Salvatore Leone is the secondary antagonist in Grand Theft Auto III, a supporting character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and the deuteragonist of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
He is voiced by the late Frank Vincent.
History[]
Background[]
Salvatore Leone is the Sicilian[1] Don of the Leone Crime Family, a major Mafia family based in Liberty City.
Salvatore was born in Palermo, Sicily. He once had a brother[1] and was also close to one of his cousins (later killed by the Sindacco Crime Family)[7]. He immigrated to Liberty City and with his first wife (who died, presumably by 1992)[5], had a son named Joey[2]. It is unknown whether Joey was born in Sicily or the United States.
He took over the Leone crime family after a power struggle in the mid 1980s[1], likely against his Uncle Leone[6] (as of 1998, they were supposedly at peace but heavily distrusted each other in secret). By 1992, he had purchased and moved into a mansion in Portland Beach, Liberty City.
Events of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]

Salvatore Leone in 1992.
Salvatore agrees to give the Sindacco Family $5 million to invest in Caligula's Palace, a mega-resort in Las Venturas, one third owned by each of them and the Forelli Crime Family[9]. Salvatore negotiates control beyond his share, such as control of the books[10] and his choice of a supposedly neutral manager, lawyer Ken Rosenberg, that Salvatore could control[11].
While in Las Venturas, Salvatore befriends Carl Johnson, who had worked in a car theft ring for his son Joey Leone in Liberty City sometime between 1987 and 1992[12]. He slowly trusts Carl with bigger and bigger tasks, leading up to him taking a flight to Liberty City to kill Marco Forelli (Original Audio was deleted in the final release of the game for unknown reasons leaving his name unknown) at the Forelli-owned Marco's Bistro. However, Carl was a partner in the rivaling Triad resort, and robbed Caligula's. Salvatore discovers CJ's involvement in heist and then threatens to kill Carl and anyone close to him, although it is known that he never carried out these threats. It is then assumed that he left the casino and moved back to Liberty City.
During this time he also met Maria Latore[13], who (despite having a foul attitude with him from day one) quickly became his girlfriend and married him in the next six years, almost definitely for his money. Toni Cipriani became a well-ranked Leone member by 1994, when he killed a rival made man and went into hiding for the next 4 years.
Events of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
After 1992, he returns to Liberty City. In 1998 he welcomes Toni Cipriani back to the city, after years of hiding, but assigns him to Vincenzo Cilli, a much younger and newer Leone member[14]. Toni and Vincenzo immediately dislike each other, and after Vincenzo betrays Toni, Toni kills him with Salvatore's apparent approval. In due time, Toni earned his current level of appreciation from Salvatore[15] by helping him with wrestling Paulie's Revue Bar away from Paulie Sindacco by assisting his discontent manager, JD O'Toole, extorting dock worker union boss Jane Hopper (Salvatore personally working with Toni at this point)[16], and after the union troubles were sorted out, attending an LCPD-ambushed meeting with the Colombian Cartel, escaping alive[17]. Toni ends up killing the Cartel dealers, with the exception of Miguel who survives, and gets away with the drugs.
After the earlier mob war is supposedly finished, Toni follows Sicilian Mafia representative Massimo Torini, who is trying to broker a peace between the three families, but in reality organizing the families as well as street gangs against the Leones[18]. After this, Mickey Hamfists, under orders from Sal, kills JD O'Toole for his traitorous nature, by tricking him into thinking he'd be a made man[19]. After JD's death, the Revue Bar is eventually renamed to Sex Club 7.

Salvatore Leone in 1998.
Salvatore is slowly forced out of Portland by the Sindacco and Forelli families, as well as the up-and-coming Diablos and Triads. His paranoia briefly causes him to threaten Toni with a gun, before he comes to his senses[20]. Trusting in Toni again, he explains that the Forellis control mayor Roger C. Hole [21] who is pinning the entire city's crime on him[22], before escaping to a luxury condo Salvatore owns in Newport, Staunton Island.
Salvatore's first move is to murder Mayor Hole[23]and try to replace him with corrupt politician Donald Love, a business mogul in their pocket who's running for Mayor[24]. Toni also becomes a made man[25]before helping Donald Love with his campaign.
To try to win the three-way mob war, Salvatore recruits help from a corrupt LCPD officer, Leon McAffrey. Aside from Toni's work with Donald Love, Salvatore also personally digs up information about Franco Forelli and their connections to the Mayoral office, often risking his life to do so [31][32][33]. When Paulie Sindacco attempts a truce with the Forelli family, Salvatore very cleverly makes an attempt on Paulie's life while making his rivals go to war with each other again[34].
