The Forellis

The Forelli Family is a fictional Italian-American criminal organisation in the Grand Theft Auto series. Through the game storyline, it is suggested that the Forelli's have a lot of influence within Liberty City in the mid 1980s, but continue to lose influence as time advances. Franco Forelli is the only known leader of the Forelli Family, leading the gang in 1998. Sonny Forelli and Mike "Lips" Forelli are also considered to be leaders of the Forelli Family at different points. The Forelli Family members don blue/dark red shirts with light blue/white jackets in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. In Grand Theft Auto III Forelli Family members are seen dressed like the Leone Family, this could be explained by them wearing a disguise.

The Forelli Family had been in Liberty City in 1971, when Tommy Vercetti killed eleven people in Harwood, a district in the Portland area of the city. Tommy Vercetti was sentenced to a time in jail, the actual sentence being unknown, but spent only fifteen years in prison in Liberty City. By 1986, the leader of the gang is assumed to be Sonny Forelli, due to the prominent role he plays in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

In 1986, the Forelli Family decides to expand into Vice City, in order to capitale on the drugs trade. Ken Rosenberg, a "schmuck of a lawyer", is used in order to set up a drug deal with Victor Vance and Lance Vance. The recently released Tommy Vercetti, Harry and Lee were sent to participate in the drugs deal, which was quickly busted, presumably by the Vice City Police Department. Harry and Lee were captured. Tommy Vercetti, still acting as a Forelli Family member, then continues to earn money from crime bosses in order to re-pay Sonny Forelli. However, Sonny Forelli eventually turns up in Vice City looking to take his cash from Tommy Vercetti. Sonny Forelli was killed by Tommy Vercetti.

The Forelli Family would also appear in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which was set in 1992. The Forelli's had a third ownership of Caligula's Palace, a casino in Las Venturas. However, back in Liberty City a leading Forelli Family member was killed by Carl "CJ" Johnson at Saint Mark's Bistro, Portland. The name of this member if unknown, although some people believe it to be Georgio Forelli. Members of the mob, which probably included Forelli Family members, would be seen shooting Carl "CJ" Johnson, who was robbing Caligula's Casino.

In 1998 the Forelli Family still has a strong hold in Liberty City, and in particular in the Little Italy area of Staunton, Liberty City. Franco Forelli was confirmed to be the leader of the Forelli Family at this time, and it is possible that he had been the leader of the Forelli Family from 1986 onwards, after the death of Sonny Forelli. During 1998 the Forelli's are involved in a war with the Sindacco Family, who had recently left the Portland area of Liberty City; and also with the Leone Family. The Leone's involvement was in order to prolong the war and weaken both the Forelli's and the Sindacco's. The Forelli's had control of Mayor R.C. Hole, the Mayor of Liberty City, who was later killed by Toni Cipriani. Toni Cipriani, the protagonist and player character of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, would damage the Forelli's interests in Liberty City. This includes killing Mayor R.C. Hole, destroying the entire of Little Italy on Staunton Island and by blowing up a Forelli casino in the Portland section of Liberty City. The Forelli's had also tried to take control of Miles O'Donovan, who replaced Mayor R.C. Hole as Mayor of Liberty City, however this did not work as the Toni Cipriani and Salvatore Leone saved his life, and thus gained influence over him. Franco Forelli may have died in the explosion of Little Italy, Staunton, however this is not confirmed. Franco Forelli did not appear in Grand Theft Auto III however, which was set in 2001.

By 2001 the influence the Forelli's in Liberty City was, if any, very little. The Forelli's however do still remain, and are known to frequent Saint Mark's Bistro in Saint Marks, Portland. The leader of the Forelli's at this time is unknown, but could possibly be Mike "Lips" Forelli who was killed by Claude Speed using a car bomb. Joey Leone is also known to have killed or had someone kill another Forelli member, as shown in the mission Dead Skunk in the Trunk, where the "Forelli brothers " chase Claude Speed (the protagonist and player character). It is unknown what position the Forelli brothers hold within the Forelli Family, and the fate of the Forelli's is also unknown. The Forelli's, following Dead Skunk in the Trunk are not mentioned again in Grand Theft Auto III, which is the last chronologically in the Grand Theft Auto series.