✦ The Complete Rockstar Universe ✦
GTA Vice City
📅 Last updated:
Your guide to every Rockstar game, from Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead to Bully and Max Payne, with tips, cheat codes, rankings and the best deals.
GTA Vice City · Characters
GTA Vice City Characters: The Full Cast and Who Voices Them
📅 Checked on
The main characters of GTA Vice City are Tommy Vercetti, the protagonist voiced by Ray Liotta; his partner Lance Vance; the lawyer Ken Rosenberg; the mob boss Sonny Forelli; the drug lord Ricardo Diaz; Colonel Juan Garcia Cortez and his daughter Mercedes; the tycoon Avery Carrington; and the band manager Kent Paul. Around them, a cast of Hollywood voices plays the gang leaders and oddballs of 1986 Vice City: Danny Trejo, Gary Busey, Burt Reynolds, Lee Majors and more.
Character Profiles
Tommy Vercetti
Protagonist
Voiced by Ray Liotta
Full profile →
Lance Vance
Partner, then traitor
Voiced by Philip Michael Thomas
Full profile →
Ricardo Diaz
Drug lord
Voiced by Luis Guzmán
Profile below ↓
Sonny Forelli
Main villain
Voiced by Tom Sizemore
Profile below ↓
Ken Rosenberg
Crooked lawyer
Voiced by William Fichtner
Profile below ↓
Avery Carrington
Real estate mogul
Voiced by Burt Reynolds
Profile below ↓
Umberto Robina
Cuban gang leader
Voiced by Danny Trejo
Profile below ↓
Phil Cassidy
Arms dealer
Voiced by Gary Busey
Profile below ↓
Kent Paul
Music manager
Voiced by Danny Dyer
Profile below ↓Main Characters and Voice Actors
| Character | Who they are | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
Tommy Vercetti | Protagonist, a Forelli family soldier fresh out of prison | Ray Liotta |
Lance Vance | Survivor of the ambushed deal, whose brother died in it | Philip Michael Thomas |
Ken Rosenberg | The Forellis' crooked lawyer in Vice City | William Fichtner |
Sonny Forelli | Boss of the Forelli crime family in Liberty City | Tom Sizemore |
Ricardo Diaz | Vice City's biggest drug lord | Luis Guzmán |
Juan Garcia Cortez | Retired army colonel who helped set up the deal | Robert Davi |
Mercedes Cortez | Colonel Cortez's daughter | Fairuza Balk |
Avery Carrington | Texan property tycoon | Burt Reynolds |
Kent Paul | Band manager with underworld connections | Danny Dyer |
Tommy Vercetti
A made man of the Forelli crime family, released in 1986 after fifteen years in prison and sent to Vice City by Sonny Forelli to oversee a drug deal. When the deal is ambushed, he sets out to find who did it and ends up ruling the city. He was the series' first speaking protagonist. Everything about him is on his full Tommy Vercetti profile.
Lance Vance
Lance was part of the deal too, and the ambush cost him his brother, which makes him Tommy's natural ally. Rockstar built their double act on Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs of Miami Vice, and cast Philip Michael Thomas, Tubbs himself, as Lance. Impatient, he tries to kill Diaz alone and has to be rescued. Later, feeling sidelined by Tommy's rise, he betrays him to the Forellis, and dies in the final shootout at the mansion. More on his Lance Vance profile.
Ken Rosenberg
The Forellis' lawyer in Vice City, nervous and crooked, who drives Tommy to the doomed deal and points him to Colonel Cortez. He survives the story and becomes Tommy's right-hand man at the end. His cocaine habit later strains the partnership: Tommy sends him to rehab in Fort Carson, San Andreas, and cuts ties with him, which is where Ken is found in GTA San Andreas.
Sonny Forelli
The Liberty City mob boss who sends Tommy south. He demands his money back after the ambush, and grows furious as Tommy builds an empire without cutting the Forellis in. He flies to Vice City to collect, and dies in the shootout at Tommy's mansion, where Tommy accuses him of setting up the attack that sent him to prison fifteen years earlier.