Eventually, Love loses the election to Miles O'Donovan after his links to Toni and the Leone Family are made public[35]. He blames Toni, goes bankrupt as he'd spent his entire $20 million fortune, and the two don't speak for a short while. To further damage the family's status, Salvatore is arrested and put on trial for all the crime in the city[36]. Posing as a lawyer, Toni receives orders from Salvatore[37], such as making allies with the Southside Hoods[38] in order to hold back the Forellis, and finally killing Don Paulie Sindacco as he attempts to flee Liberty City,[39] and working to subdue their new enemy: the Yakuza.[40]
Salvatore is eventually found not guilty in court, after Massimo Torini's goons try to kill him [41]. Afterward, they actually try to negotiate peace when Salvatore insists on having his way[42]. Massimo Torini personally kidnaps Mayor O'Donovan, bringing him to the lighthouse on Portland Rock[43][44], where they kill Torini, rescue the mayor and force him to work for the Leones [45]. Salvatore then makes peace with his uncle and the old country,[46] before thanking Toni for his hard work and loyalty.[47]
Events of Grand Theft Auto III[]

Salvatore Leone in 2001.
Since his first trial in 1998 mentioned above, he had been tried in court another four times, winning each case. In April 2001, the final trial, he was accused of tax evasion (having $450,000 in undeclared income) before his lawyer Maurice Goldberg successfully convinced the court that Salvatore is dyslexic and struggled with taxes. He was only found guilty of importing tomato sauce from Sicily without a license and fined.[1]
In October 2001, Salvatore is still at war with the Triads and Diablos. Paulie's Revue Bar is renovated and renamed Sex Club 7, with Luigi Goterelli in charge. Claude, having gotten his start working for Luigi, is first introduced to Salvatore by Toni Cipriani at a meeting at Salvatore's mansion, and he sees great potential in Claude.[48][49] Maria, though still married to Salvatore, takes a serious liking to Claude. He also has Curly Bob, an employee at Sex Club 7, killed by Claude for selling information to the Cartel [50].
Claude supposedly earns ultimate favor with Salvatore after he and his friend 8-Ball destroy the cartel-run SPANK factory aboard a tanker ship [51]. However, Salvatore becomes paranoid, makes a truce with the Cartel, becomes infuriated after Maria says she's "an item" with Claude, and sets a death trap for him before Maria warns him of the setup and helps him escape Portland. [52]
Claude, under the orders of Yakuza boss Asuka Kasen, assassinates Salvatore after he leaves Sex Club 7. [53] After this, members of the Leone Crime Family will become hostile towards Claude and attack him with shotguns and pistols if he returns to Saint Mark's. It is unknown who becomes Don of the Leone Family after Salvatore’s death.
Mission Appearances[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Salvatore's Called a Meeting
- Chaperone (Boss)
- Cutting the Grass (Boss)
- Bomb Da Base: Act I (Boss)
- Last Requests (Boss/Betrayal)
- Sayonara Salvatore (Killed)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- The Introduction
- Freefall (Boss)
- Saint Mark's Bistro (Boss)
- Breaking the Bank at Caligula's (Post-mission phone call)
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- Introduction
- Don in 60 Seconds
- The Offer (Boss)
- Ho Selecta! (Boss)
- Frighteners (Boss)
- Rollercoaster Ride (Boss)
- Booby Prize (Post-mission phone call)
- Contra-Banned (Boss)
- Salvatore's Salvation
- The Guns of Leone
- The Portland Chainsaw Masquerade (Post-mission phone call)
- Sindacco Sabotage (Boss)
- The Trouble With Triads (Boss)
- Driving Mr Leone (Boss)
- A Walk in the Park (Voice/Boss)
- Making Toni (Boss)
- The Morgue Party Candidate (Post-mission phone call)
- Caught in the Act (Boss)
- Search and Rescue (Boss)
- Taking the Peace (Voice/Boss)
- Shoot the Messenger (Voice/Boss)
- Love on the Rocks (Post-mission phone call/Arrested off-screen)
- Rough Justice (Boss)
- Dead Reckoning (Voice/Boss)
- Shogun Showdown (Voice/Boss)
- Love on the Run (Post-mission phone call)
- The Shoreside Redemption (Boss/Released)
- The Sicilian Gambit (Boss)
Gallery[]
Artworks[]
In-Game[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
Trivia[]

Badfellas poster
- Salvatore was scheduled to appear in Grand Theft Auto Advance, but was cut during development. He is listed in a wishlist of character artworks for cutscenes as of the 26 February 2003 revision of the game's Design Document. [54]
- Salvatore's beta model appears on posters for the film Badfellas in GTA III. This is a reference to the film Goodfellas, which his actor Frank Vincent, as well as Maria's voice actress, Debi Mazar, were featured in. The posters can be found at Luigi's Sex Club 7 in the Red Light District of Portland, Liberty City.
