The GTA Nerd (talk | contribs) (→Trivia) |
MonkeyBot188 (talk | contribs) m (→Navigation: category update) |
||
(284 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
+ | {{Spoilers}} |
||
− | {{infobox character |
||
+ | {{Infobox character |
||
|name = Anthony Prince |
|name = Anthony Prince |
||
− | |image = |
+ | |image = <gallery> |
+ | TonyPrince-GTAO-AfterHoursTrailer.png|2018 |
||
− | |size = 200px |
||
+ | GayTony-TBOGT.jpg|2008 |
||
− | |games = [[Grand Theft Auto IV]]<br>[[The Lost and Damned]]<br>[[The Ballad of Gay Tony]] |
||
+ | </gallery> |
||
− | |aka = Gay Tony<br>Tony Prince<br>Tony<br>Tony Queen<!--The Celebinator's name for him--><br>Tone<br>T<br>Big Tony<br>Big Tone<br>Fag Tony<br/>Gayer Tony |
||
+ | |aka = Tony<br>Gay Tony<br>{{H:title|Used by Luis Lopez and English Dave|Tone}}<br>T |
||
+ | Prince |
||
+ | |nationality = {{Flagicon|United States of America|Flag of the United States}} [[United States of America|American]] |
||
+ | |status = Alive |
||
+ | |dob = {{H:title|LCPD database in 2008 claims he is 50|1958}}/{{H:title|Tony claims to be 45|1963}} |
||
+ | |pob = Midwestern [[United States of America|United States]] |
||
+ | |home = [[Tony's Apartment|Apartment]], [[Liberty Lane]], [[Little Italy]], [[Algonquin]] <small>(Formerly)</small> |
||
+ | [[Los Santos (HD Universe)|Los Santos]], [[State of San Andreas (HD Universe)|San Andreas]] |
||
+ | |affiliations = <center>'''''The Ballad of Gay Tony'''''</center> |
||
+ | *[[Luis Fernando Lopez]]<br> |
||
+ | *[[Ancelotti Family]] <small>(Formerly)</small> |
||
+ | *[[Evan Moss]] <small>(Formerly)</small>{{Status|D1=y}} |
||
+ | *[[Dessie]] |
||
+ | *[[Joni]] |
||
+ | *[[Troy (The Ballad of Gay Tony)|Troy]] |
||
+ | *[[Cindy]] |
||
+ | *[[Yusuf Amir]] |
||
+ | *[[Rocco Pelosi]] <small>(Formerly)</small>{{Status|D1=y}} |
||
+ | *[[Mori Kibbutz]] <small>(Formerly)</small> |
||
+ | *[[Ray Bulgarin]] <small>(Formerly)</small>{{Status|D1=y}} |
||
+ | *[[Cloe Parker]]<br> |
||
+ | <center>'''''GTA Online'''''</center> |
||
+ | *[[Lazlow Jones]]<br> |
||
+ | *[[English Dave]]<br> |
||
+ | *[[GTA Online Protagonist|''GTA Online'' Protagonist]]<br> |
||
+ | *[[Connie]] <small>(Bar Staff)</small><br> |
||
+ | *[[Marcel]] <small>(Security Staff)</small><br> |
||
+ | *[[Yohan Blair]] <small>(Warehouse Staff)</small> |
||
+ | *[[The Black Madonna]] <small>(Former girlfriend)</small> |
||
+ | |weapons = [[Pistol]]<br>[[Pistol .44]] |
||
+ | |vehicles = <center>'''The Ballad of Gay Tony'''</center> |
||
+ | *Black [[Schafter]]<br> |
||
+ | *Black [[Stretch E]]<br> |
||
+ | *Black [[Stretch]]<br> |
||
+ | *[[Squalo]]<br> |
||
+ | *Purple [[Infernus]] |
||
+ | <br> |
||
+ | <center>'''GTA Online'''</center> |
||
+ | *Black "PR1NCE" [[Schafter V12]]<br> |
||
+ | *White "PR2NCE" [[Patriot Stretch]]<br> |
||
+ | *Chrome [[Buzzard]]<br> |
||
+ | |businesses = [[Maisonette 9]]<br>[[Hercules]]<br>[[Nightclubs|Online Player's Nightclub]] |
||
|gender = M |
|gender = M |
||
+ | |games = ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]<br>[[The Lost and Damned]]<br>[[The Ballad of Gay Tony]]<br>[[Grand Theft Auto Online]]'' |
||
− | |dob = 1958/1963 (LCPD database claims he is 50, although he claims to be 45) |
||
+ | |voice = [[D.B. Cooper]] |
||
− | |pob = [[Dukes]], [[Liberty City in GTA IV Era|Liberty City]] |
||
+ | |size = 200px |
||
− | |home = [[Little Italy]], [[Liberty City in GTA IV Era|Liberty City]] |
||
+ | }} |
||
− | |nationality = American |
||
+ | {{Quote|The Russian mob want me dead, my best friend just contemplated murdering me, the mob are on my case, I'm massively in debt and I just lost 2 million dollars worth of diamonds. Any other man would just dust himself off and carry on.|Tony Prince to [[Luis Fernando Lopez|Luis Lopez]] in the final mission of ''[[The Ballad of Gay Tony]]'', "[[Departure Time]]".|sound=TonyPrince-TBoGT-Quote.ogg}} |
||
− | |affiliations = [[Luis Fernando Lopez]]<br>[[Ancelotti Family]]<br>[[Evan Moss]] (formerly)<br>[[Dessie]]<br>[[Joni]]<br>[[Troy (TBOGT)|Troy]]<br>[[Cindy]]<br>[[Yusuf Amir]]<br>[[Rocco Pelosi]] (formerly) <br>[[Mori Kibbutz]] (formerly)<br>[[Ray Bulgarin]] (formerly)<br>[[Cloe Parker]] |
||
+ | {{Quote|Listen, I love narcissism, I built a career on narcissism, I stare in to the mirror and beat off like a real man, I pose, I preen. But there's a limit here...|Tony Prince to Lazlow in the ''[[Grand Theft Auto Online|GTA Online]]'' [[GTA Online Protagonist|Protagonist's]] [[Nightclubs|Nightclub]].|sound=TonyPrince-GTAO-Quote.ogg}} |
||
− | |vehicles = Black [[Schafter]] fleet<br>Black [[Stretch E]] and [[Stretch]]<br>[[Squalo]]<br>Purple [[Infernus]] (pictured in the trailer) |
||
− | |businesses = [[Maisonette 9]]<br>[[Hercules]] |
||
− | |voice = [[D.B. Cooper]]|dod = |status = Alive}} |
||
+ | '''Anthony "Tony" Prince''', also known as '''Gay Tony''', is a character in the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series who appears as a minor character in ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'' and ''[[The Lost and Damned]]'', the eponymous [[deuteragonist]] of ''[[The Ballad of Gay Tony]]'', and a supporting character in ''[[Grand Theft Auto Online]]'' as part of the [[GTA Online: After Hours|After Hours]] update. |
||
− | {{Quote|The [[Ray Bulgarin|Rus]][[Dimitri Rascalov|sian]] mob want me dead, [[Luis Lopez|my best friend]] just contemplated murdering me, the mob are on my case. I´m massively in debt and I just lost 2 million dollars worth of diamonds. Any other man would just dust himself off and carry on.|Anthony Prince}} |
||
− | + | Tony is a nightclub entrepreneur in [[Liberty City (HD Universe)|Liberty City]], as well as the owner of both [[Maisonette 9]] and [[Hercules]]. By [[2018]], Tony has expanded his nightclub business to [[Los Santos (HD Universe)|Los Santos]], [[State of San Andreas (HD Universe)|San Andreas]]. |
|
− | == |
+ | ==History== |
+ | ===Background=== |
||
− | ===Childhood and college years=== |
||
+ | ====Childhood & College Years==== |
||
+ | Tony Prince was born in the Midwest in [[1958]] (although he claims to have been born in 1963) and grew up in [[Dukes]]. According to the Maisonette 9 website, "as a young boy, he wandered to the [[Humboldt River]] and dreamed of living on the other side (in [[Algonquin]]) so he would no longer be considered [[East Borough Bridge|bridge]] and tunnel". He also used to play in front of the [[Monoglobe]] and would sometimes stare into it, wondering what life was like in different countries. He is ashamed of his Dukes background, and it's hinted during the beginning of [[Departure Time]] that he doesn't speak to his parents anymore. He says, "In my day, gay guys used to be lonely, needy, and lost. Now, they're all in relationships!" |
||
+ | Tony would have gone to college as early as [[1975]] though he did not focus on his studies. His first experience working at a nightclub came from being in the cloakroom and eventually the front door of ''Elephant'' in the mid-[[1980]]s until a fire caused it to shut down. The first club Tony opened for himself was ''PUDDLE'', a rave venue famously located in a converted mortuary, until it was shut down when Tony was arrested for tax evasion in [[1985]], spending 3 months in jail. According to Luis, Tony also first earned the nickname "Gay Tony" in 1985 - as the nickname suggests, Tony became openly homosexual by the time he was 27. |
||
