History Characters / BoardwalkEmpireNewYorkGangsters

* BoomHeadShot: [[spoiler: He's shot several times by his assassins, before getting a final bullet to the head.]]
* ButNotTooBlack: Like many other rich African-Americans seen in the series. He also shows contempt for the darker skinned Chalky White.

* ButNotTooBlack: Like most of the performers at the Onyx Club, she's very light-skinned.

* ButtMonkey: Things go against him so often it makes his famous nickname seem bitterly ironic. This changes in the final season when he learns to control his temper and his luck takes a noticeable upswing, leaving him about to become one of the biggest crime bosses in the country.

--> Meyer Lansky: One day on my way to school, I got stopped by a gang of older boys. The leader said he wanted my lunch money. I told him to go fuck himself. He laughed, said he'd beat it out of me. So I spit in his face. He did beat me, they all did, and they took my money. Next day, same thing. Again I spit in his face, again we fought. But the third day? The kid asked me to join his gang. He was Charlie Luciano, and that's how we teamed up.

* DemotedToExtra: In season 4; despite this, he's still [[AdvertisedExtra listed in the opening credits]] while Lansky, who has had far more screentime thus far, isn't.
* TheDragon: To Arnold Rothstein in Seasons 1-3, Joe Masseria in Season 4 and Sal Maranzano in Season 5.
** DragonWithAnAgenda: Like his real-life counterpart, he did harbor ambitions of upstaging them, and by the end of season 5, he [[spoiler:establishes a Commission to regulate the American Mafia's activities, with him becoming its first Chairman of the Commission.]]

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Like his real-life counterpart, he starts out as a young hoodlum working for Rothstein, works his way up to the criminal ladder, and by the end of Season 5, [[spoiler:he has finally begun applying all the lessons that he's learned throughout a long lifetime as a gangster, and also applying lessons learned from seeing the rise and fall of his contemporaries.]]

* FauxAffablyEvil: Becomes this by Season 5. He always talks in a cold and calm tone of voice when speaking to enemies or rivals, but it's clear that he's barely masking his contempt for his enemies or rivals.

* ForegoneConclusion: Owen's attempt on his life is doomed from the start (the real Masseria survived numerous assassination attempts), and taking on Luciano as his [[TheDragon dragon]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castellammarese_War isn't going to end well for Masseria]].

* UsedToBeASweetKid: According to Joe Masseria. Forgive us for doubting Masseria's sincerity. (According to Lansky, Luciano was a bully who beat him up for his lunch money).
* VillainousFriendship: with Lansky

* YoungFutureFamousPeople

* TheCassandra: Warns Luciano in "Two Imposters" that no matter how badly they need the money from a heroin deal to pay back Joe Masseria, cutting a deal with an unknown party is a bad plan. Luciano goes anyway and is arrested for drug trafficking.

* TheDragon: Becomes Rothstein's in Season 4.

* EvilMentor: Despite his young age, he already has one disciple, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugsy_Siegel "Benny" Siegel]].

* FromNobodyToNightmare: The unimpressive young man whose introduction consisted of Chalky taunting him for his age and cheap suit will be one of the most powerful men in the United States in a few decades.

* HiddenDepths: He's regularly looked down but will eventually show just how capable he truly is. He's also just as capable of terrifying violence as Luciano as "All In" showed.

* NonActionGuy: Although "The Age of Reason" shows that he also knows how to use a gun, brains were the thing that got him out of trouble again. However, as witnessed in Season 4, he can be a highly vicious physical combatant when sufficiently angered.

* TookALevelInBadass: We knew from season two that Meyer could use a gun, but "Bone for Tuna" has him shooting two of Masseria's goons in cold blood to save Benny's life.
** In Season 5, he is much more outgoing and confident.

* AffablyEvil: He's a charming and funny guy until he starts shooting innocent people.

%% Doesn't explain what the reaction is. * BerserkButton: As "Bone for Tuna" demonstrates, do not attempt to bully him.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: The kid making chicken noises? Give him a few years and he'll invent Las Vegas.

* HistoricalInJoke: Luciano calls him a "crazy" little kid, but he's not quite "Bugsy" yet.
* HotBlooded: Imagine what he'd do if Lansky wasn't there to rein him in.

* PluckyComicRelief: The kid is witty, from his nonchalant inquiry of what Lansky and Luciano want him to do about Rothstein ("oh, so I should tell him to go fuck a duck?") to his mother-henning Lansky when told to go out and pick up some halvah ("that stuff'll rot your teeth"). His sense of humor is lost on Jimmy, however.

* PsychoForHire: Seems to take a **bit** too much pleasure from killing people, and [[BloodKnight genuinely enjoys the carnage and chaos of his hits]].

* TookALevelInBadass: "You'd Be Surprised" shows us a glimpse of the infamous hitman Benny will become - aggressive, bloodthirsty, and audacious. Though he's still got work to do - he doesn't get his target, Gyp Rosetti.
** In Season 5, he is shown to be much more precise and efficient.

* YoungFutureFamousPeople: He's a low-level hitman who viewers know will become one of the most famous mobsters in history.

->''"[[BigBrotherIsWatching I'll be watching you, boy. EVERY fucking step"]].''