- Aside from the time he is held in Shoreside Vale Police Station, during which time he wears an orange prison uniform, he is always depicted wearing Italian suits in many colors. In GTA III, his suit is brown with a rose on the collar. In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories his suit is blue with a red tie. In GTA San Andreas, he wears a black three-piece suit, although in The Introduction he is seen wearing a brown suit with no tie and a golden chain.
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Salvatore is only seen in cutscenes and therefore he does not have a model in gta3.img, only cutscene.img.
- Salvatore Leone's appearance is based on Marlon Brando in his famous role, Don Vito Corleone from the 1972 crime drama movie, The Godfather. In fact, it can be reasoned that the Leone family is heavily based on the Corleone family and The Godfather movies, with the name Leone itself derived from Corleone. Leone is also a known importer of tomato sauce, similar to how Corleone was an importer of olive oil.
- Salvatore also heavily resembles Frankie Pentangeli, a character from The Godfather Part II, especially during GTA III.
- Many aspects of Salvatore's character and back story are based on that of real life John "The Teflon Don" Gotti. Both men became boss after a power struggle in the mid 80s, both have escaped conviction several times. Both of their lawyers also claimed in court that their client was not part of the mafia, with Gotti's lawyer even going as far as to say "there is no mafia".
- His original name in the Beta stage of GTA III was Frankie Sorvino. This name was presumably a reference to his voice actor, Frank Vincent and to Frankie Pentangeli from The Godfather Part II whom Salvatore bears resemblance to.
- His original name is still used in the game files, as his texture file is titled 'FRANKIE.TXD' and he is coded as being named FRANKIE in the Main.scm.
- Salvatore's eyes are blue in Grand Theft Auto III, but they are brown in the other two games.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Salvatore Leone: "Just a Business Man". Julius Cohen and Liberty Tree.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Leone: Like Father, Like Son?. Johnnie Blain and Liberty Tree.
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "How did I marry her [Maria Latore]?" (from Contra-Banned mission)
- ↑ “I am just a businessman from Sicily. I have made a few mistakes, and perhaps I have not always followed the law to the letter, but I always believed in its spirit. The police associate me with my brother, but I never do these things they blame me for.”— Salvatore Leone to the Liberty Tree reporters in April 2001.
"Salvatore Leone: Just a Business Man" - By Julius Cohen, Liberty Tree News Bureau (GTA III Flash website). - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Salvatore Leone: "Hey, your mother, god bless her soul, would be turning over in her grave to see you without a wife." (from Salvatore's Called a Meeting mission)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Salvatore Leone: "Hey, Uncle! How you doin', ah? You look good." (from The Sicilian Gambit mission)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Salvatore Leone: "The Sindaccos and the Leones? That's impossible. That's been impossible since your associates whacked my cousin." (from The Introduction DVD)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Salvatore Leone: "You must really think my mother, God rest her soul, fucked an idiot instead of my father." (from The Introduction DVD)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "So, let me understand it. I go in on your casino, take a third stake along with your organization, and the Forelli's..." (from The Introduction DVD)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "You can have the money."
Johnny Sindacco: "We can?"
Salvatore Leone: "If you give me control of the books." (from The Introduction DVD) - ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Hey, we're gonna need a real idiot. A guy we can all push around. There's this lawyer, used to work for the Forellis down in Florida. I heard he's sniffing around for a job. Just got out of rehab or something." (from The Introduction DVD)
- ↑ Carl Johnson: I had the pleasure of doing business with your son, Joey, back in Liberty City."
Salvatore Leone: "You know my Joey? I like that. So, kid, what can I do for you?" (from the Freefall mission) - ↑ Maria Latore: "Here's your sandwich."