− | Tony Prince grew up in Dukes, and according to the Maisonette 9 website, "as a young boy he wandered to the [[Humboldt River]] and dreamed of living on the other side (in [[Algonquin]]) so he would no longer be considered [[East Borough Bridge|bridge]] and tunnel". He also used to play in front of the [[Monoglobe]] and would sometimes stare into it, wondering what life was like in different countries. He is ashamed of his Dukes background, and it's hinted during the beginning of [[Departure Time]] that he doesn't speak to his parents anymore. He says, "In my day, gay guys used to be lonely, needy, and lost. Now, they're all in relationships!". |
||
+ | ====Height of Career & Reputation==== |
||
− | Tony would have gone to college as early as 1975, though he did not focus on his studies. His first experience working at a nightclub came from being in the cloakroom and eventually the front door of ''Elephant'' in the mid-1980s, until a fire caused it to shut down. The first club Tony opened for himself was ''PUDDLE'', a rave venue famously located in a converted mortuary, until it was shut down when Tony was arrested for tax evasion in 1985, spending 3 months in jail. According to Luis, Tony also first earned the nickname "Gay Tony" in 1985 - as the nickname suggests, Tony became openly homosexual by the time he was 27. |
||
+ | According to the Maisonette 9 website, Tony's next club (and first gay club) was ''Thunder'' in [[1986]] which was later renamed ''2 Backed Beast'' and was eventually shut down by the city. At the height of his career, he also owned the clubs ''[[Peacock]]'', ''[[Platonic Fury]],'' and ''[[Cox]]''. In [[1996]], he was arrested for possession of [[cocaine]]. After the failure of ''2 Backed Beast'', he opened ''Hercules'' in [[1998]]. The [[1999|following year]], he got in trouble with the police for "public lewdness". Sometime between 1998 and [[2003]], the counterpart straight club in Tony's portfolio, ''Death By Machines'' also burned down, after which point Tony was briefly banned from opening new venues. |
||
+ | ====Maisonette 9 Ownership & Personal Struggles==== |
||
− | ===Height of career and reputation=== |
||
+ | In 2003, his hiatus ended and he was allowed to open ''Maisonette 9'', but still came under heavier scrutiny for his club's policies on safety, age-checking, and drug use.<ref name="Libertytree2">"Club Owner Appeals for Vice" by [[Mary Williamson]], Liberty Tree ([[libertytreeonline.com|www.libertytreeonline.com/news.html]]) (In game website.)</ref> Sometime after opening the club, he met [[Gracie Ancelotti]], a [[Ancelotti Family|mob]] daughter who once failed to get inside ''Maisonette 9, ''but was granted a membership after befriending Gay Tony (as Gracie tells [[Niko Bellic]] in "[[I'll Take Her]]"). Gay Tony would later be heavily in debt to [[Giovanni Ancelotti|her father]]. |
||
+ | {{Quote|Man, rehab has changed. Last time I was there it was all ice baths and freakishly strong German nurses.|Tony recalling his time at rehab years later in summer 2022}} |
||
− | According to the Maisonette 9 website, Tony's next club (and first gay club) was ''Thunder'' in 1986 which was later renamed ''2 Backed Beast'' and was eventually shut down by the city. At the height of his career, he also proprieted clubs called ''[[Peacock]]'', ''[[Platonic Fury]]'' and ''[[Cox]]''. In 1996, he was arrested for possession of cocaine. After the failure of ''2 Backed Beast'', he opened ''Hercules'' in 1998. The following year, he got in trouble with the police for "public lewdness". Sometime between 1998 and 2003, the counterpart straight club in Tony's portfolio, ''Death By Machines'' also burned down, after which point Tony was briefly banned from opening new venues. |
||
+ | In [[2005]], Gay Tony hired [[Luis Fernando Lopez|Luis Lopez]] as a doorman and bouncer for ''Hercules''. They quickly form a father-son-like relationship (Luis having been abandoned by his father, and Tony being unlikely to ever have children due to his age and orientation), although Tony [[Departure Time|later]] admits to Luis, "I only hired you because I thought you were dumb." Gay Tony had been dating a yoga instructor long-term before meeting his boyfriend [[Evan Moss]]. Gracie and Evan first got him hooked on painkillers and cocaine, according to Luis, and by [[2008]] Tony had been to rehab five times. He also gained world-famous heiress [[Cloe Parker]] as a best customer and casual friend. Like Gracie, Cloe uses a lot of cocaine and influences Tony down a similar path. Tony once confides in Luis during [[I Luv LC]], "Oh my god, 45 years old and I get my kicks doing blow with 17 year old kids whose only claim to fame is that people know better what their vagina looks like than their face. I should be sent to prison, shouldn't I?" Despite minor legal and personal trouble Tony is said to be the [[1988|20 year]] reigning king of Liberty City nightlife. |
||
− | ===Maisonette 9 ownership and personal struggles=== |
||
− | In 2003 his hiatus ended and he was allowed to open ''Maisonette 9'', but still came under heavier scrutiny for his club's policies on safety, age-checking and drug use. <ref name="Libertytree2">"Club Owner Appeals for Vice" by [[Mary Williamson]], Liberty Tree ([[libertytreeonline.com|www.libertytreeonline.com/news.html]]) (In game website.)</ref> Sometime after opening the club, he met [[Gracie Ancelotti]], a [[Ancelotti Family|mob]] daughter who once failed to get inside ''Maisonette 9'' but was granted a membership after befriending Gay Tony (as Gracie tells [[Niko Bellic]] in "[[I'll Take Her]]"). Gay Tony would later be heavily in debt to [[Giovanni Ancelotti|her father]]. |
||
+ | ===Events of ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' & ''The Ballad of Gay Tony''=== |
||
− | In 2005, Gay Tony hired [[Luis Fernando Lopez|Luis Lopez]] as a doorman and bouncer for ''Hercules''. They quickly form a father-son-like relationship (Luis having been abandoned by his father, and Tony being unlikely to ever have children due to his age and orientation), although Tony [[Departure Time|later]] admits to Luis, "I only hired you because I thought you were dumb". Gay Tony had been dating a yoga instructor long-term before meeting his boyfriend [[Evan Moss]]. Gracie and Evan first got him hooked on painkillers and cocaine, according to Luis, and by 2008 Tony had been to rehab five times. He also gained world-famous heiress [[Cloe Parker]] as a best customer and casual friend. Like Gracie, Cloe uses a lot of cocaine and influences Tony down a similar path. Tony once confides in Luis during [[I Luv LC]] "Oh my god, 45 years old and I get my kicks doing blow with 17 year old kids whose only claim to fame is that people know better what their vagina looks like than their face. I should be sent to prison, shouldn't I?". Despite minor legal and personal trouble Tony is said to be the 20 year reigning king of Liberty City night life. |
||
+ | Luis must work for Tony's loan sharks, [[Rocco Pelosi]] and [[Mori Kibbutz]]. Because of his debt Tony is interested in selling off Maisonette 9, sometimes even resorting to fraud (such as pretending to sell the club to two people at once, and briefly considering setting up a {{WP|Ponzi scheme}}). Luis works on the side for two men, [[Yusuf Amir]] and [[Ray Bulgarin]], who Tony considers serious potential buyers because of their extreme wealth. However, Luis hides this from Tony and goes so far as to lie to Tony about his activities [[Sexy Time|at least]] [[Going Deep|twice]]. |
||
