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Spoiler Warning: Plot details, ending details, or both are in the text which follows.
Spoiler Warning: Plot details, ending details, or both are in the text which follows.
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Heh-hey! If I'd teamed up with you in Nicaragua maybe I'd still have my arm!
— Phil Cassidy to Claude.
Son, I could shoot a fly off your head at 80 feet.
— Phil Cassidy to Tommy Vercetti.

Phil Cassidy is a character in the Grand Theft Auto series who appears as a main character in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and a minor character in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto III. He is also briefly mentioned in Manhunt.

History[]

Background[]

According to his interview on MeTV, he was part of the Army Catering Corps and received a dishonorable discharge.

Events of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]

In Phil's first chronological appearance in 1984, he appears in a MeTV patriotism report where he complained that the government wasn't properly looking after their veterans, which ended with him having an emotional breakdown and crying, and being ridiculed by reporter Jenny Mitchell. He is introduced to Victor Vance through Sergeant Jerry Martinez. Phil is Jerry's gun dealer. Jerry sends Vic to help Phil get rid of some Cholos that are giving him trouble. Through Phil, Vic meets Phil's younger sister Louise and her husband Marty.

After completing some jobs for Marty and eventually killing him because he tried to pimp Louise, Vic returns to Phil and saves him from Jerry's goons who want to finish him for betraying Jerry. After being saved by Vic, Phil promises to stay sober from now on; however, he begins to drink again when Armando Mendez kills Louise. Phil, wanting revenge on the Mendez Brothers, gets drunk and blows up the entrance of Fort Baxter Air Base so that Vic can steal a Hunter helicopter to attack the Mendez compound.

Events of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]

In 1986, Tommy Vercetti hires Phil to pull off a bank robbery in the mission "The Shootist". Phil is the one who suggests Tommy should employ Hilary King as a getaway driver. After the robbery, Phil invites Tommy to work for him in order to get fixed with firepower. After Tommy kills Phil's rival gun dealer, a drunken Phil invites Tommy over to check out a Boomshine bomb he had set up, wired to a remote detonator. The remote doesn't work the first time, so Phil changes its batteries for fresh ones sitting beside the bomb. Now standing just a meter away from the powerful explosive, in inebriated carelessness, he presses the remote's trigger, detonating the bomb and blowing his left arm off. Tommy drives Phil to an ex-army surgeon to be patched up. Tommy and Phil start an arms business, with Phil supplying Tommy with expensive heavy weapons not available in local Ammu-Nations throughout the rest of the game.

In GTA Vice City, Phil's mobile home is accessible. Gun Racks displaying several handguns, submachine guns and rifles are on the wall. When his bedroom is entered, his bed consists of a camouflaged mattress, an American Flag-styled pillow, and a few girl posters on the walls. A Kaufman Cabs calendar can also be seen in his mobile home. He also has a Patriot parked inside a hangar next to his home.

Events of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]

Hoowee! That's some damn fine artillery you've got there boy! You know, I do so much business at these docks I should've set myself up here, not half way down that God-damn island!
— Phil Cassidy to Toni Cipriani.

By 1998, Phil resides in Liberty City, where he owns a gun store, selling heavy artillery. Phil makes a short appearance during the mission "More Deadly Than the Male" as Toshiko Kasen's gun dealer. During the cutscene at the end, Phil admits that he does so much business at the docks he should set himself up there and not halfway down the island. This explains why he has left his heavy artillery store and has moved to his barracks by the time of the events of GTA III.

Events of Grand Theft Auto III[]

Goddamn they're here!!! LOCK'N'LOAD!!
— Phil Cassidy to Claude.

In 2001, corrupt LCPD cop Ray Machowski commissions Claude to go and meet Phil at his shop, since some members of the Colombian Cartel tried to extort weapons out of Phil. Phil and Claude attack the Cartel men as they arrive and kill them, preventing them from stealing Phil's weapons. During this mission, Phil claims to have lost his arm in Nicaragua.

