaufman Cab taxis.

Delores was voiced by Deborah Harry, who was the frontwoman for New Wave band Blondie.

Earnest Kelly
''Introduced in: Purchase of Print Works cut scene

Earnest Kelly (dubbed "Old Man Kelly" in the Vice City manual) is a worker at the print works in Little Haiti, which would be bought over by Tommy Vercetti. Having worked at the print works for a long time, Earnest has always fancied printing money, albeit on a smaller scale. With the help of Tommy, Earnest acquires high quality printing plates to produce better counterfeit money. It also appears Tommy has a soft spot for the old man, as his own father managed the same print works when Vercetti was younger. Tommy seems to bond with Earnest and shows extreme concern and anger when Earnest is injured by Forelli enforcers who have come to take "their cut." It is implied that these injuries were relatively minor and Earnest is later revealed to have survived the attack; some time after the final mission, Tommy receives a phone call from Earnest, who is recovering from his injuries.

Earnest Kelly was voiced by George DiCenzo.

Dwaine and Jethro
''Introduced in: Purchase of Boatyard cut scene

Dwaine and Jethro were workers at a Viceport boatyard, which is involved in building boats that may transport drugs. Appearing in one cut scene, their names were never mentioned in game, but inspection of Vice City ' s credits in the manual and internal files reveals their first names. It is not until San Andreas, where they would reappear with larger roles, that their names are mentioned. Dwaine's name is spelled "Dwayne" in the game's data files and credits.

Dwaine was voiced by Navid Khonsari, while Jethro was voiced by John Zurhellen.