+ | Tony sees a last chance to pay off his debts in buying and selling some [[Diamonds|$2 million diamonds]] for a small profit. When Luis, Tony and his boyfriend [[Evan Moss|Evan]] [[Frosting on the Cake|go to buy]] the diamonds from [[The Cook|a cook]] at the [[Platypus]], they are all [[Diamonds in the Rough|ambushed]] by the [[The Lost MC|Lost biker gang]], resulting in the death of Evan (who Luis instructed to go a separate way and stash the diamonds at Maisonette 9). Before this, Gracie and Evan had gotten Tony back on drugs. Shortly after, Luis manages to [[Not So Fast|recover]] the diamonds after he [[Museum Piece|ambushes]] a [[Collector's Item|deal]] between [[Johnny Klebitz|Johnny]] (who ambushed them), [[Niko Bellic|Niko]] and [[Isaac Roth]]. He meets Ray Bulgarin after this event, who later [[In the Crosshairs|claimed]] that Luis and Tony conspired against him by buying the diamonds - by chance, the cook had stolen them from him. He executes the cook, then sends a team of assassins after Luis, who manages to escape. [[Gracie Ancelotti]] is kidnapped soon after, and the [[Niko Bellic|kidna]][[Patrick McReary|ppers]] demanded the diamonds back from [[Giovanni Ancelotti]] in exchange. Luis and Tony safely [[Ladies Half Price|exchange]] the diamonds for Gracie, which resulted in Tony losing out on $2 million but apparently remaining at peace with the Ancelotti family. However, during the resulting [[Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend|shootout]], the diamonds are thrown onto a passing truck, and thus both parties leave empty-handed. Bulgarin successfully persuades Ancelotti to have Tony killed, who ironically chooses Luis as the one to shoot Tony in exchange for his own life. Luis briefly considers shooting Tony before turning the gun on Rocco ([[Party's Over|killing]] his [[Uncle Vince|uncle]], allowing Rocco to flee because of his connections). Within minutes, Bulgarin's men ambush Maisonette 9 in hopes of killing Luis and Tony, which they fail to do after a violent shootout. Finally, Luis destroys a shipment of heroin during a bloody shootout at Funland, kills Bulgarin's [[Timur|right-hand man]] and, with the help of Yusuf, makes it to the airport and successfully kills Bulgarin, [[Departure Time|blowing up]] his private jet before it leaves the country. Afterwards, Luis and Tony meet at the Monoglobe with Yusuf and celebrate their victory. Shortly before their meeting, a [[Jerry Kapowitz|hobo]] found the lost diamonds in a trash can, and ran off, laughing gleefully. |
||
− | ==Events of ''GTA IV'' Era== |
||
− | Luis must work for Tony's loan sharks, [[Rocco Pelosi]] and [[Mori Kibbutz]]. Because of his debt Tony is interested in selling off Maisonette 9, sometimes even resorting to fraud (such as pretending to sell the club to two people at once, and briefly considering setting up a [[wp:Ponzi scheme|Ponzi scheme]]). Luis works on the side for two men, [[Yusuf Amir]] and [[Ray Bulgarin]], who Tony considers serious potential buyers because of their extreme wealth. However, Luis hides this from Tony and goes so far as to lie to Tony about his activities [[Sexy Time|at least]] [[Going Deep|twice]]. |
||
+ | ===Events After ''The Ballad of Gay Tony''=== |
||
− | Tony sees a last chance to pay off his debts in buying and selling some [[Diamonds|$2 million diamonds]] for a small profit. When Luis, Tony and his boyfriend [[Evan Moss|Evan]] [[Frosting On The Cake|go to buy]] the diamonds from [[The Cook|a cook]] at the [[Platypus]], they are all ambushed by the [[The Lost Brotherhood|Lost biker gang]], resulting in the death of Evan (who Luis instructed to go a separate way and stash the diamonds at Maisonette 9). Before this, Gracie and Evan had gotten Tony back on drugs. Shortly after, Luis manages to recover the diamonds after he ambushes a [[Not So Fast|deal]] between [[Johnny Klebitz|Johnny]] (who ambushed them), [[Niko Bellic|Niko]] and [[Isaac Roth]]. He meets Ray Bulgarin after this event, who later claimed that Luis and Tony conspired against him by buying the diamonds - by chance, the cook had stolen them from him. He executes the cook, then sends a team of assassins after Luis, who manages to escape. [[Gracie Ancelotti]] is kidnapped soon after, and the [[Niko Bellic|kidna]][[Patrick McReary|ppers]] demanded the diamonds back from [[Giovanni Ancelotti]] in exchange. Luis and Tony safely exchange the diamonds for Gracie, which resulted in Tony losing out on $2 million but apparently remaining at peace with the Ancelotti family. However, during the resulting shootout, the diamonds are thrown onto a passing truck, and thus both parties leave empty-handed. Bulgarin successfully persuades Ancelotti to have Tony killed, who ironically chooses Luis as the one to shoot Tony in exchange for his own life. Luis briefly considers shooting Tony before turning the gun on Rocco (shooting his [[Uncle Vince| uncle]], allowing Rocco to flee because of his connections). Within minutes, Bulgarin's men ambush Maisonette 9 in hopes of killing Luis and Tony, which they fail to do after a violent shootout. Finally, Luis destroys a shipment of heroin during a bloody shootout at Funland, kills Bulgarin's [[Timur|right-hand man]] and, with the help of Yusuf, makes it to the airport and successfully kills Bulgarin, [[Departure Time|blowing up]] his private jet before it leaves the country. Afterwards, Luis and Tony meet at the Monoglobe with Yusuf and celebrate their victory. Shortly before their meeting, a [[Jerry Kapowitz|hobo]] found the lost diamonds in a trash can, and ran off, laughing gleefully. |
||
+ | Tony may or may not have finally sold [[Maisonette 9]] to [[Yusuf Amir]], who sought to franchise it all over the world, even in {{WP|Pakistan}} and on the [[moon]] (saying he was quite serious about this). Tony tells Yusuf that "the club is all about the people," and after Yusuf expresses apathy by saying, "You can whip out your dick and piss on them!" Tony instead tells him that he would be very qualified to own the club. |
||
+ | After ''The Ballad of Gay Tony'' is complete, Tony cannot be contacted further. He often spoke of his intentions to move to an extremely secluded getaway spa town, saying his life in Liberty was too stressful. |
||
− | ==After ''The Ballad of Gay Tony''== |
||
+ | There are two notable references to Tony in ''[[Grand Theft Auto V]]''. The first most recognizable reference is in [[Downtown Vinewood]] at the club [[Pitchers]], as the logo is shared with his nightclub, Hercules. The second (less noticeable) reference is near the television set in [[Jimmy De Santa|Jimmy's]] Bedroom, in the [[De Santa Residence]]. A magazine called "Residue" lists off various interviews on the front page, with Tony Prince's being second. It states; "Tony Prince, The Ace of Clubs talks." This may suggest that he is involved in some form or another in the nightclub trade. Although the same magazine is seen in [[Luis' Apartment]]. |
||
− | Tony may or may not have finally sold [[Maisonette 9]] to [[Yusuf Amir]], who sought to franchise it all over the world, even in Pakistan and on the moon (saying he was quite serious about this). Tony tells Yusuf that "the club is all about the people", and after Yusuf expresses apathy by saying "You can whip out your dick and piss on them!", Tony instead tells him that he would be very qualified to own the club. |
||
+ | ===Events of ''Grand Theft Auto Online''=== |
||
