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Empire Bay History[]
- Greenfield is a pleasant residential suburb located on the bay behind Kingston Stadium. Built in the late 1930s, it is a desirable first step out of the city for many young families.
- Kingston is the center of Empire Bay's Irish community. Once the site of Empire Bay's garment district, Kingston was where many Irish immigrant families settled when they emigrated to America in the late nineteenth century.
- Throughout its history, Empire Bay has served as one of the main portals for immigrants coming to the United States. Many districts have been built around the many waves of immigration the city has seen.
- Empire Bay was founded in 1547 by the Italian explorer Giulio Contadino; it was originally named Porto Romano after the explorer's home city of Rome.
- Empire Bay was named in 1694 by its first English governor, Sir John Stanmore, who oversaw the colony for a remarkable 45 years.
- The Empire Bay Cannons are the city's baseball team. The Cannons were formed in 1903, and moved into Kingston Stadium twenty years later. Kingston Stadium welcomes over 2 million Cannons fans every year.
- For the first 50 years of its existence, Empire Bay was a simple trading post at the mouth of the Culver River. It was under Dutch rule in the seventeenth century that the city grew from a small town to a major metropolis.
- The British used prison ships in Empire Bay to hold thousands of American POWs during the Revolutionary War. The conditions were so terrible that more men died here of disease than in the battles of the war itself.
- The landscaping of Lincoln Park began in 1867. Named to commemorate the death of the popular president, the large green space was designated by public-minded city planners to preserve a pleasant area in the rapidly expanding metropolis.
- Empire Bay Diner's famous Bay Decker sandwich is now served in an estimated 50,000 hotels and restaurants across the world. Its inventor, Ernie Sands, first created the sandwich using leftovers from a buffet lunch celebrating the end of the first World War in 1918.
- Irish fabric manufacturer John Dipton opened the first Dipton Apparel clothing shop in Kingston around 1850. Since then, the business gained a reputation for great quality and value, with stores found in every major US city.
- The Empire Arms hotel in Southport was famous for hosting glamorous balls attended by movie stars, business moguls, and politicians. It burned to the ground in 1942, and is now being rebuilt as a million-dollar development that will stun the world.
- The iconic Grand Upper Bridge spans the Culver River, linking the districts of Uptown and Hunters. When completed in 1894, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world and remained so for the next ten years.
- The hills behind Empire Bay are dominated by the fantastic Culver Dam. When completed in 1933, it was the world's largest hydroelectric power plant, and still provides electricity to over 20,000 homes in the Bay State area.
- Empire Bay is one of the primary industrial hubs on the east coast of the United States. Famous brands like Swift Cola, Trago Oil, and Big Break Tobacco are headquartered in the city, and use its ports to ship their products throughout the world.
- The population of Empire Bay has risen from 3 million at the turn of the century to over 7 million in 1940.
- The illustrious Austrian retailer Josef Vangel fled to Empire Bay from his home country at the outbreak of World War II. His new department store in Midtown is especially renowned for its high-quality tailoring.
- Empire Bay's Chinatown is the largest concentration of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere. The first Chinese to arrive were traders and sailors in the mid 1700s, but the population explosion mainly occurred in the twentieth century when garment, laundry, and restaurant trades attracted thousands to emigrate from the Chinese mainland.
- The Bombers gang runs the streets in the slum districts of Sand Island and Hunters Point in the southwest of the city.
About the Mafia[]
- Omerta is the code of silence that members of the mafia swear to uphold when joining the organization. Those who break Omerta by giving information to the authorities are given a death sentence by the mafia's ruling body.
- The word "mafia" roughly translated from Sicilian means "swagger" or "boldness". It is a term given to the organization by the press, with mafiosos having many different ways of referring to their gang structure and hierarchy.
- The boss of the Vinci family is Frank Vinci. Frank is a firm traditionalist with interests in construction and gambling. Vinci also controls the Southport dockworkers union, using his influence to bleed money from the merchant vessels that use his workforce. Controlling the port also helps him smuggle black market goods into the city.
- Carlo Falcone heads the Falcone Crime Family. Carlo is a ruthless modernizer who sees the American Mafia as needing to break from its Sicilian traditions. Carlo and his underboss Eddie Scarpa are two of the most dangerous men in Empire Bay.
- The Clemente family is led by Alberto Clemente. Clemente runs Freddy's Bar in Little Italy, a slaughterhouse in Riverside, and various small rackets around the city. Clemente is cheap and underhanded; his organization is viewed as second-rate by the other families.