Post-Grand Theft Auto III[]

ManuntWikiTemplate
ManuntWikiTemplate
Manhunt Wiki has an article on Phil Cassidy
Promised my little boy I would take him to Cassidy's Bargain Firearms Emporium tomorrow.
— CCPD officer

He is also mentioned in 2003 in Manhunt by members of the Carcer City Police Department. This implies he expanded his business over to Carcer City too, which is close to Liberty City according to the Lips 106 news segment in GTA III.

Character[]

Personality[]

In all of Phil's appearances, he appears as a manic heavy artillery arms dealer, selling the protagonist military-grade weaponry such as grenades, rocket launchers and miniguns. Phil presents himself as a military veteran and regularly discusses his experiences, including claims of having "flashbacks" to the Vietnam War. However, Cam Jones claims that Phil was never in the army, and Phil's records show that he was repeatedly refused for service due to "drunkenness and unsuitable temperament for combat".

Phil has been featured as a heavy drinker. He distils "Boomshine", a highly explosive mixture that can get a man drunk off its fumes alone, which he started distilling and selling in Vice City around 1984. During a phone conversation with Tommy Vercetti, he explains that, due to his heavy boomshine consumption, he is blind in his left eye.

Phil’s dialogue in certain missions indicates that he drinks as a result of possible depression, likely due to his bad relationship with his father. Otherwise, he appeared to have a good relationship with Louise and was genuinely mournful of her death. It was shown that her death caused Phil to return to his drinking habits.

Despite his fault, Phil overall appeared to be very loyal and respectful to those he cared about and would go above and beyond for them, including attacking a military base to name a few, that includes Vic, Lance, Tommy, even Martinez for a time. It’s likely that Martinez’ betrayal worsened his paranoia.

Appearance[]

Phil's most notable feature is his one arm. He lost his left arm in 1986 after he was caught in the blast radius of a boomshine bomb, during the events of GTA Vice City. His subsequent appearances also depict him with only one arm.

In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Phil is sporting a handlebar moustache. Between 1984 and 1986, he shaved it off permanently.

Businesses[]

VCBI Crime Tree Record[]

VCBICrimeTreeLogo-GTAVC
PHIL CASSIDY
Redneck arms dealer. Believed to be involved in weapons trade. Gun enthusiast. Member of various second amendment organizations and various Vice City gun clubs.
PhilCassidy-GTAVC-VCBIPic1
VCBILogo-GTAVC
PHIL CASSIDY

  • Redneck arms dealer.
  • Believed to be involved in weapons trade.
  • Gun enthusiast. Member of various second amendment organizations and various Vice City gun clubs.
  • Sources suggest he also distills "boomshine" in own stills.
  • Fighting war with Mexican gun-running gangs.
  • Linked with "Cam" Jones. Jones and Cassidy believed to have worked together numerous times although Cassidy has avoided convictions.
  • Degenerate.
  • Patriot.
  • Also believed Cassidy claims to have served in various divisions although Army records show he was repeatedly rejected for service because of drunkenness and an unsuitable temperament for combat.


It was hell up on that ridge. We had bogeys everywhere and ammunition was running out real fast. I didn't know what was going on. I couldn't tell what was gonna happen. So I said to myself, Phil, I said, because my name is Phil Cassidy they don't award Purple Hearts to liberal pinkos. Do what you grandpappy did, shoot everything that moves. I am proud to say, I killed everyone there.
— Phil Cassidy

Mission Appearances[]

Grand Theft Auto III[]

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]

Gallery[]

Artworks[]

In-game[]

Trivia[]

  • Phil wears the same green outfit in both GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories.
  • In the opening cutscene of the mission "Boomshine Saigon", Phil is clearly seen having his right arm - not his left arm - blown off. This is a developer oversight, as when the player completes the mission, a cutscene plays showing Phil missing his left arm, and all his subsequent appearances show him missing his left arm.
  • In the original version of GTA Vice City, a confederate flag can be seen on Phil's muscle shirt. In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - The Definitive Edition, the flag has been changed to a skull.