Ricardo Diaz
Vice City's largest drug baron, met at Cortez's party. He employs Tommy and Lance, until they learn that he organised the ambush. Tommy and Lance storm his mansion on Starfish Island in the mission Rub Out and kill him, and Tommy takes over his estate, which becomes the Vercetti Estate. More on his Ricardo Diaz profile.
Colonel Cortez and Mercedes
Juan Garcia Cortez is the retired army colonel who helped set up the deal. He regrets the ambush, mentors Tommy and pushes him to act independently of the Forellis, before fleeing the city on his yacht with French agents on his trail. He leaves his daughter Mercedes in Tommy's care.
Avery Carrington and Kent Paul
Avery Carrington, a Texan property tycoon, hires Tommy for deals and advises him to build his empire by buying businesses. Kent Paul, a band manager, knows everyone in the underworld and gives Tommy his first leads.
Supporting Characters
| Character | Role | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
Umberto Robina | Leader of the Cubans, at war with the Haitians | Danny Trejo |
Auntie Poulet | Haitian gang figure who sends Tommy against the Cubans | Youree Harris |
Phil Cassidy | Arms dealer whose missions unlock Phil's Place | Gary Busey |
Mitch Baker | Leader of a biker gang | Lee Majors |
Jezz Torrent | Lead singer of the rock band Love Fist | Kevin McKidd |
Candy Suxxx | Adult film actress in Tommy's film business | Jenna Jameson |
BJ Smith | Former football player | Lawrence Taylor |
Most of them give Tommy optional missions, listed with the main story on our GTA Vice City story missions page. Umberto Robina and Phil Cassidy return in Vice City Stories, voiced again by Danny Trejo and Gary Busey.
More Vice City on GTAside
Where each of them lives on our Vice City map, the cheat codes, the fastest cars and the game page.
Avery Carrington: The Real Estate Mogul of Vice City
Avery Carrington is a Texan real estate mogul who made his fortune in property by illegal means in GTA Vice City (2002). He hires Tommy Vercetti to drive property prices down and advises him to extort the city's businesses. Burt Reynolds voices him.
Voiced byBurt Reynolds
JobReal estate mogul
FromTexas
Killed byToni Cipriani (LCS)
His motto sums up his missions: "Nothing brings down real estate prices quicker than a good old-fashioned gang war."
Avery's Missions
| Mission | What happens |
|---|---|
The Party | Avery is a guest at Colonel Cortez's yacht party |
Riot | Introduced by his lawyer Ken Rosenberg, Avery has Tommy start a riot at Spand Express |
Four Iron | Tommy kills a property developer with a golf club |
Demolition Man | Tommy demolishes a building in the way of Avery's project |
Two Bit Hit | Tommy starts a war between the Cubans and the Haitians |
Shakedown | After Diaz's death, Avery advises Tommy to extort the city's businesses |
What Happens to Avery Carrington?
Avery survives Vice City. In Liberty City Stories, set in 1998, his former protégé Donald Love hires Toni Cipriani to kill him in Panlantic Land Grab. Love then has the body stolen in Morgue Party Resurrection and eats it. Avery has no voice in Liberty City Stories. More on Donald Love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who voices Avery Carrington?
Burt Reynolds.
What happens to Avery Carrington?
Toni Cipriani kills him for Donald Love in Liberty City Stories, set in 1998.
Who ate Avery Carrington?
Donald Love.
What missions does Avery give?
Four Iron, Demolition Man and Two Bit Hit, after Riot.
Who is Avery Carrington's protégé?
Donald Love.
Ken Rosenberg: The Lawyer Who Stayed With Tommy
Ken Rosenberg, nicknamed Rosie, is the crooked lawyer who works for the Forelli family in GTA Vice City (2002) and the first character to give Tommy Vercetti missions. He survives the game as Tommy's right-hand man, then returns in San Andreas. William Fichtner voices him in both games.