- A consigliere is an adviser to the boss. This role is granted to an especially trusted confidante who can mediate disputes with other families, offer advice, and administer the legitimate side of the business.
- A man must be able to claim Sicilian or Italian descent to become a member of the American Mafia. Non-Italians are often associated with the mafia, but can never join the organization itself.
- When a man becomes a full member or "made man", he cannot be murdered by other members without prior approval from the boss of his family.
- A "pentito" is a term used for a mafioso who turns informant. In the late 1930s, Tommy Angelo famously informed on the Salieri family in Lost Heaven, and in doing so revealed the inner workings of the mafia to both law enforcement agencies and the American public.
- The Mona Lisa bar on the city's west side is owned by mob boss Frank Vinci and is used to launder money from his other less legitimate businesses. Frank named the bar for his late wife.
- The Falcone crime family operates out of the Maltese Falcon restaurant. It got its name due to Carlo Falcone's love of detective novels. Falcone underboss Eddie Scarpa runs the day-to-day business of the restaurant, spending most of his time at the bar.
- The Commission is the ruling body of the American Mafia. Comprised of the heads of major families, the Commission oversees mafia activities in an attempt to avoid inter-family wars.
- The American Mafia amassed huge fortunes bootlegging alcohol during Prohibition. Since the ban on alcohol was lifted in 1933, profits have dried up and the tensions between mafia families have been rising.
- Organized crime in Empire Bay is dominated by three families - the Vinci, Falcone, and Clemente gangs.
- Luca Gurino is Alberto Clemente's capo. He operates out of Freddy's Bar in Little Italy. Luca is a vicious sadist and is notorious amongst Empire Bay's prostitutes for his violent behavior.
- Frank Vinci and his close associate Leo Galante first arrived in Empire Bay from Sicily in 1908. Together they set up the most successful criminal organization in the city's history with Frank providing the muscle and Leo the brains.
Tommy Angelo's testimony, trial of Ennio Salieri, 1938[]
- I became a criminal because I did not want to become a victim.
- Lost Heaven is rotten to its core. Even the police and politicians are in hock to Mr. Salieri or his associates. And a wider network most certainly exists between gangs in other American cities and even overseas.
- I am describing a way of life that was brought over from the lemon groves of Palermo fifty years ago and hasn't changed one bit - an honored society which operates above the law.
- I witnessed at least fifteen occasions where murders were sanctioned by Ennio Salieri himself. He orders the deaths of his employees and clients in the same way that a gardener pulls weeds from his flower bed.
- At all times we operated with layers of deniability. The boss passed orders down the ranks, and each rank distanced itself from the crime. Mugs like me and Paulie took the risks, while the top guys sat comfortably and safely in their homes.
- Bootlegged alcohol brought in a lot of money, but that wasn't it. I knew pimps, loan sharks, forgers, and smugglers who operated under license from Salieri and kicked money back to him.
- When you are a member of these gangs, your life is based on violence and will most likely end violently. Very few men who choose this line of work die a natural death.
- Ennio Salieri preys on people's fears of losing what they have, so they become obedient to the protection he promises them.
- If a regular guy like me could kill the most powerful man in the city, what good was all his power? It seemed to me that no matter how strong someone is, there'll always be somebody stronger to clip his wings.
- When you work for the mafia, you're respected by the people you meet. Everybody knows you can help them, but you can also destroy their lives. The choice is yours.
- Most guys get into this line of work because of a thirst for power. They don't care about anybody's rules other than their own.
- Look at what happened during Prohibition - a handful of poor, uneducated immigrants from Sicily became stronger than all the laws, courts, and police here in the States. That took some doing.
- You know, the world isn't run by laws written on paper. It's run by people - some according to laws, others not. It depends on each individual how his world will be, how he makes it.
- There is no such thing as honor among thieves. These men take oaths of loyalty, but to their bosses these pledges are simply means to sanction murder and justify reprisals.
- The guy who wants too much risks losing absolutely everything. Of course, the guy who wants too little from life might not get anything at all.
Gameplay Tips[]
- If the car Vito is driving is wanted by the cops, you will see a license plate icon above the radar. Change license plates or repaint the car at a body shop to legalize a vehicle.
- If the cops have Vito's description, you will see a mugshot icon above the radar. Cops will recognize and chase you while you are a wanted man. To lose this status, you can bribe a cop or change your clothes.