− | After The Ballad of Gay Tony is complete, Tony cannot be contacted further. He often spoke of his intentions to move to an extremely secluded getaway spa town, saying his life in Liberty was too stressful (even though he says this at the very height of his financial problems, and could have reconsidered). It is believed that he did in fact moved away while [[Yusuf Amir]] owned the clubs. This is enforced by the last scene of TBoGT credits, that depicts a [[Ghawar]] taking off at the [[Francis International Airport, Dukes|airport]] - indicating that Tony may have left Liberty City. Tony could have moved to Vice City as the [[Liberty Tree]] website suggests. Although, that doesn't mean he's lost contact with Luis, as both men have resolved their trust issues and could still be close friends. |
||
+ | ====After Hours==== |
||
+ | {{Quote|I'm not such a savvy investor... I was going to open up a chain of venues... only that's all gone to shit... again... but head over to foreclosures.maze-bank.com, and buy one out of foreclosure... I can open you the best nightclub in the whole state. Any of them. Seriously.|Tony Prince introductory phone call}} |
||
+ | By [[2018]], he moved to [[Los Santos (HD Universe)|Los Santos]] and planned to open a chain of ten new clubs. That deal fell through somehow and all ten sites ended up under [[Maze Bank Foreclosures|foreclosure sale]]. With help and investment from the [[GTA Online Protagonist|''GTA Online'' Protagonist]], one of the venues is purchased, prepared, and opened and Tony continues supporting them to run a [[Nightclubs|Nightclub Business]] with the help of [[Lazlow Jones]] and [[English Dave]]. |
||
+ | As the player manages their Nightclub, Tony comes into contact with DJs through English Dave's recommendations who help raise the popularity of the club, such as [[Solomun]], [[Tale of Us]], [[Dixon]] and [[The Black Madonna]]. Tony also sets the player on their own missions and tasks to increase the club's popularity and takes a 10% cut on the money laundering operations of the nightclub warehouse. |
||
− | ==Possible real-life inspirations== |
||
− | Gay Tony's influence over the Liberty City nightclub scene is mostly reminiscent of [[wp:Peter Gatien|Peter Gatien]], owner of the Limelight and other clubs. Like Prince, Gatien faced drug (1996) and tax evasion (1999) charges, and owned several nightclubs geared towards different crowds as investments. Unlike Prince, Gatien is a happily married heterosexual, and having been born in Canada, he was deported there after his drug charges and currently lives in Toronto. |
||
+ | ====The Criminal Enterprises==== |
||
− | Many elements also seem to have been taken from [[wp:Steve Rubell|Steve Rubell]], owner of the legendary [[wp:Studio 54|Studio 54]]. Both were born in New York City (Liberty being a parody), and faced club raids and tax evasion charges since their early years of success. Their business models were also very similar, including a strict, trendy dress code (which Rubell would sometimes enforce personally). Both were homosexuals and habitual drug users, although Rubell kept it a secret, got diagnosed with AIDS in 1985 and died of hepatitis in 1989. |
||
+ | In the summer of [[2022]], Tony has two new Club Management missions for the ''GTA Online'' Protagonist, giving them new ways to promote their above-board operations. Meanwhile, inside the nightclub, the protagonist is tasked with maintaining the vibes by ejecting troublemakers and chaperoning passed-out VIPs to safe locations off-site. |
||
+ | ==Possible Real-Life Inspirations== |
||
− | He also bears some similarities to Miami club owner [[wp:Chris Paciello|Chris Paciello]] who, like Tony had connections to New York Mafia families and had one of his famous clubs burn down only to open another club later the same year. Paciello is also straight, however, and is most famous for once having dated Madonna. |
||
+ | Gay Tony's influence over the Liberty City nightclub scene is mostly reminiscent of {{WP|Peter Gatien}}, owner of the Limelight and other clubs. Like Prince, Gatien faced drug (1996) and tax evasion (1999) charges and owned several nightclubs geared towards different crowds as investments. Unlike Prince, Gatien is a happily married heterosexual, and having been born in Canada, he was deported there after his drug charges and currently lives in Toronto. |
||
+ | Many elements also seem to have been taken from {{WP|Steve Rubell}}, the late owner of the legendary {{WP|Studio 54}}. Both got their start in Queens, New York City (Dukes, Liberty City being a parody), and faced club raids and tax evasion charges since their early years of success. Their business models were also very similar, including a strict, trendy dress code (which Rubell would sometimes enforce personally). Both were homosexuals and habitual drug users, although Rubell kept it a secret, got diagnosed with AIDS in 1985 and died of hepatitis in 1989. |
||
− | Maisonette 9 bears an uncanny resemblance to New York nightclub Bungalow 8 (see [[Maisonette 9]] article for details). |
||
+ | He also bears some similarities to Miami club owner {{WP|Chris Paciello}} who, like Tony had connections to New York Mafia families and had one of his famous clubs burn down only to open another club later the same year. Furthermore, Paciello is famous for once having dated the singer Madonna, while Tony Prince appears to have dated another Madonna from the music business, [[The Black Madonna|The Blessed Madonna]], who is one of the DJs the [[GTA Online Protagonist|''GTA Online'' protagonist]] can hire to play music in Tony's Los Santos [[Nightclubs|nightclub]]. This is hinted by one of the dialogue lines coming from The Blessed Madonna herself while performing: "''Tony Prince! My boyfriend back in the day!''". |
||
− | ==LCPD Database information== |
||
− | '''Surname''': Prince |
||
+ | Maisonette 9 bears an uncanny resemblance to New York nightclub Bungalow 8 (see [[Maisonette 9]] article for details). |
||
− | '''First Name''': "Gay" Tony |
||
− | |||
− | '''Age''': 50 |
||
+ | ==LCPD Database Record== |
||
− | '''Place of Birth''': Midwest |
||
+ | {{LCPDDB |
||
+ | |firstname = "Gay" Tony |
||
+ | |surname = Prince |
||
+ | |imagename = |
||
+ | |age = 50 |
||
+ | |pob = Midwest |
||
+ | |affiliations = Linked to the Ancelotti Crime Syndicate. |
||
+ | |record = |
||
+ | 1985 - Tax Evasion<br /> |
||
+ | 1996 - Possession Controlled Substance: Cocaine<br /> |
||
+ | 1999 - Public Lewdness<br /> |
||
+ | |notes = |
||
+ | - Nightclub entrepreneur believed to have links to organized crime, particularly the Ancelotti Crime Syndicate, though the DA's office has not managed to make any of the charges stick.<br /> |
||
+ | - Often seen in the company of Gracie Ancelotti, daughter of the Crime Syndicate's head.<br /> |
||
+ | - Recent raids have taken place to check the safety standards and underage admittance policy of his Algonquin clubs - Hercules and Maisonette 9.<br /> |
||
+ | - Employs associate of Northwood drug dealers, Luis Fernando Lopez, as a personal bodyguard.<br /> |
||
+ | |status = |
||
+ | |incar = |
||
+ | |wanted = |
||
+ | |hangout = |
||
+ | }} |
||
+ | ==Mission Appearances== |
||
− | '''Affiliations''': Linked to the Ancelotti Crime Syndicate |
||
+ | ===''Grand Theft Auto IV''=== |
||
− | |||
− | '''Criminal Record''': |
||
− | *1985 - Tax Evasion |
||
− | *1996 - Possession Controlled Substance: Cocaine |
||
− | *1999 - Public Lewdness |
||
− | '''Notes''': |
||
− | *Nightclub entrepreneur believed to have links to organized crime, particularly the Ancelotti Crime Syndicate, though the DA's office has not manged to make any of the charges stick. |
||
− | *Often seen in the company of Gracie Ancelotti, daughter of the Crime Syndicate's head. |
||