Navigation[]

Navigation
[ ve ]Characters in Grand Theft Auto III
ProtagonistClaude
Main
characters
8-Ball | Catalina† | Marty Chonks† | Toni Cipriani | King Courtney | D-Ice | El Burro | Luigi Goterelli | Asuka Kasen† | Kenji Kasen† | Maria Latore | Joey Leone | Salvatore Leone† | Donald Love | Ray Machowski | Miguel
Minor
characters
Leon McAffrey† | Ray Machowski's Partner† | Curly Bob† | Carl | Phil Cassidy | Chico | Lee Chong† | Mrs. Chonks† | Mrs. Cipriani | Mike Forelli† | Mickey Hamfists | Kanbu | Misty | Old Oriental Gentleman | Tanner† | Unnamed Accomplice† | SPANKed-up Madmen† | D-Ice's brother | Leone Bank Robbers
Radio DJsAndee | Andre the Accelerator | Stretch Armstrong | MC Codebreaker | Michael Hunt | Lazlow | Morgan Merryweather | Lord Sear | Toni | Horace Walsh
Radio guestsBob | Freddy | Jane | Janice | Jeff | Jerry | Martha | Fernando Martinez | Colonel James P. | Phil | Phil | Barry Stark | Reed Tucker
Mentioned
characters
Barbara | J. Phil Higginbottom | Hans | Hugo | Jim-Jim | Joey | Joey | Oily Johnnie | Johnny | Queen Lizzy | Pogo the Monkey | Glen Morley III | Sam | Gary Schaffer | Chuck Schwartz | Tommy | Mr. Wong | Daryl Zolotowski
Liberty Tree promotional website reportersAdam Tedman | Amy Salzburg | Andre Perkins | Peter Armstrong | Benjamin Mill | Bill Tautz | Johnnie Blain | Bob Jefferson | Bob Malkin | Brian Robinson | Chris Carruthers | Clint Glen | E. Crume | Frederic Pierce | Gregory Lau | Howard Child | Irene Kelly | Julius Cohen | Johnny Ryan | Joel Stahlman | Jeffrey Veselik | Jayne Kwiatowski | Kelly Sue DeConnick | Ken Dellamonica | Kristen Burns | Louie Schaffer | Mark Reed | Nicholas Morris | Paul Civille | Paul Marchiando | Paul Mill | Stan Wayridge | Thomas Jones | Thomas Shaw | Thomas Stewart | Trudy Fink | Walt Jefferson | Walt Karl | William Mazyck
Deleted
characters
Butler | Curtly | Darkel | Novy | Toshiro
† denotes Deceased, Italics denotes a status determined by the player's choice
Characters in GTA III | Category:Characters in GTA III | Grand Theft Auto III | Category:Characters
[ ve ]Characters in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
ProtagonistTommy Vercetti
Major charactersKen Rosenberg | Lance Vance† | Sonny Forelli† | Earnest Kelly | "Big" Mitch Baker | Avery Carrington† | Phil Cassidy | Colonel Juan Garcia Cortez | Ricardo Diaz† | Jezz Torrent | Percy | Dick | Kent Paul | Auntie Poulet | Umberto Robina | Steve Scott | Mr. Black
Minor charactersVictor Vance† | Gonzalez† | Leo Teal† | Pierre La Ponce† | Mercedes Cortez | Doris | Cougar | Zeppelin | Pastor Richards | Donald Love | Streetwannabe's Leader† | Cam Jones | Hilary King† | Alex Shrub | The Psycho | Maude Hanson | Jethro | Dwaine | Mike | Unnamed Vercetti Gang Bodyguard | Porn Guy | Harry† | Lee† | Alberto Robina | Rico | Pepe (gangster) | Pepe (customer) | Pablo | Pedro Garcia | Candy's Agent† | Franco Carter† | Mrs. Dawson† | Charlie Dilson† | Mike Griffin† | Marcus Hammond† | Nick Kong† | Carl Pearson† | Ricardo Diaz's Hitmen | Candy Suxxx | BJ Smith | Sonny's Right-Hand Man | Sonny Forelli's Associate | Dick Tanner† | Ted | Unnamed Property Developer† | Willy | V.I.P. | The Greasy Chopper Bartender | Unnamed Businessman† | Unknown Dead Man† | Café Robina Bartender | Haitian Gang Lord† | Officer Miller | Jackson | Officer Jones | Sam