Voiced byWilliam Fichtner
JobLawyer
Works forThe Forellis, then Tommy
FateSurvives
Rosenberg's Missions in Vice City
| Mission | What happens |
|---|---|
In the Beginning... | Rosenberg sets up the Forellis' drug deal; it is ambushed, and he escapes with Tommy |
The Party | Hiding in his office, he sends Tommy to Colonel Cortez's yacht party |
Back Alley Brawl | He points Tommy to Kent Paul for a lead |
Jury Fury | Tommy intimidates two jurors in Giorgio Forelli's trial |
Riot | Rosenberg introduces Tommy to his client Avery Carrington |
Keep Your Friends Close... | He is at the Vercetti Estate when Sonny Forelli arrives, holds the counterfeit cash, and survives |
The game ends with Tommy calling it "the beginning of a beautiful business relationship", with Rosenberg at his side.
Rosenberg in San Andreas
By 1992, Rosenberg's cocaine addiction has driven Tommy away. In The Introduction he leaves rehab at Fort Carson and calls Tommy, who no longer takes his calls. He then runs a Mafia casino in Las Venturas under pressure from the Liberty City families, falls back into cocaine, and ends up working for Madd Dogg with Kent Paul on his first gold record. More on the San Andreas characters page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who voices Ken Rosenberg?
William Fichtner, in Vice City and San Andreas.
What happens to Ken Rosenberg?
He becomes Tommy's partner in 1986, then goes to rehab and is dropped by Tommy before San Andreas.
Is Ken Rosenberg in San Andreas?
Yes, he runs a Mafia casino in Las Venturas.
Why did Tommy stop talking to Rosenberg?
Because of his cocaine addiction.
Does Ken Rosenberg die?
No, he survives both games.
Kent Paul: The Englishman Who Knows Everyone
Kent Paul is an Englishman from Kent who works in the music business and knows Vice City's underworld in GTA Vice City (2002). Manager of the band Love Fist, he gives Tommy Vercetti leads, then returns in San Andreas. Danny Dyer voices him in both games.
Voiced byDanny Dyer
FromKent, England
BandLove Fist
Also inSan Andreas
Kent Paul in Vice City
| Moment | What happens |
|---|---|
The Party | Kent Paul is at Colonel Cortez's party |
Back Alley Brawl | He points Tommy to the chef Leo Teal |
Death Row | He calls Tommy about Lance Vance, captured by Diaz |
After Rub Out | He invites Tommy to the recording studio, which opens the Love Fist missions |
Spilling the Beans | Tommy meets him at the Malibu Club |
Kent Paul in San Andreas
In San Andreas (1992), Kent Paul manages The Gurning Chimps. He gets stranded in the desert with Maccer, joins Ken Rosenberg in Las Venturas, and ends up working for Madd Dogg on his first gold record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who voices Kent Paul?
Danny Dyer.
Is Kent Paul in San Andreas?
Yes, as manager of The Gurning Chimps.
What band does Kent Paul manage?
Love Fist in Vice City and The Gurning Chimps in San Andreas.
Where is Kent Paul from?
Kent, England.
Which mission introduces Kent Paul?
Back Alley Brawl, after he is seen at The Party.
Phil Cassidy: The One-Armed Arms Dealer
Phil Cassidy, the One-Armed Bandit, is a redneck arms dealer and boomshine distiller who helps Tommy Vercetti in GTA Vice City (2002). He appears in four GTA games, from Vice City Stories to GTA III. Gary Busey voices him in Vice City and Vice City Stories, and Hunter Platin in GTA III.
Voiced byGary Busey
JobArms dealer
NicknameOne-Armed Bandit
GamesVCS, VC, LCS, GTA III
Phil's Missions in Vice City
| Mission | What happens |
|---|---|
The Shootist | Tommy meets Phil and passes a shooting test before the bank job |
The Driver | Phil suggests Hilary King as the getaway driver |
The Job | The robbery of El Banco Corrupto Grande |
Gun Runner | Tommy hijacks a rival's arms trucks for Phil |
Boomshine Saigon | Drunk, Phil loses his arm to his own bomb |
How Did Phil Cassidy Lose His Arm?
In Boomshine Saigon, a drunk Phil sets off his own boomshine bomb and loses his left arm. Tommy drives him to an ex-army surgeon in Little Havana. Phil's Place then sells Tommy heavy weapons.