Salvatore Leone: "Who's this pretty thing?" (from the Freefall mission) - ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Toni, I know what you did, and no one is more grateful than me, honestly... So when you need something, give Vincenzo a call down at the Atlantic Quay." (from the opening cutscene of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "...for Christ sakes Toni - you saved my ass - call me Sal!" (from the Salvatore's Salvation mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "I got a union boss - a broad no less - that I need to do me a favor, and she asks for money? All I wanted was 24 hours access to the docks, while the strike was going on, strikes that I helped organize, so my boys could offload some drugs..." (from The Offer mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Anyway, I got a shipment of you know what coming in. This is going to put us - you and me - on the map big time. Everything should run smooth. I just need someone - someone I trust - to take care of things for me." (from the Contra-Banned mission)
- ↑ Joseph Daniel O'Toole: "Listen, I hear the Sicilians are trying to broker peace between the families. Sal's got some heavy up at his place right now. The thing is; he smells a rat. He wants someone to get up there and follow this guy, see where he goes." (from The Guns of Leone mission)
- ↑ Mickey Hamfists: "Hey, the guy was a FUCKING RAT! He screwed over his own boss! Disgrazia'. Salvatore could never have trusted that mother fucker." (from The Made Man mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Don't play dumb with me, kid. I was playing dumb when your mother was still turning tricks."
Toni Cipriani: "What's your problem?"
Salvatore Leone: "I know what you've been saying about me. You think I'm an idiot? Huh? Is that what you think?" (from the Driving Mr Leone mission) - ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Listen, the Forellis had Mayor Hole in their pocket." (from the Making Toni mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "I'm getting paranoid Toni. Really fucking paranoid. Just because I think everyone hates me doesn't mean that they don't, know what I mean? Someone is out to get me. It's that fucking mayor! He's gonna blame me for all the shit that's been going down in the neighbourhood. All of it. Not just the shit I did but all of it." (from the Driving Mr Leone mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "You're a good boy, Toni. That fat fuck [Roger Hole] should be taking his daily run in the park. Make sure he's out of breath. Permanently! Oh yeah, get his phone! We can see who he's been talking to..." (from the A Walk in the Park mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "But, we're gonna take control of City Hall. I know a big shot businessman who'd do anything to get into office. He's a complete asshole, so he's qualified for the position. I told him you'd make sure he wins the election... for us!" (from the phone call conversation after the Making Toni mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Toni, my boy, that's the day you're being made!" (from the Making Toni mission)
- ↑ Toni Cipriani: "How's the campaign?"
Donald Love: "It's down to the wire amd every last vote's gonna count! O'Donovan's campaigners are working those marginal seats hard. Well we've got our own bandwagon, so get out there and spread the word!" (from the Steering the Vote mission) - ↑ Donald Love: "This guy has a lot of people canvassing for him, all kinds of deluded 'people' people, if you know what I mean. I think we have to have their faith in democracy shaken, if you understand me." (from the Cam-Pain mission)
- ↑ Donald Love: "Antonio, good to see you! Now, I'm no Democrat, but even I draw the line at vote rigging. Did you know the Forellis own a silent share in a company making the new voting machines?... Well, we certainly can't trust them. No, it's best if they all have a MAJOR malfunction, if you catch my drift." (from the Friggin' the Riggin' mission)
- ↑ Donald Love: "The Forellis are going to take me out, aren't they?"
Toni Cipriani: Don't worry, I'm going to be riding shotgun." (from the Love & Bullets mission) - ↑ Donald Love: "The exit polls are neck and neck. Time for plan B. We steal some of the uncounted votes, and replace them with some of our own." (from the Love & Bullets mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "We're going to have a little chat with the mayor's assistant about Franco Forelli." (from the Caught in the Act mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Right now, I'm gonna flush this turd [Mayor Hole's Assistant] into the bay!" (from the Caught in the Act mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "I went spying on the Forelli's in Fort Staunton when all hell broke loose! The Sindaccos have gone to war with the Forellis, and I'm stuck here in the middle of a hit!" (from the Search and Rescue mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "We've messed around with Paulie Sindacco's car."
Toni Cipriani: "So what do you want me to do?"
Salvatore Leone: "Paulie's going to a meet with the Forellis - he's trying to broker a truce. Use the gear in the van to take control of Paulie's car and mess up the meet." (from the Taking the Peace mission) - ↑ Leon McAffrey: "Although no links can be proved between Love and Liberty City's organized crime, it seems his friendship with mobsters including Toni Cipriani, have counted heavily against his voters' eyes. The past few hours have seen his popularity plummet. He is deemed, it seems, unfit for office..." (from the Love on the Rocks mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "The feds have caught up with your boss, Salvatore. And they're real pissed. He's gonna take the heat for every crime in this city." (from the Munitions Dump mission)
- ↑ Police Officer: "Here's your lawyer, Mr. Leone."