Radio DJsOliver Biscuit | Maurice Chavez | Adam First | Jonathan Freeloader | Lazlow | Mr. Magic | Fernando Martinez | Michelle Montanius | Pepe | Amy Sheckenhausen | Toni
Radio guestsJan Brown | Michaela Carapadis | Jenny Louise Crab | Callum Crayshaw | Pat "Mr. Zoo" Flannerdy | Freddy | John F. Hickory | Jack Howitzer | Claude Maginot | Mandy | Emanuel | Gethsemanee Starhawk Moonmaker | Doctor Phillips | Jeremy Robard | BJ Smith | Konstantinos Smith | Barry Stark | Thor
Mentioned charactersMr. Chesterfield | Morgan Daniels | Giorgio Forelli | Fran | Jono | Ho Chi | Jimmy | Mario | Patrick III | Laura Shrub | Tim
Beta charactersMr. Moffat
Other charactersBob | Bruce | Mark Cosgrove | Eugene | Martin | May | Moweesha | Doctor Perkins | P. Rowe | Darren Webb
† denotes Deceased, Italics denotes a status determined by the player's choice
Characters in GTA Vice City | Category:Characters in GTA Vice City | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Category:Characters
[ ve ]Characters in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
ProtagonistToni Cipriani
Main
characters
Salvatore Leone† | Donald Love | Massimo Torini† | Vincenzo Cilli† | Joseph Daniel "JD" O'Toole† | Leon McAffrey† | Toshiko Kasen† | Maria Latore | Mrs. Cipriani | Ned Burner† | Paulie Sindacco† | Jane Hopper | 8-Ball | Miles O'Donovan | Franco Forelli
Minor
characters
Mickey Hamfists | Ray Machowski | Avery Carrington† | Giovanni Casa† | Phil Cassidy | Cedric "Wayne" Fotheringay† | Roger C. Hole† | Kazuki Kasen† | Uncle Leone | Miguel† | Cheryl | DB-P† | Black Lightman† | Mona Lott | Raven | Rudyard | Dan Sucho† | Faith W.† | The Wong Brothers | The Informant† | Leone Dealer† | Mayor's Assistant | John-O | TV Reporter | Forelli Wiseguy† | Gun Store Clerk
Mentioned
characters
Humphries | Mr. Cipriani† | Jimmy | Amber | Joey Leone | Maccer | Oily Johnnie | Rachel | Ray | Mr. Wong | Asuka Kasen† | Kenji Kasen† | Unnamed made man
Radio DJsAndee | Bill | Nurse Bob | Sergio Boccino | Melissa Chowder | DJ Clue | MC Codebreaker | Panjit Gavaskar | Michael Hunt | Cliff Lane | Lazlow | Boy Sanchez | Steve | Natalee Walsh Davis | Reni Wassulmaier
Radio guestsRichard Burns | Catherine | Chris | Chuck | Bernard "Crow" Gordon | Lenny | Morgan Merryweather | Nina Barry
Multiplayer
characters
Ed Banger | Randy Boner | Lou Bricant | Phil DeGirth | Bill Durzbum | Robin Emblind | Rico Garlik | The Gimp | M.T. Head | Hugh Jazz | Anne Job | G.I. Jones | Juan Kerr | Ophelia Lardaz | Lucy Lastic | Hung Lo | Arden Long | Mrs. Menalot | Owen Monie | Busta Moves | No. 1 | Rick O'Shea | Agent Ochre | Officer '69' | Papi Love | Sam | Lou Scannon | Ekant Sing | Fay Slift | Ann Thrax | Lance Urwell | Cruz Vormen | Nick Yakar | Yamazaki
Other
characters
Brian Baylor | Dorothy Bigbottom | Carey | Beverly Clamhopper | Frenchie Cockmaven | Marcel Crayon | Jeremy Fagin | Jimmy Fence | Frank Junior | Anul Garbaskar | Derrick Hale | Jacqueline | Jeremy | Lorraine | Gaylord Morrisen | Oscar Redondo | Jesus Sentenz
