Spoiler Warning: Plot and/or ending details are in the text which follows.
- ❝Listen, I just wanna make some money, if that means I gotta take serious risks, then so be it, I'll do anything to make sure that my boy doesn't have to go through an ounce of what I went through when I was his age.❞
- — Sonny to Don Gambetti in the mission, In To Commission.
Description[]
Sonny Cangelosi is the main protagonist of Episode 1 of the Grand Theft Auto IV: The Commission . Sonny is an Italian-American, young man from Cerveza Heights, Dukes. He is a underboss of Gambetti Family, who rose through the ranks, managing to become the boss of the family.
For more information, see Sonny Cangelosi on the GTA Fandom Wiki.
Information[]
Sonny Cangelosi is a 32 year-old man, he is of Italian descent and lives in the neighbourhood of Cerveza Heights, in the Borough of Dukes. He is an Underboss to the Gambetti Family, headed by Alberto Gambetti. Sonny is a well respected member of the commission, a committee of all the 5 Families of Liberty City, and his intimidation and physical earned him a feared reputation among those unfortunate enough to be a victim of his, mainly shop owners who were late on protection money payment. By the end of the episode, he is the Don of the Gambetti Family, after Alberto Gambetti's death.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Childhood[]
Sonny Antonio Cangelosi was born on July 17th, 1913 to Luca 'Napoli' Cangelosi and Matilda Cangelosi, in Liberty City. He had two older siblings, Ben Cangelosi born in 1898, and Heather Cangelosi born in 1902. Sonny and his siblings generally had a decent upbringing, being raised in a middle class environment, as their father, a former servant of New Bourbon crime boss, Angelo Bronte, was the manager of various chains of Italian Restaurant franchise's across Algonquin, though Sonny's memories of this time would be faint, as only a year after his birth, his father would gain a gambling and booze addiction, bringing the family into bankruptcy, the house was repossessed and they were forced to live in a crammed hostel in Broker. His mother eventually split his father due to his habits, and he moved back to Italy and took Ben with him, something his mother always regretted let happen. He spent much of his early years hearing about World War 1, as his brother was fighting at the time. Ben then moved to back to the USA, and resided in Champaign after the war
Beginning of Criminal Activities[]
Cangelosi's criminal career began in 1919 at only aged 6, when he began to steal bread, veg, and fruits from markets in Dukes, to provide for his family. Also at age 6, he met his best friend, Angelo Costa, and the two, along with other neighborhood kids formed a small criminal clique called 'I Ragazzi Pazzi', translating to 'The Crazy Boys'.
Joining the Mafia[]
Sonny's criminal career would progress, as in 1929, aged 16, he joined the Gambetti Crime Family, the strongest family of the commission. He began as muscle, but his quick thinking and charisma caught the attention of boss, Alberto Gambetti, and he quickly rose up the ranks. By the mid-1930's, he was a made-man and became in charge of sending out muscle to collect business debts. In 1937, he was officially the under boss of the Gambetti Family. He and Angelo were the favorites of the don due to their reliability and efficiency in getting tasks done. In 1935, he met his future wife, Maria Biachi, they later married in 1938, and had a son, Sonny Cangelosi Jr. in 1941. In order to keep his family away from his life of crime, he bought a house in Carcer City and had them live there.
Time in the War[]
In Late 1941, Sonny decided to join the Army as a legal source of income, and to help pardon Agelo, who'd been arrested earlier that year, he started out as a transporter of medical supplies, but eventually saw action on the front line in Normandy, during the D-Day landings. He killed around 42 during his time in the war, something that he often boasts about.
Events of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Commission Episode 1[]
After a few years back from war, Sonny a respected veteran across the Italian American community of LC has the reputation and respect but not the money that he needs to live and provide for his wife and kids who live in Carcer City. He meets up with his best friend, Angelo, and they both catch up. His family offer him a Job at the port but he finds it lackluster and unfulfilling. After getting into a physical altercation with and beating a few Pavano Muscle for trying to rob his co-workers. He realises what he needs to do to make ends meet. He calls up Angelo, to inform him that wants to begin to work for the family again, Angelo agrees to help him, but informs him that things have changed since he left.
Later that day, he reunites with the Don and the rest of the family, before the Don informs him that he has been replaced as under boss to the organization by Frank Vinci, a relative newcomer. Frank gives him some simple tasks, such as going to get protection money from numerous stores across the family's territory, overseeing the family rackets, and vandalising Pavano property, Sonny sees this as degrading, as he'd done all of this stuff over a decade prior, but understands that it's for the purpose of regaining trust and respect within the family. After a few more petty low-level jobs. Frank tasks him with picking up a car and upgrading it at a mafia-owned auto shop, he informs him to tell no one in the family about this errand, though Sonny later tells Angelo, regardless. This is the last job from Frank. Afterwards, Sonny is gifted an apartment in BOABO by the Don as a form of appreciation. He gets a call from Angelo stating that Don Gambetti has some personal work for him, Sonny goes to the Morello's Italian Bistro in Little Italy, where he finally reunites with the Don in person after nearly 5 years.
