A Friend of Ours is the 11th chapter in Mafia II.
Narrative[]
July 27th, 1951
Henry's Situation[]
Vito wakes up to someone at his door, and he's surprised when he sees it's Henry Tomasino. Henry asks if they can talk and invites Vito to have a drink with him. As Vito drives, Henry discusses his situation and asks Vito if there's any way he could put in a good word with the Falcone family and get him a job working for them. Vito agrees and takes Henry to meet Eddie Scarpa at The Maltese Falcon.
Along the way they discuss the destruction of the Clemente Crime Family and the death of Don Clemente. When Henry asks if Vito and Joe had anything to do with it, Vito will only say that they were taking care of something for their boss that day. Henry then suggests that he wear a better disguise next time because he saw the two from a mile away.
Meeting With Eddie[]
While speaking with Eddie, Vito learns that the Vinci Crime Family is planning to make a move on the Falcone family, but Eddie doesn't know their exact plan. Vito asks if they are planning to go after the rest of Clemente's men, and Eddie says that unless they try something stupid, Falcone has no immediate plans to. Knowing that, Vito asks Eddie if he would be interested in having Henry work for them.
Vito makes the introductions and Eddie immediately asks if Henry is aware of any plans Clemente and Vinci had against the Falcone family. Henry describes a conversation he overheard between Luca Gurino and Leo Galante where Luca was trying to turn Vinci against Falcone, mentioning how he was involved in some dirty business and how something should be done about it. Knowing Vinci is against drugs explains why they're planning a move on them.
Eddie decides they need to hit Vinci first by getting rid of Leo Galante. He explains to Vito that he wanted to keep him out of it, but he had nobody else who can pull the job off; however, with Henry now in the picture, it would be an excellent chance for him to prove himself to the Falcones. Eddie asks if Vito will go along and make sure it goes smoothly, but Vito turns him down, explaining that Leo was like a father to him in prison. Eddie understands and tells Henry he's on his own with this one and that he can hire some help if he needs it, but the job has to be done that day. Henry reassures Eddie it will be and leaves the bar to take care of it, after which Eddie tells Vito he has nothing else for him and asks that he drop by the next day.
Warning Leo[]
As he leaves the bar Vito decides he needs to warn Leo about the hit, so he rushes to Leo's house, where he finds him still dressed in his pajamas and acting confused. After some conversation, Vito gets Leo out of the house and drives him to the train station while they talk about the shady business Falcone is involved in and Leo's plans to settle his affairs in Lost Heaven before he heads off to retire someplace warm.
Eric Reilly[]
After dropping Leo off, Vito heads home to find his sister Francesca waiting for him. She tells Vito that she's having troubles with her husband Eric and she's tired of his constant drinking and cheating behind her back. After being pressed, she admits he occasionally hits her as well. She begs Vito not to hurt him, as she just wants him to talk to Eric and make him straighten up.
Vito finds Eric partying at a friend's apartment and confronts him about how he's treating Francesca. The two end up fighting, but he's no match for Vito. After knocking him down a couple times Vito tells Eric that he needs to start treating his wife better and stop all the partying and cheating, and if he ever hits her again he'll come back and kill him.
Later that day Francesca calls Vito to tell him Eric apologized and everything is better now. She asks Vito to leave him alone and he agrees, adding in that if Eric ever touches her again he'll kill him. This upsets Francesca, who states that she doesn't know Vito anymore and tells him to stay away from her and Eric from now on.
Losing Everything[]
As Vito sleeps that night the O'Neill Gang shows up and sets fire to Vito's house. The place goes up quickly, and with no time to even get dressed, Vito jumps out of the window and runs away as the gang opens fire on him. With nowhere else to turn, he goes to see Joe. After Joe shows off his apartment's new decor, Vito explains what happened. Joe makes a few phone calls and gives Vito a change of clothes, then the two head out to deal with the Irish at the Hill of Tara, the gang's hangout in Kingston.
He learns that the gang is now run by Mickey Desmond, but there are others who want to take over so to show he means business he's going after Vito as revenge for killing the gang's former leader Brian O'Neill when he was in prison. They arrive at the bar and take out the remaining members of the gang, but Desmond escapes out the back and Vito and Joe have to chase after him.
Down and Out[]
With his house, money, and all other possessions gone, Vito asks if he can stay at Joe's place, but instead Joe gives him the keys to Marty's Apartment and tells him he can stay there for a while. Vito is upset that he's lost everything he's ever worked for, so Joe tries to comfort him by saying that business is good and he can make it all back soon enough, which is little comfort to Vito. When Vito sees how much of a dump the apartment is, his only wish is that he had enough money for a hotel.
Walkthrough[]
Catching up with Henry[]
Get dressed and go outside to meet with Henry Tomasino. He will suggest you take his car, but feel free to take your own, as it will be useful later on. As you drive Henry will explain his situation and talk about the hit on Alberto Clemente. When you get to The Maltese Falcon, head inside and hear Eddie's plan to go after the Vinci Crime Family by killing Leo Galante. When the cutscene ends, go outside and get in your car, or steal one if you took Henry's, then get to the Galante Mansion before the timer runs out.