− | *Recent raids have taken place to check the safety standards and underage admittance policy of his Algonquin clubs - Hercules and Maisonette 9. |
||
− | *Employs associate of Northwood drug dealers, Luis Fernando Lopez, as a personal bodyguard. |
||
− | |||
− | ==Mission appearances== |
||
− | ;GTA IV |
||
*[[Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend]] |
*[[Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend]] |
||
− | + | ===''The Lost and Damned''=== |
|
*[[Diamonds in the Rough]] |
*[[Diamonds in the Rough]] |
||
− | + | ===''The Ballad of Gay Tony''=== |
|
*[[I Luv LC]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[I Luv LC]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
*[[Practice Swing]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[Practice Swing]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
*[[Chinese Takeout]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[Chinese Takeout]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
*[[Bang Bang]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[Bang Bang]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
− | *[[Club Management]] <small>( |
+ | *[[Club Management]] <small>(Phone call/Boss)</small> |
*[[Sexy Time]] <small>(Post-mission phone call)</small> |
*[[Sexy Time]] <small>(Post-mission phone call)</small> |
||
*[[Blog This!...]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[Blog This!...]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
Line 94: | Line 149: | ||
*[[Frosting on the Cake]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[Frosting on the Cake]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
*[[...Blog This!]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[...Blog This!]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
− | *[[Going Deep]] <small>( |
+ | *[[Going Deep]] <small>(Phone call)</small> |
*[[Not So Fast]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[Not So Fast]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
− | *[[In the Crosshairs]] <small>( |
+ | *[[In the Crosshairs]] <small>(Post-mission phone call) </small> |
− | *[[ |
+ | *[[Ladies' Night]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[Ladies Half Price]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[Ladies Half Price]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
*[[Party's Over]] |
*[[Party's Over]] |
||
*[[Departure Time]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
*[[Departure Time]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
+ | ===''Grand Theft Auto Online''=== |
||
− | ==Trivia== |
||
+ | *[[Nightclubs/Set Up: Staff|Setup: Staff]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
− | * Tony is the only character in the GTA series to have their name (or nickname) in the title of the game. |
||
+ | *[[Nightclubs/Set Up: Equipment|Setup: Equipment]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
− | * Tony has a personality and slight voice resemblence to [[Ken Rosenberg]]. They think they have lots of money and that they rule the town. They both are pressured by mob bosses (Ken by [[Sonny Forelli]] and [[Salvatore Leone]], and Tony by [[Giovanni Ancelotti]]). Both flee the area to avoid being killed by a psychopath (Ken with Salvatore Leone and Tony with [[Ray Bulgarin]]). Both run a famous attraction in their area ([[Caligula's Palace]], [[The Malibu Club]], [[Maisonette 9]], and [[Hercules]]). And both have a drug addiction. |
||
+ | *[[Nightclubs/Resident DJ|Solomun]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
− | * Tony is one of two non protagonists to have touched [[Diamonds|the Diamonds]] and lived, as [[Jerry Kapowitz]] gets the diamonds at the end of the game. His whereabouts are unknown, but he is seen alive in the credits. |
||
+ | *[[Nightclubs/Resident DJ|Tale Of Us]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
− | * Both missions that Tony appeared in outside TBoGT involved the Diamonds. Interestingly, those missions both have the word 'Diamonds' in their names as well, with [[Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend]] (GTA IV) and [[Diamonds in the Rough]] (TLAD). |
||
+ | *[[Nightclubs/Resident DJ|Dixon]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
− | * Tony gives you the most missions in the GTA IV era, with 12 missions. |
||
+ | *[[Nightclubs/Resident DJ|The Black Madonna]] <small>(Boss)</small> |
||
− | * All of the missions in TBoGT in which one of the [[Niko Bellic|other]] [[Johnny Klebitz|two]] protagonists appear ([[I Luv LC|I luv LC]], [[Frosting on the Cake]], [[Not So Fast]] and [[Ladies Half Price]]) are given to you by Gay Tony. |
||
+ | *[[Nightclubs/Nightclub Management|Promote Club]] missions <small>(Voice/Boss)</small> |
||
− | * Tony is depicted to be wearing a pair of purple and black designer sunglasses. However, its design varies slightly between GTA IV and The Ballad of Gay Tony, with minor differences in details. |
||
+ | *[[Nightclubs/Sell Goods|Sell Warehouse Goods]] missions <small>(Voice/Boss)</small> |
||
− | * In TBoGT, Tony seems to have undergone a radical character change from his earlier portrayals in GTA IV and TLAD. In his earlier incarnations, he acts with more overt feminine mannerisms. In TBoGT, he appears to be a much more human character, opposed to a more over-the-top stereotype like [[Bernie Crane]]. These changes are most apparent, while playing TBoGT, in the missions [[Ladies Half Price]] and [[Frosting on the Cake]] where he appears uncharacteristically effeminate in comparison to how he's portrayed in the rest of the game. It may have been that Rockstar wanted to maintain the dialogue and actions in these missions that cross over into GTA IV and TLAD for a sense of continutiy rather than retroactively change the scenes to suit the change in character. |
||
+ | |||
− | * Tony Prince is one of four characters in TBoGT who don't wear a helmet while on a bike, along with Timur, Armando and Henrique. |
||
+ | ==Phone Services== |
||
− | *Tony is the non-protagonist characters that goes through the most outfit changes during his appearences. Throughout most of them he wears his trademark suit but at times he wears a tracksuit, gym wear with shorts, grey pants with a pink shirt and several other outfits that appear only once. |
||
+ | With [[GTA Online: The Criminal Enterprises|The Criminal Enterprises]] update, the player can call Tony to access one of the following options: |
||
− | * Tony is the only homosexual character in the game who helps protagonist in fights, and isn't afraid to shoot and can handle a gun, as shown in [[Party's Over]]. Despite the fact that [[Bernie Crane]] was a soldier and Evan Moss was a bodybuilder, they were both afraid of shooting and fighting. Tony also wanted to help Luis in his last fight with [[Bulgarin]]'s men, because he always made a share in their fire fights, and called himself "a seasoned veteran by anyone's fucking standards". Tony also earnestly tries to head out to commit the bombings in [[Bang Bang]], only to be stopped by Luis. |
||
+ | |||
− | * It is unknown if Tony was born in Dukes or the Midwest. The LCPD database says he was born in the Midwest, although it is implied many times in TBoGT he is from Dukes, but nothing is said about him being born there. Many people conclude that he was born in the Midwest, lived there for a short time that he would be too young to remember, and was raised in Dukes or that the [[LCPD in GTA IV Era|LCPD]] had misinformation which is stated a few times in the game. |
||
+ | ===Request Club Management=== |
||