Sonny, now fully re-initiated within the Family, conducts some more kobs, directly under the order of the boss, carrying out assassinations on various high ranking mafioso and political figures, including Senator Harry Caruso, a former Gambetti affiliated politician who reformed and attempts to crack down on Mafia rackets across the city, Franky Barone, a Messina Underboss, who is against the Gambettis, and Luca Giorgio, a former Gambetti chef, who plans on testifying against the family. After these tasks are done, the Don begins to see the reliability in Sonny and reconsiders him as a suitable Underboss over Frank, which angering the latter. The Don gives Sonny one final tasks, engaging in a street race against racers representing rival families. Sonny notices that the same car that Frank tasked him with fixing was being used by a Pavano racer, despite the odds against him, Sonny comes out on top, after the race he accuses Frank of playing both sides, which angers Frank to the point which Angelo, who sides with Sonny, gets involved breaking up the dispute.
Don Gambetti informs Sonny of a corrupt LCPD cop on Pavano payroll, Deputy Commissioner George Michaels, who is working on a case that'll likely see the arrest of several high ranking Gambetti members and associates. He tasks Sonny with dressing up as a cop, and infiltrating the LCPD headquarters in Lower Easton. Despite this, Michaels recognizes Sonny through the disguise and flees, Sonny eventually catches up and the two struggle, this is when Michaels informs Sonny that Frank is a double-agent working for the Pavanos, hence why he was able to identify who Sonny was. Sonny kills Michaels, but quickly gets word that the Don is about to be executed by Frank.
Sonny and Angelo rush to Little Italy where they catch Frank attempting to shoot the Don. they are able to stop him, Frank then flees to Middle Park, where he is pursued and caught by Sonny and Angelo, and executed by the duo. The Don congratulates the two on their work and loyalty, Angelo is promoted to Underboss, and Sonny is promoted to Capo, but Angelo, believing that Sonny deserves the title more, decides to swap it with him, a decision which the Don both appreciates and respects. A short time late, Sonny receives a desperate call from his wife, Maria, who informs him that debt collectors have been harassing her in Carcer City, and informs him that their base of operations is in Upstate, Sonny travels upstate and kills the gang, protecting his wife, he then decides to take over the racket for the Gambettis.
A man who identifies himself as Eli Silverstein rings Sonny up to inform him the latter that he has lost him a lot of money, as Frank was his associate, he states that he was work for Sonny in order to pay his "debts". Sonny meets Silverstein at the Alderney Casino in Westdyke, which he owns. Eli, a high-ranking member of the Jewish Mob, has plans to build numerous casinos across the Las Venturas strip, but has many enemies who plan on prevent this such as the governor of Robada, Barry Lawrence, Matthew Giordano, a Messina made man, along with other splinter factions of the Jewish Mob who intend on capitalizing on Eli's businesses. Sonny is sent to Las Venturas to deal with Eli's problems, all of his adversaries are killed in LV. In his final mission for Eli, he, and Angelo, aided by Gambetti muscle, rob the Bank of Liberty in Broker, the media pin the robbery on the Jewish Mob, leading to Eli's relations with the higher-ups of the mob being more strained. Eli splits away from the main Jewish Mob, steals Sonny and Angelo's cut and flees to Las Venturas. Sonny and Angelo board a plane and pursue Eli. Now in LV, Eli tasks his Jewish faction to kill the duo, but the gang is easily wiped out by them. Eli is killed as he attempts to flee in Vladimir Helicopter, which is shot down by Sonny.
Sonny receives a letter in his post, from Mori Abelman, leader of the Jewish Mob, thanking him for getting rid of Silverstein, he gives Sonny $1500 dollars and the deeds to Eli's casino in Westdyke.
Events of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Commission Episode 2 Flashbacks and Death[]
After the events of Episode 1, The Gambetti family is at it's peak, Sonny's firm and strict leadership has led to influence spreading throughout the states of Liberty and Alderney, and Gambetti-owned casinos in Las Venturas have brought about strong Gambetti in the state of Robada. However during the later 60's and early 70's, Sonny became sick, and was prone to heart attacks and strokes, as the mid 70's came his condition bettered, but a failed attempt on his life in July off. 1978 would prove fatal. As it would cause another heart attacks, this one being the precursor to his death.
Appearance[]
Sonny is a young white male of average weight and height, weighing at 182 lbs, and scaling at 5'11, he has black hair that is thoroughly greased, and Brown eyes his clothing appearance is based on the player's choice, though his default outfit is a Black Gnocchi Tuxedo, topped by a Red SN Tie, and a White Shirt underneath, with Black Oxfords. When working at the docks, he wears traditional longshoreman type clothing, a White Short-Sleeved T Shirt, underneath a pair of Dark Grey Slacks, with Boots, topped with a Plaid Beret. In 1978, Sonny has clearly aged significantly, he has gained some weiht, and has grey hairs, it could be argued that the many decades of running the family and it's operations have taken it's toll on the Don, he still favours expensive clothing, and wears Gnocchi and SN suits regularly.
Personality[]
Sonny is a calm and collected individual, his character changes minimally throughout the story as he has already formed a character based on his previous experiences in both the Mafia and the Army. He is a family-oriented man who prioritizes his family other anything else, and states that all of his actions are only done in thought of giving his family a better life. He often prefers talking out problems, and solving issues diplomatically rather than choosing violence. Despite this, he will resort to violence if it's his last logical option, or if it benefits the Gambetti Family, he is a loyal member of the family and never questions the Don. He largely respects the authority and structure of the Mafia, naming it as "the last institution where respect really matters". Sonny has a huge sense of pride and charisma, which earned him the respect of many Italian-American gangsters early on in his career, he often boasts about his many achievements in the army and in his early days in the Gambetti Family.