Sonny Forelli

Sonny Forelli is a character in the Grand Theft Auto series and the main antagonist in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (set in 1986). He is also mentioned in The Introduction, a prequel from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (set in 1992) and appears in a poster in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (set in 1998). He is Don of the Forelli Family, with Vice City Police Department criminal files stating that he came to power young. He is voiced by Tom Sizemore, who has also starred in such films as Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down.

Character history
Sonny Forelli was born in Liberty City and, at an unknown time, became the Don of the Forelli Family at, as a Vice City Police Department criminal files states, a young age. By 1971 Sonny had at least a prominent role in the Forelli Family, leading Tommy Vercetti in an ambush in Harwood (located in Liberty City), telling Tommy he was to assassinate a key mobster. Tommy survived the ambush but was arrested by the Liberty City Police Department and imprisoned. Sonny continued in his various illegal activities, which by 1986 are believed to be rackeetering, gambling, unions, corruption and prostitution. He also begins to make connections to people in other cities around the world, including Vice City based lawyer Ken Rosenberg, who he uses to set up a narcotics deal between his representatives and the Vance Crime Family, wanting his family to enter the very profitable drugs trade in Vice City. Sonny decides to send Tommy Vercetti, as he is too well known in Liberty City, and pulls strings to free him from prison. Tommy, who is suspicious of Sonny's actions, decides to go along with Sonny's plans.

Sonny, in sending Tommy to Vice City, hopes that he will establish a drugs trading business in the city, which he and the Forelli Family could later take over. Sonny sends Harry and Lee with Tommy to do the deal in Viceport, which is ambushed by Ricardo Diaz' men, resulting in Tommy losing Sonny's money, the drugs and the deaths of Harry and Lee, as well as Victor Vance. Tommy later informs Sonny of the ambush, with Sonny reacting angrily, seemingly believing that Tommy took his money.

Ken Rosenberg later begins to employ Tommy Vercetti and helps him establish himself in the city, introducing him to a number of the cities key people, including Colonel Juan Cortez, who helped Rosenberg set up the deal, and real estate mogul Avery Carrington. Rosenberg, fearing Sonny, stays in his office for a number of days, but does send Tommy to intimidate two jurors prosecuting Sonny's cousin Giorgio. Sonny allows Tommy to establish a business empire in the city, in order for Tommy to repay his debt. Tommy, however, continues to expand his business empire and manages to extract revenge for the ambushed drug deal, killing Gonzalez and the cities drug baron, Ricardo Diaz. Tommy, however, fails to give Sonny his cut, resulting in Sonny sending some of his men to collect money from Tommy's numerous businesses.

Tommy, expecting Sonny to arrive after his men were killed, prepares to give Sonny counterfeit money printed at his print works. Sonny, however, reveals that Lance Vance, Tommy's friend, has joined forces with him and informed him of Tommy and Ken Rosenberg's plan. Sonny finally confirms the Tommy's suspicions that he was set up in 1971, resulting in a huge gun fight and the deaths of Sonny and Lance, alongside countless Forelli Family mobsters.

Legacy
Salvatore Leone, the Don of the Leone Family, in 1992 informs Johnny Sindacco of the Sindacco Family that the death of Sonny Forelli dealt a severe blow to the Forell Family, allowing the Sindacco Family to move into Liberty City from Las Venturas. Salvatore states "Ever since Sonny Forelli got himself pasted all over Florida, you think you run things in this town". A film about Sonny's life, entitled "Sonny Forelli: A True Story" is advertised in Liberty City in 1998.

Development
Sonny Forelli is voiced by Tom Sizemore. His name is similar to Miami Vice character Sonny Crockett, whilst he temper is similar to Santino Corleone (known as Sonny) from The Godfather novel and film series. Sonny Corleone also voices opinions about becoming involved in the heroin trade, as Sonny does, although Sonny Forelli wishes to deal in drugs in general, not just heroin.

Trivia

 * Sonny Forelli, the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, is one of only two antagonists to appear in only two missions. He does, however, appear more than Massimo Torini, the main antagonist of GTA Liberty City Stories, due to his phone conversations with Tommy Vercetti and his appearance at the beginning of GTA Vice City.

Mission appearances

 * GTA Vice City
 * In The Beginning
 * An Old Friend (Boss)
 * Jury Fury (Voice)
 * Phnom Penh '86 (Voice)
 * Rub Out (Voice)
 * Shakedown (Voice)
 * Cop Land (Voice)
 * Keep Your Friends Close... (Killed)