− | * Tony's age is very subject to debate. He claims to be 45 (in [[I Luv LC|I luv LC]] and [[Boulevard Baby]]), but the LCPD claims he is 50. The most likely scenario is that he's 50 and insecure about his age, which would fit into his vain personality. |
||
+ | {{Quote|Request Club Management.|Instructional Message.}} |
||
− | * Tony's favorite radio station is K109 The Studio. |
||
+ | This option triggers a random [[Nightclubs/Nightclub Management]] mission, which can be activated by becoming a VIP/CEO of an [[Organizations|organization]] or an [[Motorcycle Clubs|MC]] president. This option will also show the current nightclub popularity percentage. |
||
− | * Tony can be seen on the front cover of the magazine "[[BJ]]", the issue of which can only be found in Luis' apartment. |
||
+ | |||
− | * Tony appears to be rather reckless, since he doesn't wear a helmet on motorcycles, wants to help Luis in massive shootouts and sometimes when you crash, Tony says that he isn't going to put his seatbelt on. |
||
+ | ===Request Limo=== |
||
− | * Luis cannot call Tony after [[Departure Time]], as he has possibly left Liberty City. If the player replays a mission which involves Tony calling Luis, he will be marked as an unknown caller (except in Going Deep, where he will be marked as Tony). |
||
+ | {{Quote|Request a Nightclub Limo to be delivered nearby.|Instructional Message.}} |
||
− | *Along with Niko Bellic, Johnny Klebitz, Luis Lopez, [[Roman Bellic]], [[The Cook]], [[Mori Green]], and [[Isaac Roth]], Tony is one of eight characters in the GTA IV Era to appear in IV, TLAD and TBoGT. |
||
+ | This option enables the player a selection of two vehicles to use as an alternative to a [[Personal Vehicles|Personal]]/[[Pegasus Lifestyle Management|Pegasus]] vehicle, free of charge. The car may spawn near the player and will stay on the map if the player is within a 1km radius, displayed on the map with an {{HUDIcons|game=V|car|yellow}} icon. |
||
− | *In Tony's first appearence in Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, many fans thought that Tony was actually [[Giovanni Ancelotti]], as he repeatedly calls Gracie "sweetie" during her rescue. |
||
+ | |||
− | *In many pieces of art work Tony is shown in a open purple suit with a green jumper. But yet he never wears this at all during TBoGT. But it is still in the files as a picture in the gallery will show. It can only be veiwed with the PC game programs Open IV and SparkIV. |
||
+ | {| class="wikitable" |
||
− | *In a cutscene for the mission [[Party's Over]] Tony claims to have been in the nightclub game since 1987 however other in game media states that he opened his first club in 1985. The statement is proceeded by him telling Luis "we can expand, refurb, rebrand" however so he may be referring to how he rebranded ''Thunder'' as ''2 Backed Beast''. |
||
+ | |- |
||
− | *Tony is very similar in appearance to Tony Stark, the main character of the Iron Man comic book and movie franchise. This may be intentional, as not only do they share the same first name, but they look similar, own expensive, rare cars, wear expensive suits, have a casual attitude, and are both rich and successful businessmen. |
||
+ | !Vehicle |
||
− | *Unlike [[Bernie Crane]], [[Evan Moss]], and [[Marcus]], Tony is the only gay character who does not use female screams when being shot or burned. |
||
+ | !Image |
||
+ | |- |
||
+ | |[[Schafter V12]] |
||
+ | | |
||
+ | |- |
||
+ | |[[Patriot Stretch]] |
||
+ | | |
||
+ | |} |
||
==Gallery== |
==Gallery== |
||
− | <gallery position="center" spacing="small |
+ | <gallery position="center" spacing="small"> |
− | Artwork- |
+ | Artwork-TBoGT-GayTony.jpg|Game art of '''Tony Prince in''' ''The Ballad of Gay Tony''. |
− | + | Artwork-TBoGT-TonyPrince.jpg|Alternate game art of '''Tony Prince''' in ''The Ballad of Gay Tony''. |
|
+ | Artwork-GTAO-GayTony.jpg|Artwork of '''Tony Prince''' in [[Grand Theft Auto Online|''GTA Online'':]] [[After Hours|After Hours DLC]] |
||
− | gaytonyballad.PNG|Gay Tony in the same scene in The Ballad of Gay Tony, during "[[Ladies Half Price]]". |
||
+ | TonyPrince-TBoGT-Screenshot.jpg|'''Tony Prince''' on the phone in his office at [[Maisonette 9]]. |
||
− | GayTony-GTAIV.jpg|Gay Tony in GTA IV, during "[[Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend]]". |
||
+ | BetaTony-TBoGT-Screenshot.jpg|The Beta model of '''Tony'''. |
||
− | Gay Tony.jpg|Gay Tony on the phone in his office at Maisonette 9. |
||
+ | Party'sOver-TBoGT-SS20.jpg|'''Tony''' getting aimed at by [[Luis Fernando Lopez|Luis Lopez]]. |
||
− | BetaTony-TBoGT.jpg|The Beta model of Tony. |
||
+ | GayTony-GTAIV.jpg|'''Tony Prince''' in ''GTA IV'', during "[[Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend]]". |
||
− | Gay Tonys Schafter.png|Tony's [[Schafter]]. |
||
+ | GayTony-TBoGT-LadiesHalfPrice.PNG|'''Tony Prince''' in the same scene in ''The Ballad of Gay Tony'', during "[[Ladies Half Price]]". |
||
+ | Schafter-TBoGT-Tony.png|'''Tony''''s [[Schafter]] in ''The Ballad of Gay Tony''. |
||
+ | Schafter3-GTAO-front-PR1NCE.png|'''Tony''''s [[Schafter V12]] in ''Grand Theft Auto Online''. <small>([[:File:Schafter3-GTAO-rear-PR1NCE.png|Rear quarter view]])</small> |
||
</gallery> |
</gallery> |
||
− | == |
+ | ==Trivia== |
+ | *Tony is depicted to be wearing a pair of purple and black designer sunglasses. However, its design varies slightly between ''GTA IV'' and ''The Ballad of Gay Tony'', with minor differences in details. |
||
+ | *Tony's favorite radio stations are [[K109 The Studio]] and [[Vice City FM]]. |
||
+ | *Tony can be seen on the front cover of the magazine "[[BJ]]", the issue of which can only be found in [[Luis' Apartment]]. |
||
+ | *Tony's number is removed from Luis' phone at the end of the game. If the player replays a mission where Tony calls Luis (with the exception of [[Going Deep]]) he will be listed as an unknown caller. |
||
+ | *In many pieces of artwork, Tony is shown in an open purple suit with a green jumper. But yet he never wears this at all during ''TBoGT''. But it is still in the files as a picture in the gallery will show. He does, however, wear an outfit similar to this in [[Blog This!...]]. |
||
+ | *In several nightclub related phone calls, he refers to himself as Tony Price. It's unknown if this is a recording error or possibly a nickname for Tony. |
||
+ | *Tony could be of Jewish descent as he accuses [[Luis Fernando Lopez|Luis]] of being anti-Semitic towards him in [[Ladies' Night]]. This is also noticeable when Tony praises Moses during the chase in [[Practice Swing]] while Luis mentions Jesus. |
||
+ | |||
+ | ==External Link== |
||
*[http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/#?page=tonyPrince&content=video0 Tony Prince on Rockstar's site] |
*[http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/#?page=tonyPrince&content=video0 Tony Prince on Rockstar's site] |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
+ | {{Reflist}} |
||
− | <references> |
||
+ | ==Navigation== |
||
+ | {{Navboxes |
||
+ | |title= Navigation |
||
+ | |list1= |
||
{{GTA IV Characters}} |
{{GTA IV Characters}} |
||
{{The Lost and Damned Characters}} |
{{The Lost and Damned Characters}} |
||
{{The Ballad of Gay Tony Characters}} |
{{The Ballad of Gay Tony Characters}} |
||
+ | {{Gtao characters}} |
||
− | |||
+ | }}{{DEFAULTSORT:Prince, Anthony "Tony"}} |
||
+ | [[Category:LGBTQ+ characters]] |
||
[[de:Anthony Prince]] |
[[de:Anthony Prince]] |
||
[[es:Gay Tony]] |
[[es:Gay Tony]] |
||
Line 155: | Line 236: | ||
[[pl:Anthony Prince]] |
[[pl:Anthony Prince]] |
||
[[pt:Gay Tony]] |
[[pt:Gay Tony]] |
