Tommy Vercetti, born in Liberty City to an
Italian American family, helped his father at a printing press as a child. Initially aspiring to an honest life, he fell into crime as a teenager through Sonny Forelli, a mafia boss who eventually made him a member of the Forelli Crime Family. In 1971, Sonny, fearing Tommy's growing influence, set him up in a trap that led to Tommy killing 11 men in self-defense. Arrested for multiple murders, Tommy earned the nickname "The Harwood Butcher" and served 15 years in prison. In 1986, freshly released, Tommy was sent to Vice City by Sonny to oversee a drug deal. The deal was ambushed, leaving Tommy to recover the lost money and drugs. During his investigation, he formed alliances with figures like Ken Rosenberg, Colonel Cortez, Kent Paul, Lance Vance, and Avery Carrington. Discovering drug lord Ricardo Diaz orchestrated the ambush, Tommy and Lance killed Diaz in his own mansion, seizing his empire. With Diaz's assets, Tommy established the "Vercetti Gang", distancing himself from the Forellis and building a vast criminal empire. He neglected Lance, who felt sidelined while expanding his operations and forming alliances with local gangs. When Sonny arrived in Vice City demanding payment, he revealed Lance's betrayal and his role in Tommy's 1971 arrest. A shootout ensued, resulting in Tommy killing both Sonny and Lance. With his rivals eliminated, Tommy cemented his position as Vice City's undisputed
kingpin. Not much is known about Tommy's life after 1986 other than his partnership with Ken being short-lived. At some point before 1992, when Ken's
cocaine addiction became a serious nuisance for Tommy, he sent him to a rehabilitation center in Fort Carson, San Andreas, and abandoned him there. In
The Introduction, a short prologue film to
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Ken gets out of rehab after completing his treatment and tries to contact Tommy, but is unsuccessful, as the latter has cut all ties with him. == Reception ==