Warning Leo[]
Once you arrive at Leo's house you have a few options. There are two Playboy magazines here that you have to get now, but getting them and the Wake Up Call achievement means you'll have to be quick with this next part.
When the cutscene ends go through the door on your left then straight down the hall, and on the window sill you will find Playboy magazine #47. Now go through the door ahead into a bedroom, turn right and go through another door, then left through one more, and you will see Playboy magazine #29 on top of a wicker basket. Now turn around, and immediately across from that bathroom is a round wicker hamper; upon approaching it you should get a prompt to "Take the sheets". Doing this will begin a cutscene where Vito and Leo climb down the sheets to the ground below, earning you the Wake Up Call achievement. When that scene ends you will be in Leo's car at the end of his driveway. Now just drive to the train station and drop him off, then head home.
Alternative Options[]
Alternatively you can try to hide from Henry. There are several places you can do this, under a bed, in the shower, in a closet or if you wait too long Henry will just catch you. All of these will have various results, from a mission failure after Vito and Leo are killed by Henry to a cutscene where he talks to them both and eventually lets them go. You can reload as many times as you want to try all the available options because the game doesn't save again until Vito drops Leo off at the train station.[1]
Dealing With Eric[]
When you get back to Villa Scaletta, Francesca will be sitting on the porch waiting for him; once the cutscene ends follow the map marker to the Scetta Apartment. Once inside first enter the bedroom to find Playboy magazine #28 next to a guy on the floor. Now go into the kitchen to deal with Eric, and there will be a short fistfight. Once that's over head back to Vito's house, answer the phone call from Francesca, and then go to bed.
The O'Neill Gang[]
Once the cutscene of the O'Neill Gang setting fire to Vito's house ends, go over to the window and jump out. You'll be outside with no clothes, weapons, or access to your vehicles. Optionally, you can choose to punch out one of the enemies to your right and take his .38 Revolver to fight back. If you managed to kill everyone, you are able to get a 1911 Semi, a 1911 Special, a .38 Revolver, and a Grease Gun. Or you can run through the neighbor's yards while avoiding their fire until you find a vehicle to steal, then head to Joe's Apartment. Once you arrive and Joe shows off his apartment's new look, go over to the bed and you'll find Playboy magazine #49 on the floor.
After Joe makes his phone call, head outside and drive to the Hill of Tara bar in Kingston. If Vito hasn't obtained any weapons, there will be some additional dialogue in which Joe gives him a 1911 Semi. Once you enter the bar and the cutscene ends, take out the gang members inside. Now go through the swinging saloon doors next to the bar and you'll find Playboy magazine #30 lying on the floor against the back wall. Then head outside to take care of Mickey Desmond.
This part is optional and depends on the player's actions. There are many ways to get through this part:
- Shooting the Tires/Gas Pump/Driver: The simplest method, before he starts driving off, aim for the tires to immobilize his car, and shoot him as soon as he steps out. Or, go for the gas pump just above the car to explode it, this is a little tricky as the gas pump is a small target. Or you can simply shoot directly at him before he starts moving. A fast firing weapon is recommended, like the Thompson 1928.
- Grenades: Before you go to Joe's Apartment, crush cars for money, and go to Harry's Gun Shop to buy some grenades. Don't throw the grenades directly at him, because the car will move before the grenades explodes. Instead, throw the grenades ahead of his movement path, this will cause him to drive into the grenades.
- Car Chase: You are most likely to fail to react quickly by shooting the tires if you're playing blind. Immediately get into your car with Joe and chase him down. Focus on driving, as Joe will help shoot at the car. This can be quite time consuming, because sometimes cops will spawn and makes the chase harder. Or you can simply ram into his vehicle to make him unable to move. Joe would most likely be able to kill him with his Thompson.
- Fail: This is the quickest way to finish the chase, second only to shooting out the tires. Simply not chase him or fail to catch him altogether. Failling has no consequences whatsoever on the mission.
New Apartment[]
Once you've dealt with the O'Neill gang and dropped Joe off at home, follow your map to Marty's Apartment in Oyster Bay and use the bed to end the mission and get the Our Good Friend achievement.
News Reports[]
Richard Foxberry reports on the fire at Villa Scaletta. Sammy Stevens reports on the shootout at the Hill of Tara.
Trivia[]
- If the player blows up Henry's car at the beginning of this mission, he will be driving the blown-up model in the cutscene at Leo's house but after this it will be in perfect condition.
- The player has the option to use stealth and take out the two guards outside Leo's mansion. This allows the player to steal Henry's car if escaping through the front door.
- If the player wishes to return to Leo's mansion while taking him to the train station, the player can unlock both the front and back door.
- Some of the names on the doors in Eric's apartment building are the names of game developers.
- After Vito's house burns down, Empire Central Radio will play a message asking for Vito to call the radio station and verify he is safe, and warning the other residents to evacuate until the fire is put out. Delta Radio will also do the same.
- It's entirely possible for the player get some clothes on after the house is burnt down by either robbing clothing stores or acquiring money and buying clothes, but Joe won't mention Vito being "barbecuing in your underwears." However, you'll still be able to get Joe's shirt.
- If the player buys any clothing between Vito's house burning down and arriving at Marty's Apartment, only what Vito is currently wearing will be saved in the closet.