||
+ | [[ru:Гей Тони]] |
||
− | |||
+ | [[vi:Tony Prince]] |
||
− | [[Category:Characters|Prince, Anthony]] |
||
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Male characters in GTA IV]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Male characters in The Lost and Damned]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Male characters in The Ballad of Gay Tony]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Male characters in GTA Online]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Deuteragonists]] |
− | [[Category:Mission givers |
+ | [[Category:Mission givers]] |
− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Exclusive Enhanced Version Content in GTA Online]] |
Latest revision as of 15:51, 11 March 2024
Anthony "Tony" Prince, also known as Gay Tony, is a character in the Grand Theft Auto series who appears as a minor character in Grand Theft Auto IV and The Lost and Damned, the eponymous deuteragonist of The Ballad of Gay Tony, and a supporting character in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of the After Hours update.
Tony is a nightclub entrepreneur in Liberty City, as well as the owner of both Maisonette 9 and Hercules. By 2018, Tony has expanded his nightclub business to Los Santos, San Andreas.
History
Background
Childhood & College Years
Tony Prince was born in the Midwest in 1958 (although he claims to have been born in 1963) and grew up in Dukes. According to the Maisonette 9 website, "as a young boy, he wandered to the Humboldt River and dreamed of living on the other side (in Algonquin) so he would no longer be considered bridge and tunnel". He also used to play in front of the Monoglobe and would sometimes stare into it, wondering what life was like in different countries. He is ashamed of his Dukes background, and it's hinted during the beginning of Departure Time that he doesn't speak to his parents anymore. He says, "In my day, gay guys used to be lonely, needy, and lost. Now, they're all in relationships!"
Tony would have gone to college as early as 1975 though he did not focus on his studies. His first experience working at a nightclub came from being in the cloakroom and eventually the front door of Elephant in the mid-1980s until a fire caused it to shut down. The first club Tony opened for himself was PUDDLE, a rave venue famously located in a converted mortuary, until it was shut down when Tony was arrested for tax evasion in 1985, spending 3 months in jail. According to Luis, Tony also first earned the nickname "Gay Tony" in 1985 - as the nickname suggests, Tony became openly homosexual by the time he was 27.
Height of Career & Reputation
According to the Maisonette 9 website, Tony's next club (and first gay club) was Thunder in 1986 which was later renamed 2 Backed Beast and was eventually shut down by the city. At the height of his career, he also owned the clubs Peacock, Platonic Fury, and Cox. In 1996, he was arrested for possession of cocaine. After the failure of 2 Backed Beast, he opened Hercules in 1998. The following year, he got in trouble with the police for "public lewdness". Sometime between 1998 and 2003, the counterpart straight club in Tony's portfolio, Death By Machines also burned down, after which point Tony was briefly banned from opening new venues.
Maisonette 9 Ownership & Personal Struggles
In 2003, his hiatus ended and he was allowed to open Maisonette 9, but still came under heavier scrutiny for his club's policies on safety, age-checking, and drug use.[1] Sometime after opening the club, he met Gracie Ancelotti, a mob daughter who once failed to get inside Maisonette 9, but was granted a membership after befriending Gay Tony (as Gracie tells Niko Bellic in "I'll Take Her"). Gay Tony would later be heavily in debt to her father.
In 2005, Gay Tony hired Luis Lopez as a doorman and bouncer for Hercules. They quickly form a father-son-like relationship (Luis having been abandoned by his father, and Tony being unlikely to ever have children due to his age and orientation), although Tony later admits to Luis, "I only hired you because I thought you were dumb." Gay Tony had been dating a yoga instructor long-term before meeting his boyfriend Evan Moss. Gracie and Evan first got him hooked on painkillers and cocaine, according to Luis, and by 2008 Tony had been to rehab five times. He also gained world-famous heiress Cloe Parker as a best customer and casual friend. Like Gracie, Cloe uses a lot of cocaine and influences Tony down a similar path. Tony once confides in Luis during I Luv LC, "Oh my god, 45 years old and I get my kicks doing blow with 17 year old kids whose only claim to fame is that people know better what their vagina looks like than their face. I should be sent to prison, shouldn't I?" Despite minor legal and personal trouble Tony is said to be the 20 year reigning king of Liberty City nightlife.
Events of Grand Theft Auto IV & The Ballad of Gay Tony
Luis must work for Tony's loan sharks, Rocco Pelosi and Mori Kibbutz. Because of his debt Tony is interested in selling off Maisonette 9, sometimes even resorting to fraud (such as pretending to sell the club to two people at once, and briefly considering setting up a Ponzi scheme). Luis works on the side for two men, Yusuf Amir and Ray Bulgarin, who Tony considers serious potential buyers because of their extreme wealth. However, Luis hides this from Tony and goes so far as to lie to Tony about his activities at least twice.
Tony sees a last chance to pay off his debts in buying and selling some $2 million diamonds for a small profit. When Luis, Tony and his boyfriend Evan go to buy the diamonds from a cook at the Platypus, they are all ambushed by the Lost biker gang, resulting in the death of Evan (who Luis instructed to go a separate way and stash the diamonds at Maisonette 9). Before this, Gracie and Evan had gotten Tony back on drugs. Shortly after, Luis manages to recover the diamonds after he ambushes a deal between Johnny (who ambushed them), Niko and Isaac Roth. He meets Ray Bulgarin after this event, who later claimed that Luis and Tony conspired against him by buying the diamonds - by chance, the cook had stolen them from him. He executes the cook, then sends a team of assassins after Luis, who manages to escape. Gracie Ancelotti is kidnapped soon after, and the kidnappers demanded the diamonds back from Giovanni Ancelotti in exchange. Luis and Tony safely exchange the diamonds for Gracie, which resulted in Tony losing out on $2 million but apparently remaining at peace with the Ancelotti family. However, during the resulting shootout, the diamonds are thrown onto a passing truck, and thus both parties leave empty-handed. Bulgarin successfully persuades Ancelotti to have Tony killed, who ironically chooses Luis as the one to shoot Tony in exchange for his own life. Luis briefly considers shooting Tony before turning the gun on Rocco (killing his uncle, allowing Rocco to flee because of his connections). Within minutes, Bulgarin's men ambush Maisonette 9 in hopes of killing Luis and Tony, which they fail to do after a violent shootout. Finally, Luis destroys a shipment of heroin during a bloody shootout at Funland, kills Bulgarin's right-hand man and, with the help of Yusuf, makes it to the airport and successfully kills Bulgarin, blowing up his private jet before it leaves the country. Afterwards, Luis and Tony meet at the Monoglobe with Yusuf and celebrate their victory. Shortly before their meeting, a hobo found the lost diamonds in a trash can, and ran off, laughing gleefully.
