Vito Scaletta (Mafia II)

For the events of Mafia III, see Vito Scaletta (Mafia III).

"You know when we first started out, I thought I was gonna be the biggest, baddest wiseguy in the world."

— Vito Scaletta

Vito Scaletta is the protagonist of Mafia II, and a minor character in Mafia and Mafia: Definitive Edition. He is an up-and-coming gangster in the Empire Bay criminal underworld who became a made member of the Falcone Crime Family.

History

Background

"Vito’s Sicilian family moved to America in search of a better life when he was seven years old. His late father couldn't save the family from a life of poverty no matter how hard he worked, so Vito has chosen to pursue an American dream forged on the wrong side of the law."

— Official Description

Vito was born in San Martino, Sicily in 1925 into a very poor family. At the age of seven his father decided to move the family to America to start a new life. Sadly, even in Empire Bay, they couldn't escape poverty. He watched his father work himself into an early grave and soon decided that life inside the law wasn't for him.

Growing up on the streets, Vito crossed paths with Joe Barbaro, a loudmouthed bully who eventually became his best friend. Vito and Joe were the brains and the brawn behind a hundred petty crimes, all the while watching the neighborhood's wealthy gangsters and dreaming of the good life. Now an adult, Vito is determined to make something of himself at all costs.^[1]

Military Enlistment

After being arrested in 1943, Vito is given the choice of going to jail or joining the U.S. Army. Vito chooses the Army and is assigned to the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. On July 11, 1943, Vito and his squad are en route to southern Italy when their plane is hit by flak and goes down. Outnumbered and behind enemy lines, they join forces with the local resistance in an attempt to liberate the town of San Celeste. In the midst of battle Don Calò, head of the Sicilian Mafia, arrives and instructs the Italian soldiers to surrender, which they do out of respect for him.

Return Home

Home Sweet Home 1 — Vito's return to Empire Bay

After being wounded in battle, Vito spends time in an Army hospital and is later given a one month leave to return home. While there, Joe arranges a set of forged discharge papers so Vito doesn't have to return to the Army.

Once home, Vito finds out his father left the family a debt of $2,000 to a loan shark. In need of money, he turns to Joe, who takes Vito to meet Mike Bruski, a junkyard owner who buys stolen cars. Meanwhile, Vito's mother suggests he get a job through Derek Pappalardo at the docks where his late father worked. After a brief stint at stacking crates, Vito is put to work by Derek collecting a "barber's fee" from the dock workers, for which he's paid $100.

Serving Clemente

Enemy of the State 2 — Vito meets Henry Tomasino

Vito is introduced to Henry Tomasino, a soldato in the Clemente family, who gives him his first job: stealing rationed gas stamps from the Office of Price Administration. While the robbery was successful, it's soon realized that the stamps expire at midnight so Vito must rush to sell them off at gas station around Empire Bay. This one action will set in motion a series of events that will change many aspects of Vito's life and future in organized crime.

The next day Vito and Joe are told that a man who borrowed money from Alberto Clemente to buy a jewelry store isn't paying him back fast enough, so Luca Gurino wants them to rob his store. The job goes awry almost as soon as it begins when Brian O'Neill and his gang show up to rob the same store. After a shootout with them and the police, Vito and Joe get away with the jewels, but the O'Neill gang are caught and arrested.

After proving themselves on those previous jobs, Henry enlists Vito and Joe to help kill Sidney Pen, who's stopped paying Don Clemente his money. However, the job is no simple hit, as Mr. Pen employs several dozen guards at his distillery in Sand Island, where the ambush is to take place. While the initial ambush fails, Vito and Joe ultimately kill Pen after chasing him inside the distillery. Vito is paid $2,000 for his help in the hit, and gives the money to his sister Francesca to pay off the family debt.

Jail Time

Vito is arrested and later sentenced to ten years in Hartmann Federal Penitentiary for his role in the ration stamp theft. Shortly after his arrival, Vito is confronted by a vengeful Brian O'Neill, who's serving a sentence for his failed robbery at the West Side Mall, for which he blames Vito. With nowhere else to turn, Vito approaches Leo Galante, the Consigliere of the Vinci Crime Family, who's currently serving a five year sentence for fixing fights. Seeing promise in Vito, Leo takes him under his wing and teaches him the art of boxing.

Vito finally settles matters with O'Neill by killing him with his own knife as they fight in the prison gym. With O'Neill gone Vito is able to relax, spending most of his time in Galante's cell, becoming friends and learning the finer points of how the Mafia families in Empire Bay operate. The close bond they form serves Vito well, as Leo arranges his early release from prison in April 1951.

Return to Crime

Made Man Ceremony — Vito becoming a made man

Finally out of prison, Vito joins back up with Joe and begins working for Eddie Scarpa, Underboss of the Falcone family. After a showdown with the Greasers over a destroyed truck full of stolen cigarettes, Vito is given his first big job, the assassination of his old boss Luca Gurino. This earns him the trust and respect of Don Carlo Falcone, and along with Joe, he is brought into the Falcone family as a made man.

With his life getting better by the day, Vito and Joe are ordered to go to the Empire Arms Hotel and place a bomb in a conference room where Alberto Clemente is holding a family meeting. The explosion fails to kill Clemente, so Vito and Joe are forced to shoot their way through Clemente's men, spilling out onto the streets of Empire Bay. When finally confronted, Joe empties his Thompson 1928 into Clemente, killing him on the spot.

