The Messina crime family is the third most-powerful of the Mafia families based in Liberty City, and part of the Cosa Nostra Commission. Named after former boss John Messina, the Messina syndicate is based in Algonquin and Dukes, but also controls Little Italy alongside the other families. The family is believed to be led by Harvey Noto, who was able to establish himself at the top of the organization after a long and bloody power struggle. Mark Volpe is a Capo whilst Fredo Volpe, another Capo and brother of Mark, has been a police informant since 1998. Harry Hall is the Underboss/Consigliere of the Messina family.
In 2008, the Messina Family prevented Yusuf Amir from continuing constructing by the labor union. However, Playboy X saw a potential business relationship with Amir, and he therefore hired Niko Bellic to take down all union workers at Amir's construction site. Sometime later in the same year, Rocco Pelosi of the Ancelotti Family kidnapped a union official and had Luis Lopez torture him by hitting him with golfballs. The union official revealed that the head of the LTA was working for the Messina's. He later revealed more information to Rocco, and he ordered Lopez' boss "Gay" Tony Prince to blow up all of the undercover Messina's with Sticky Bombs. Lopez himself took care of the job, resulting in a construction crane, LTA train and a private jet to be blown up. it is possible that the plane Lopez blown up, was a private jet of a Messina member or possible Harvey Noto, but likely not because after this mission his criminal record does not mention him as dead or missing. Harvey Noto, the boss of the family owns the upper class Majestic Hotel in Algonquin. This possibly the family's base of operations, but there is no evidence to prove this. The Jewish Mob hired a few rooms in the hotel, hinting the fact that they may be allies to the Messina family, but they are never seen together. They can be business accociates, but this is likely not because The Jewish are a Mafia family. The real-life counterpart of the Messina Family, the Bonnano Family has no connections with the real-life Jewish Mafia, so it is most likely that in-game this is the same. Other than the other mafia families, the Messina Family dont have any connections with other criminal organisations.
In 2009, Rudy D'Avanzo tricked the Triad Huang Lee to believe that his rival Jimmy Capra was an undercover police informant (in fact he was a Messina Made Man) and was revealing information about the Triads to the LCPD. Rudy told Huang that he had bugged Capra's car and he ordered Huang to steal Capra's car from a Messina-owned parking lot in North Bohan. They later went to a meeting with Capra, where lots of Messina gangsters, and possibly Capra himself, were killed. They have connection with the Joaming Triad. But after the events of GTA Chinatown Wars it is most likely their friendship has ended. Their deakers sell Ecstasy and buy Coke. They are friendly in this game unless the player attacks them. They can be spotted in Little Italy, with red clothing. They attack the player with Micro SMG's and are very tough when fighting on the streets. They are not hostile againts the player unless he attacks them. In the GTA Chinatown Wars drug dealing minigame they have two dealers named: Ricci and Vincenzo who like to buy Coke and sell many Ecstasy for a low price. They are discriped as the MOB but this is also the name of an African-American gang in GTA 4 and it DLC's. Maybe this is a programming fault, but this is unknown why this is done. When doing many deals with the dealers of the Messina Family, it will most likely attract police presence.
Mission Appearences
GTA IV
The Ballad of Gay Tony
Chinatown Wars
Members
- Harvey Noto - Boss of the Messina crime family, and close friend of Jon Gravelli.
- Harry Hall - Underboss/Consigliere for Harvey and owns a few prostitution rings.
- Mark Volpe - Caporegime and a suspected police informant
- Fredo Volpe - Capo and brother of Mark. He is the true informant and has been since 1998.
- Jimmy Capra - Member and "Made Man" of the Messina crime family.
- Union Official - Knew Messina business and had to give evidence as he was extorted by Rocco Pelosi.
Influences
They are probably based on the Bonanno crime family in New York City which is one of the five families. They share a similar history of bloody infighting and each received help from another family in the commission: The Messina's from the Gambetti's and the Bonanno's from the Gambetti's counterparts, the Gambinos. The name of the family is also a reference of one of the modern Dons of the Bonanno family, Joe Massino, while the first boss of the Messina family has a similar name; John Messina.
Trivia
- Harvey Noto, boss of the Messina family owns the Majestic Hotel
- The informant Fredo Volpe has given enough evidence to take down the whole family/operation, but one year later, in the events of GTA Chinatown Wars the gang is still operative. Hinting the fact that maybe the organisation did know that Volpe was an informant and killed him before he talked.
- In the The Ballad of Gay Tony mission Practice Swing, the Messina Family drives an army of Cavalcade FXTs. It is possible they drive the cars for room, luxury, and room for work (construction) supplies, weapons or drugs. It is suggestively their favorite car. Maybe blue is their favorite color, because they all wear blue shirts and their cars are in a dark blue color.
Template:GTA IV Gangs