- Use phone booths to call in a bribe and lose your wanted status. You cannot use a phone booth while in sight of the cops, so you need to lose them first.
- Sprinting also allows Vito to climb over obstacles like fences, cars, and crates. Climbing over obstacles is a good way to elude gangsters and cops.
- The citizens of the city will report you for serious crimes. The cops don't need to see you commit an offense to get your description.
- To avoid speeding fines, use a vehicle's speed limiter. Driving carefully in the city is a good way to avoid both the police and large repair bills for your favorite cars.
- Picking the locks of cars is a good way to avoid unwanted attention. If you are already being chased, then smashing the window might be the best option.
- Sticking up shops is a quick way to raise money and obtain free goods if you are desperate, but it's also a surefire way of getting police attention.
- Displaying weapons in public is illegal. Keep all weapons hidden when walking the streets; only take them out when you intend to use them.
- Crush cars using The Beast at Mike Bruski's scrapyard to raise money. Derek Pappalardo also buys luxury 1950s car models to export to South America.
- Save your favorite cars in your garage to build your collection. Upgrade them to ensure you are always driving the fastest cars. Just be sure to store them after you visit the body shop.
- Vito's health recovers over time. However, after taking too much damage, his maximum health limit will be reduced. Eating or drinking will replenish the health bar back to full capacity.
- The police in Empire Bay are a force to be reckoned with. Make sure you are carrying cash in case you need to bribe a cop for minor offenses.
- There are three radio stations in Empire Bay. Central plays the latest pop hits, Classic is for fans of older tunes, and Delta is the home of rhythm and blues.
- Character concept art is unlocked as you progress through the game. View these cool period images in the Artworks menu.
- Find destinations easily by using the waypoint function on the the map screen. The waypoint is displayed on your radar to help you to navigate around the city.
- Build up a collection of glamorous girls by finding Playboy magazines. Look around in interior environments to find them, and view from the Collectibles menu.
- Cops and cop cars are shown using blue icons on the radar. Keep a close eye on their positions when trying to evade the law.
- Search walls and alleyways around the city to collect posters of wanted criminals. View the mugshots of these dangerous criminals in the Collectibles menu.
- The flashing blue bar on the left of your radar shows police awareness. Keep a close eye on this. When it is full, it means that the police are on your tail!
- Enemy gangsters roam the streets of Empire Bay. Attacking them will cause other gang members to join the fight.
- Visit body shops to personalize cars and enhance vehicle performance. Upgraded vehicles make it easy to escape from the police.
- Use cover to stay out of sight from police in the city.
- A wanted car will stay that way until you take action to legalize it. It's usually cheaper to change your plates than to bribe the police.
- Empire Bay police expect you to obey the speed limit. Use the speed limiter function to drive safely. If the cops want to give you a speeding ticket, you can pull over and pay it or risk further retaliation by trying to escape.
- If a vehicle takes too much damage it will break down. Vito can fix a broken car engine by popping the hood, but full repairs can only happen at a body shop.
- If a car's tires are shot out, it will be difficult to handle. Shooting a car's gas tank will cause it to explode.
- Taking cover during gunfights is essential to staying alive. Almost any solid object can be used as cover. Use the zoom function to aim and shoot around cover objects.
- Shooting a car's gas tank will cause it to explode.
- Be careful not to pull a weapon inside a gun shop. The owner is usually armed.
- If the cops are chasing you, keep an eye out for shortcuts and alleyways.
- The more crimes you commit, the higher the density of police on the streets of the city.
- To better avoid the cops while speeding, check the radar for cops in your vicinity.
- Use the handbrake to help make tight turns at high speed.
- When you're in a fist fight, be sure to dodge your opponent's blows. If you stay too close to an opponent he'll clam up, so pull back if an enemy is constantly dodging your blows.
- Be careful driving during the winter. Icy roads offer less traction.
- If you are trying to avoid attention, sneak up behind enemies while crouched to perform a stealth kill.
- When you have a wanted status, any cop in the city that sees you will give chase.
- Certain places in the city, like mob-run shops and bars are considered friendly locations. These are places that Vito would not want to damage, so the use of weapons is disallowed.
- Stay behind cover while reloading so you are less of a target. Almost any object that looks like a cover point will be usable, including cars. Staying out in the open during a gunfight is like buying a one-way ticket to the morgue.