† denotes Deceased, Italics denotes a status determined by the player's choice
Characters in GTA Liberty City Stories | Category:Characters in GTA Liberty City Stories | Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories | Category:Characters
[ ve ]Characters in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
ProtagonistVictor Vance
Main
characters
Lance Vance† | Phil Cassidy | Louise Cassidy-Williams† | Jerry Martinez† | Bryan Forbes† | Reni Wassulmaier | Gonzalez† | Ricardo Diaz† | Armando Mendez† | Diego Mendez† | Phil Collins | Umberto Robina | Marty Jay Williams
Minor
characters
Barry Mickelthwaite | Carlos | Mary-Jo Cassidy | Aunt Enid | Fernandez | Frankie | Hank† | Hilberto | Javier | Jesús† | Juan | Mary | Mona | Sergeant Peppah | Alberto Robina | Ronaldo | Marty Williams' cousin† | Spitz | T.J. Sucker | Janet Vance | Mary-Beth Williams | Welfare Woman | Jerry Martinez's Dealer† | Welfare Man | Unnamed Cholo Thug† | Cuban 1
Radio station
employees
Trish Camden | Maurice Chavez | Couzin Ed | Adam First | Jonathan Freeloader | Heinrich Havelock | Hector Hernandez | Phil Herrick | Larry Joe | Lazlow | Luke | Lionel Makepeace | Michelle Montanius | Bryce Parker | Pepe | Bobbie Ray | John Sickerman | Chuck Summers | Teri | Dwayne Thorn | Tina Jane | Toni
Radio Show
characters
Lily Banbury | Pete Banbury | Chief | Ernest Keigel | Molly Malmstein | Gordon Moorehead | Pablo | Richard
Radio guestsBryony Craddock | Kenny Crane | Martin Graves | Pedro | Jeremy Robard | Thorton | Forbes Waverly III
Multiplayer
characters
Colin Allcars | Agent Alman | Harry Balzac | Robin Banks† | Candy Barr | Anita Bath | Bishop | Bub | Des Buratto | Officer Butts | Officer Cracker | Decjuan DeMarco† | Duane DeVane | Kanye Diggit | Martha Fokker | Dee Generate | Gabe Hiker† | Jose | Daryl Lect | Moe Lester† | Harris Mint | Ron A. Muck | Pearl Neklass | Joaquin Noff | Beau Nurr | Buster Nutt | Cam O'Flarge | Juan Ovzem† | Abe Ozo | Chris Packet | Private Parts | Private Places | Poop Dawg | Pops | Agent Provocateur | Stacy Rhect | Abe Rudder | Boyd Schidt | Hayden Seek | Fidel Sistaxez | The Specialist | T.J. Sucker | Sue E. Sydle | Leo Tarred | Tess Tickle | Jenny Tulls | Tate Urchips | Lee Vitout | Dylan Weed | Hugo Zehr
Mentioned
characters
Oliver Biscuit | Cousin Bob | Juan Cortez | Jock Cranley | Derek the Dodo | Destiny | Diaz' Girlfriend | Doris | Dot | Eileen | Betty Feeley | Giorgio Forelli | Trent Hopkins | Abner Horowitz | Jack Howitzer | Stonewall J | Bonnie Knight | Linda | Marie Sue | Beverly McFadden | McGinley | Jenny Mitchell | Mystique | Clay Parsons | Puddles | Smithy | Tim | Trev | Troy | Chris Van Angel | Pete Vance
Deleted
characters
Leo Teal
† denotes Deceased, Italics denotes a status determined by the player's choice
Characters in GTA Vice City Stories | Category:Characters in GTA Vice City Stories | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | Category:Characters
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