After the hit, Vito is approached by Henry who wishes to escape the crumbling Clemente family and make his bones with Falcone. Vito arranges a sit down for him to meet Eddie, who tells Henry to prove his worth by killing Leo Galante. Vito refuses to take part in the assassination and instead helps Galante escape to Lost Heaven.

New Business

Exit the Dragon 4 — Vito and Joe enter the Red Dragon

Vito's past comes back to haunt him as he's awoken in the night to his villa engulfed in flames. The O'Neill gang, now led by Mickey Desmond, has set fire to his house in retaliation for the killing of Brian O'Neill. Barely escaping with his life, Vito meets up with Joe and they exact their revenge on the Irish gang.

Now penniless and living in a run down apartment in Oyster Bay, a desperate Vito agrees to go in on a drug deal with Henry and Joe. After taking out a substantial loan to raise the money, the three meet up with the Empire Bay Triads and make the deal. The guys are initially earning profit, but Falcone finds out about their side deal and demands a $60,000 cut. To make matters worse, the Triads discover that Henry is an FBI informant and brutally kill him in Lincoln Park, taking the money from the drug sale with them.

Enraged, Vito and Joe follow Zhe Yun Wong to his headquarters at The Red Dragon. Against Vito's better judgement, the two storm the restaurant, killing everyone inside. This incident sparks a war between the Triads and the Mafia families.

Going after Carlo Falcone

Per Aspera Ad Astra 3 — Vito kills Falcone

Needing to repay their loan to Bruno Levine, Vito and Joe take a hit contract from the Salieri Crime Family to kill a rat named Tommy Angelo. With that job under their belts, Vito goes to see Derek, who gives him a job to handle some striking dock workers. While breaking up the strike, Vito learns that Derek had ordered the murder of his father and goes on a rampage, killing Derek and his men and then helping himself to Derek's retirement fund as he leaves.

With his share of the debt in hand, he goes to meet up with Joe, only to find out he's been taken to be interrogated by Frank Vinci. Once he frees Joe from Vinci's men, he takes their combined earnings and pays off the loan to Bruno. He then goes home to wonder how things got so far out of hand and what it's going to take to straighten it all out.

Vito doesn't have to wonder for long, as the next day he's contacted by Leo Galante and told of the war that's erupted due to his and Joe's assault on the Triads and that his only chance at redemption is for him to kill Carlo Falcone. With no other choice, he heads to Falcone's observatory to take him down.

After a lengthy firefight and some help from Joe, Falcone is finally dead. Exhausted by the stress of recent events, Vito and Joe leave the planetarium to find Galante waiting outside with a group of Vinci's men. Galante announces that they will celebrate and invites Vito to join him in his limo while Joe is escorted to another waiting vehicle. As they drive away, Vito is informed that his deal only covered him. He watches helplessly as his best friend is driven away to meet whatever fate awaits him.

Leaving Empire Bay

In the aftermath of the events that took place in the fall of 1951, Vito was exiled to New Bordeaux as part of a deal negotiated by Leo Galante that allows Vito to live after his assault on the Empire Bay Triads. He is put to work in the Marcano Crime Family and given the River Row district of New Bordeaux to run for Sal Marcano.

For events after 1951 please see Vito Scaletta (Mafia III)

Service Medals

Distinguished Service Cross

Received for his service in Operation: Husky.

Purple Heart

Received for being wounded in battle.

World War II Victory Medal

Awarded for performance of military duty in World War II.

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

Awarded for performance of military duty in the European theater during World War II.

Appearances

Mafia

Epilogue

Mafia II

As the protagonist, he appears in all missions.

Joe's Adventures

Witness - Frozen Memories (Arrested)

Mafia: DE

Epilogue

Notable Murders

Brian O'Neill (Boss, O'Neill Gang)
Luca Gurino (Capo, Clemente Crime Family)
Alberto Clemente (Boss, Clemente Crime Family)
Zhe Yun Wong (Enforcer, Empire Bay Triads)
Tommy Angelo (Former soldato, Salieri Crime Family)
Derek Pappalardo (Capo, Vinci Crime Family)
Carlo Falcone (Boss, Falcone Crime Family)

Gallery

Artworks

Trivia

Vito appeared as an unnamed hit man in the ending cutscene of Mafia, making him and Joe Barbaro the only characters to appear in all three games.
Vito was 7 when his family moved to Empire Bay, 18 when Mafia II begins and 26 when it ends.
As Vito came home on leave February 8, 1945 because of injuries sustained in combat, it is possible that he was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge.
During his trial, Vito was wearing a gray tailored suit but in Joe's Adventures he was wearing a dark blue casual suit.
His prison serial number is 19790.
In Sea Gift, Vito states that he hasn't gone to church since 1945, when his mother made him go to confession. This could be a reference to the Christmas Confessions trailer.
Although Vito does not go to church, he still seems to be religious. This is shown during Henry's death, when after checking his pulse he gets up and seems to be doing the "Sign of the Cross".
In Stairway to Heaven, one of the dockworkers mentions that Vito has a striking resemblance to his father.

References

↑ Mafia II Family Album - Vito Scaletta

[1] Mafia II Family Album - Vito Scaletta

[1]