Salvatore Leone: "Listen, uh, Lionel, you're looking good." (from the Rough Justice mission) - ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Let's hit 'em both hard. Way I see it, they both could use a good beating for this outrage. Motherfuckers... Thank you - Toni - you really mean a lot to me, - you know that. Listen, you might need some back up. Use the hoods. Okay?" (from the Rough Justice mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Take Paulie Sindacco. His family's finished in this town. But he thinks he can just run away, like he's got no dues to pay. I'm in jail because of that bastard! Make that son of a bitch pay." (from the Dead Reckoning mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "I hear that the fuckin' Yakuza are gonna make a play to take over the city. Other than that, everything is just peachy! After all these years of mob control, we've finally flushed it all down the crapper!...The Yakuza have got a load of weapons in Aspatria. Nothing can stop them now!"
Toni Cipriani: "We'll see about that." (from the Shogun Showdown mission) - ↑ Salvatore Leone: "It's good to be a free man again." (from The Shoreside Redemption mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Now, I got the Sicilians on the phone, wanting peace. We all want peace! But my peace, not their fucking peace." (from The Sicilian Gambit mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Lousy bastards have taken him [O'Donovan] already!" (from The Sicilian Gambit mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "They think they can hide at the lighthouse!" (from The Sicilian Gambit mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Mr. Mayor! We just saved you from that bunch of crazed Sicilians..."
Miles O'Donovan: "Oh yeah, that I work for you." (from The Sicilian Gambit mission) - ↑ Uncle Leone: "Ahhhh, Salvatore. All we really wanted was clarity."
Salvatore Leone: "Yes, uncle. I appreciate that."
Uncle Leone: "So, we are at peace now - you and the old country?"
Salvatore Leone: "Of course. Me and all my people." (from The Sicilian Gambit mission) - ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Yeah, we cleaned up. You did good Toni, you did real good. I always thought you was a good kid. You saved my ass a few times. And I appreciate that kind of loyalty... A good worker. I like that. Respectful." (from The Sicilian Gambit mission)
- ↑ Toni Cipriani: "You did good back there kid, real good. C'mon let's introduce you to the Don." (from the Salvatore's Called a Meeting mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "Now listen you guys [Joey Leone, Luigi Goterelli and Toni Cipriani], you go inside while I talk to our new friend here [Claude]. I see nothing but good things for you my boy..." (from the Salvatore's Called a Meeting mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "The Colombian Cartel is making SPANK somewhere in Liberty. But we don't know where, and they seem to know everything we're doing, before we do. We got us a rat! There is a guy named Curly Bob, who works the bar at Luigi's. He's been throwing more money around than he's earning. He ain't pimpin' or pushin' so he must be talking. He usually gets a taxi home after work. So follow him. And if he's rattin' us out kill him." (from the Cutting the Grass mission)
- ↑ Salvatore Leone: "I'm asking you to destroy that SPANK factory as a personal favor to me, Salvatore Leone. If you do this for me, you will be a made man, anything you want. Go and see 8-Ball, you'll need his expertise to blow-up that boat." (from the Bomb Da Base: Act I mission)
- ↑ Maria Latore: "Listen Salvatore, think that we're going behind his back. So he was offering you to the Cartel, in order to make a deal. I couldn't let him do that, I mean the worst thing is... it's my fault. I told him we were an item, don't ask me why I don't know. Look you're a marked man on Mafia turf and I've got to get out of here to. I've seen too much killing. Too much blood. This is a friend of mine ok, she's an old friend... it's Asuka, she's someone we can trust." (from the Last Requests mission)
- ↑ Asuka Kasen: "We have certain issues to clear up before we can continue any form of relationship, business or otherwise. Let's lay our cards or the table, I am Yakuza and I know you worked for Salvatore Leone's family. I can give you work with our organization, but first you must prove to me that your ties with the Mafia are truly broken. Salvatore Leone will be leaving Luigi's in about three hours time. Make sure he doesn't reach his club alive." (from the Sayonara Salvatore mission)
- ↑ Game Design Document(12/25/24)"Art Requirements"; GTA Advance: Game Design Document - Version 1.3, 26th February 2003. Digital Eclipse. (Page 79)