Phil in Other Games
| Game | Role |
|---|---|
Vice City Stories (1984) | A main character: he meets Victor Vance through Sergeant Jerry Martinez and helps steal a Hunter from Fort Baxter in Over the Top |
Liberty City Stories (1998) | One appearance, in More Deadly Than the Male |
GTA III (2001) | Runs an army surplus shop in Rockford, Staunton Island, in Arms Shortage, and claims he lost his arm in Nicaragua |
Phil calls himself a Vietnam veteran. His sister is Louise Cassidy-Williams, and in GTA III Ray Machowski is his old army buddy. More on the Vice City Stories characters page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who voices Phil Cassidy?
Gary Busey in Vice City and Vice City Stories, and Hunter Platin in GTA III.
How did Phil Cassidy lose his arm?
Drunk, he set off his own boomshine bomb in Boomshine Saigon.
Which arm did Phil Cassidy lose?
His left arm.
Which games is Phil Cassidy in?
GTA III, Vice City, Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories.
Was Phil Cassidy in Vietnam?
He says so.
Ricardo Diaz: The Drug Lord Behind the Vice City Ambush
Ricardo Diaz is Vice City's biggest drug lord in GTA Vice City (2002), voiced by Luis Guzmán. He organised the ambush on the drug deal Tommy Vercetti was overseeing, hired Tommy and Lance Vance, and was killed by them at his mansion on Starfish Island, which became the Vercetti Estate. He also appears in the 1984 prequel, Vice City Stories.
GamesVice City, Vice City Stories
VoiceLuis Guzmán
HomeMansion, Starfish Island
Killed inRub Out
Who Is Ricardo Diaz?
The drug baron Tommy meets at Colonel Cortez's boat party. Cortez puts Tommy in contact with him and soon voices his suspicion that Diaz organised the ambush. Diaz hires Tommy and Lance, and his missions take Tommy from Vice City Beach across the whole city.
Ricardo Diaz's Missions
| Mission | What happens |
|---|---|
The Chase | Follow an employee who has been stealing from Diaz |
Phnom Penh '86 | Recover the stolen money by helicopter; the bridges open after it |
The Fastest Boat | Win the fastest boat on the market for Diaz |
Supply & Demand | Reach the monthly dealer's boat before anyone else |
Rub Out | Tommy and Lance storm his mansion and kill him |
How Does Ricardo Diaz Die?
Lance discovers that Diaz was behind the ambush, attacks him alone and is captured. After Tommy rescues Lance in Death Row, the two storm Diaz's mansion on Starfish Island in Rub Out and kill him. Tommy takes over the mansion, the start of his empire.
Diaz in Vice City Stories
In the 1984 prequel, Diaz, again voiced by Luis Guzmán, is a drug baron who seeks to take over the operations of the Mendez brothers, and employs Victor and Lance Vance for several jobs.
More Vice City Characters
Frequently Asked Questions
Who voices Ricardo Diaz?
Luis Guzmán, in both GTA Vice City and Vice City Stories.
How do you kill Ricardo Diaz in Vice City?
In the mission Rub Out, where Tommy and Lance storm his mansion on Starfish Island.
Did Ricardo Diaz set up the ambush in Vice City?
Yes. He organised the attack on the drug deal that opens the game.
What happens to Diaz's mansion?
Tommy takes it over after killing Diaz, and it becomes the Vercetti Estate.
Is Ricardo Diaz in Vice City Stories?
Yes. In 1984 he seeks to take over the Mendez brothers' drug operations and employs Victor and Lance Vance.
Sonny Forelli: The Boss Tommy Turns Against
Sonny Forelli is the don of the Forelli crime family of Liberty City and the main antagonist of GTA Vice City (2002). He sends Tommy Vercetti to Vice City for a drug deal, demands his money back when it goes wrong, and is killed by Tommy in the final mission. Tom Sizemore voices him.
Voiced byTom Sizemore
FamilyThe Forellis
CityLiberty City
Dies inKeep Your Friends Close...