Events After The Ballad of Gay Tony
Tony may or may not have finally sold Maisonette 9 to Yusuf Amir, who sought to franchise it all over the world, even in Pakistan and on the moon (saying he was quite serious about this). Tony tells Yusuf that "the club is all about the people," and after Yusuf expresses apathy by saying, "You can whip out your dick and piss on them!" Tony instead tells him that he would be very qualified to own the club.
After The Ballad of Gay Tony is complete, Tony cannot be contacted further. He often spoke of his intentions to move to an extremely secluded getaway spa town, saying his life in Liberty was too stressful.
There are two notable references to Tony in Grand Theft Auto V. The first most recognizable reference is in Downtown Vinewood at the club Pitchers, as the logo is shared with his nightclub, Hercules. The second (less noticeable) reference is near the television set in Jimmy's Bedroom, in the De Santa Residence. A magazine called "Residue" lists off various interviews on the front page, with Tony Prince's being second. It states; "Tony Prince, The Ace of Clubs talks." This may suggest that he is involved in some form or another in the nightclub trade. Although the same magazine is seen in Luis' Apartment.
Events of Grand Theft Auto Online
After Hours
By 2018, he moved to Los Santos and planned to open a chain of ten new clubs. That deal fell through somehow and all ten sites ended up under foreclosure sale. With help and investment from the GTA Online Protagonist, one of the venues is purchased, prepared, and opened and Tony continues supporting them to run a Nightclub Business with the help of Lazlow Jones and English Dave.
As the player manages their Nightclub, Tony comes into contact with DJs through English Dave's recommendations who help raise the popularity of the club, such as Solomun, Tale of Us, Dixon and The Black Madonna. Tony also sets the player on their own missions and tasks to increase the club's popularity and takes a 10% cut on the money laundering operations of the nightclub warehouse.
The Criminal Enterprises
In the summer of 2022, Tony has two new Club Management missions for the GTA Online Protagonist, giving them new ways to promote their above-board operations. Meanwhile, inside the nightclub, the protagonist is tasked with maintaining the vibes by ejecting troublemakers and chaperoning passed-out VIPs to safe locations off-site.
Possible Real-Life Inspirations
Gay Tony's influence over the Liberty City nightclub scene is mostly reminiscent of Peter Gatien, owner of the Limelight and other clubs. Like Prince, Gatien faced drug (1996) and tax evasion (1999) charges and owned several nightclubs geared towards different crowds as investments. Unlike Prince, Gatien is a happily married heterosexual, and having been born in Canada, he was deported there after his drug charges and currently lives in Toronto.
Many elements also seem to have been taken from Steve Rubell, the late owner of the legendary Studio 54. Both got their start in Queens, New York City (Dukes, Liberty City being a parody), and faced club raids and tax evasion charges since their early years of success. Their business models were also very similar, including a strict, trendy dress code (which Rubell would sometimes enforce personally). Both were homosexuals and habitual drug users, although Rubell kept it a secret, got diagnosed with AIDS in 1985 and died of hepatitis in 1989.
He also bears some similarities to Miami club owner Chris Paciello who, like Tony had connections to New York Mafia families and had one of his famous clubs burn down only to open another club later the same year. Furthermore, Paciello is famous for once having dated the singer Madonna, while Tony Prince appears to have dated another Madonna from the music business, The Blessed Madonna, who is one of the DJs the GTA Online protagonist can hire to play music in Tony's Los Santos nightclub. This is hinted by one of the dialogue lines coming from The Blessed Madonna herself while performing: "Tony Prince! My boyfriend back in the day!".
Maisonette 9 bears an uncanny resemblance to New York nightclub Bungalow 8 (see Maisonette 9 article for details).
LCPD Database Record
1996 - Possession Controlled Substance: Cocaine
- Often seen in the company of Gracie Ancelotti, daughter of the Crime Syndicate's head.
- Recent raids have taken place to check the safety standards and underage admittance policy of his Algonquin clubs - Hercules and Maisonette 9.
Mission Appearances
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Lost and Damned
The Ballad of Gay Tony
- I Luv LC (Boss)
- Practice Swing (Boss)
- Chinese Takeout (Boss)
- Bang Bang (Boss)
- Club Management (Phone call/Boss)
- Sexy Time (Post-mission phone call)
- Blog This!... (Boss)
- Boulevard Baby (Boss)
- Frosting on the Cake (Boss)
- ...Blog This! (Boss)
- Going Deep (Phone call)
- Not So Fast (Boss)
- In the Crosshairs (Post-mission phone call)
- Ladies' Night (Boss)
- Ladies Half Price (Boss)
- Party's Over
- Departure Time (Boss)
Grand Theft Auto Online
- Setup: Staff (Boss)
- Setup: Equipment (Boss)
- Solomun (Boss)
- Tale Of Us (Boss)
- Dixon (Boss)
- The Black Madonna (Boss)
- Promote Club missions (Voice/Boss)
- Sell Warehouse Goods missions (Voice/Boss)
Phone Services
With The Criminal Enterprises update, the player can call Tony to access one of the following options:
Request Club Management
This option triggers a random Nightclubs/Nightclub Management mission, which can be activated by becoming a VIP/CEO of an organization or an MC president. This option will also show the current nightclub popularity percentage.
Request Limo
This option enables the player a selection of two vehicles to use as an alternative to a Personal/Pegasus vehicle, free of charge. The car may spawn near the player and will stay on the map if the player is within a 1km radius, displayed on the map with an icon.
Vehicle | Image |
---|---|
Schafter V12 | |
Patriot Stretch |
Gallery
Trivia
- Tony is depicted to be wearing a pair of purple and black designer sunglasses. However, its design varies slightly between GTA IV and The Ballad of Gay Tony, with minor differences in details.
- Tony's favorite radio stations are K109 The Studio and Vice City FM.
- Tony can be seen on the front cover of the magazine "BJ", the issue of which can only be found in Luis' Apartment.
- Tony's number is removed from Luis' phone at the end of the game. If the player replays a mission where Tony calls Luis (with the exception of Going Deep) he will be listed as an unknown caller.
- In many pieces of artwork, Tony is shown in an open purple suit with a green jumper. But yet he never wears this at all during TBoGT. But it is still in the files as a picture in the gallery will show. He does, however, wear an outfit similar to this in Blog This!....
- In several nightclub related phone calls, he refers to himself as Tony Price. It's unknown if this is a recording error or possibly a nickname for Tony.
- Tony could be of Jewish descent as he accuses Luis of being anti-Semitic towards him in Ladies' Night. This is also noticeable when Tony praises Moses during the chase in Practice Swing while Luis mentions Jesus.
External Link
References
- ↑ "Club Owner Appeals for Vice" by Mary Williamson, Liberty Tree (www.libertytreeonline.com/news.html) (In game website.)