Sonny and Tommy Before Vice City
In 1971, Sonny sent Tommy on a hit in Harwood, where eleven men ambushed him; Tommy spent 15 years in prison, earning the name "Harwood Butcher". Sonny is widely held to have set Tommy up, although the game never confirms it.
Sonny's Role in Vice City
| Moment | What happens |
|---|---|
In the Beginning... | Sonny sends Tommy to Vice City for a drug deal, partly to keep him away from Liberty City |
An Old Friend | Tommy calls Sonny about the ambushed deal, and Sonny is furious |
Phone calls | He calls again after Jury Fury, Rub Out and later missions, demanding his money |
Cap the Collector | Sonny's men collect money from Tommy's businesses, and Tommy kills them |
Keep Your Friends Close... | Sonny arrives at the Vercetti Estate; Tommy pays him with counterfeit money, Lance Vance reveals he has sided with Sonny, and a shootout begins |
How Does Sonny Forelli Die?
Tommy kills Sonny at the Vercetti Estate in Keep Your Friends Close..., the last mission, in which Lance Vance also dies. In San Andreas, Salvatore Leone mentions Sonny's death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who voices Sonny Forelli?
Tom Sizemore.
What happens to Sonny Forelli?
Tommy kills him in the final mission, Keep Your Friends Close...
Did Sonny set Tommy up at Harwood?
Most likely, although the game never confirms it.
Why did Sonny send Tommy to Vice City?
To run a drug deal and keep him out of Liberty City.
Who betrayed Tommy with Sonny?
Lance Vance.
Umberto Robina: Leader of the Cubans in Vice City
Umberto Robina leads Los Cabrones, the Cuban gang of Little Havana, in GTA Vice City (2002), and is at war with the Haitians. He hires Tommy Vercetti for four missions, and returns in Vice City Stories. Danny Trejo voices him in both games.
Voiced byDanny Trejo
GangLos Cabrones (Cubans)
BaseCafé Robina, Little Havana
Missions4
Umberto's Missions
After Tommy's mission Two Bit Hit for Avery Carrington, Umberto calls Tommy, thinking he is Leo Teal. His missions, all aimed at the Haitians:
| Mission | What happens |
|---|---|
Stunt Boat Challenge | A boat stunt challenge |
Cannon Fodder | An attack on the Haitians' drug van |
Naval Engagement | Ambushing a Haitian drug deal by boat |
Trojan Voodoo | Destroying the Haitian drug factory, driving a Haitian car |
In his last call, Umberto tells Tommy the Cubans see him as one of their own.
Umberto's Family
Umberto's father is Alberto Robina, of Café Robina in Little Havana. Umberto's courage is questioned, even among the Cubans.
Umberto in Vice City Stories
In Vice City Stories, set in 1984, Umberto hires Victor Vance against the Cholos, including a mission to protect his father Alberto. More on the Vice City Stories characters page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who voices Umberto Robina?
Danny Trejo.
What gang does Umberto lead?
Los Cabrones, the Cubans of Little Havana.
How many missions does Umberto give in Vice City?
Four: Stunt Boat Challenge, Cannon Fodder, Naval Engagement and Trojan Voodoo.
Is Umberto in Vice City Stories?
Yes, he hires Victor Vance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the main character in GTA Vice City?
Tommy Vercetti, a member of the Forelli crime family released from prison in 1986. He is voiced by Ray Liotta.
Who voices Tommy Vercetti?
Ray Liotta.
Who betrays Tommy in GTA Vice City?
Lance Vance. Feeling sidelined, he tells Sonny Forelli about Tommy's plan to pay him with counterfeit money, and dies in the final shootout.
Who set up the drug deal ambush in Vice City?
Ricardo Diaz, the city's biggest drug lord. Tommy and Lance kill him at his mansion.
Who voices Lance Vance?
Philip Michael Thomas, Miami Vice's Ricardo Tubbs.
Who voices Ricardo Diaz?
Luis Guzmán.
What happens to Ken Rosenberg after Vice City?
Tommy sends him to rehab in Fort Carson, San Andreas, and cuts ties with him. Ken appears in GTA San Andreas.