* TheDreaded: He's the one kingpin that [[AxCrazy Gyp Rosetti]] actively fears. And anybody not named [[AxCrazy Benny Siegel]] or Salvatore Maranzano in Season 5 would prefer not to have problems with him.

* EloquentInMyNativeTongue

* PragmaticVillainy: Initially refuses to back Rosetti's war plans because there's nothing to gain from a new war, but this changes when Gyp convinces him the Italians will be encroached sooner or later if no action is taken. It's revealed later that a large sum of cash doesn't really appease Joe.

* AxCrazy: Sanity got itself evicted from Gyp's mind long ago. Even by the brutal standards of the mob, Gyp is violent and is apt to kill even random civilians for completely imagined insults.

* BondageIsBad: He enjoys erotic asphyxiation.

* DirtyCoward: Rosetti is good at killing unarmed and helpless individuals. This includes the driver who tries to fix his wheel, the portly Sheriff of Tabor Heights, the waitress he uses as a human shield, Tonino's cousin etc. When he really needs to man up, he runs. When Richard Harrow is massacring Rosetti's men, Rosetti runs and abandons his men (including Tonino) to die. Compared to Nucky, who an episode ago risked his own life to save his own butler. He also becomes noticeably more timid around Joe Masseria and panicked when he believes Masseria is about to have him killed, quick to try and talk his way out of it.

* DragonWithAnAgenda: Despite paying tribute to Joe Masseria, Rosetti often plots ways to expand his power and influence without his boss's knowledge. His operation in New Jersey is entirely his idea - and he [[YouHaveFailedMe gets nearly killed by his own boss]] for it.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: He gets a way with a lot of horrible stuff over the course of season 3 but his luck runs out in the finale and he's [[spoiler:Given an exceptionally undignified death.]]
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:As befits a guy who people he works with, treats his men horribly and displays no honor or bravery, he's stabbed in the back by one of his henchmen. To add insult to injury, Tonino apologizes while doing so and tells Gyp it's nothing personal, the kind of remark that sent Gyp into a rage all season.]]

* ManipulativeBastard: Throughout his appearances in the series, Gyp has proven himself startlingly adept at exploiting other characters' egos and [[ObfuscatingStupidity underestimations of his own intelligence]] to his advantage. When faced with the prospect of being whacked by Joe Masseria's men due to his past failures, Gyp makes a succcessful appeal to Masseria's vanity which not only earns him an extended lease on life but Masseria's full backing in an all-out war against Nucky Thompson. Similarly, he deceives a [[TheVamp cunning seductress]] like Gillian into believing he is a lovestruck DumbMuscle wrapped around her finger so he can pump her for information to facilitate his conquest of Atlantic City.

* RuthlessForeignGangsters: Born and raised in Sperlinga, Italy, he's a extremely violent and unstable gangster based in New York and who tries to conquer Nucky's turf.

* TooCleverByHalf: Gyp is a legitimately skilled tactician and earner but his arrogance, vile temper and tendency to make enemies of almost everyone he encounters ends up doing him in.
* TooDumbToLive: It's obvious from day one that anyone as addicted as he is to pointlessly sadistic StupidEvil nonsense is a dead man walking in the brutally Darwinist world of American organised crime. The only question is how long it takes him to fall over. To his credit, he's got enough tactical nous to put off his inevitable doom for a reasonable while, but not to make it any more evitable.
* {{Troll}}: Gpy feigns taking offense after seemingly construing Nucky's statement that men have come along way from "living in trees" to imply that he's comparing him to a monkey. However, he breaks the ice by [[ActuallyPrettyFunny performing a rather humorous ape impression that even Nucky finds amusing]].

A Sicilian mob kingpin who controls the Williamsburg-based Castellammarese gang and an ArchEnemy of Joe "the Boss" Masseria. He often fancies himself as the Mafia's version of Julius Caesar.

* UnderestimatingBadassery: Much like Nucky and Masseria, he saw Luciano and Lansky as upstarts who are way out of their league. [[spoiler:Those same upstarts manage to claw into Nucky's weak point and intimidate him into backstabbing Maranzano.]]
* WeCanRuleTogether: Like Masseria before him, Maranzano wants Luciano to join him as an underling. But Lucky knows that he and Masseria are dead-set Mustache Petes who are unwilling to work with other ethnic gangs, let alone with fellow Italians.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: With Chalky White. [[spoiler: TheyDo.]]

* BerserkButton: He has [[HairTriggerTemper quite a few]] but any disrespect or condescension is a big one.

* HiddenDepths: Despite his bluster and his bad temper, Charlie has frequently shown that he is most definitely not stupid. When he finally learns to reign his temper in and loses his need to be seen as a tough guy and apply various lessons he's learned over the years, he becomes an exceptionally skilled opponent who rises quickly in Rothstein's absence and shows exactly why he ended up one of the leaders of organized crime in the states.

* BerserkButton: He can put up with a lot but Anti-Semitism seems to be one of the few things that can really set him off, as evidenced by the brutal beatdown he delivers on a card player who makes such remarks. The real Lansky even used his influence to break up pro-Nazi rallies and even worked with the government to prevent sabotage of Navy ships during WWII.

* WelcomeToTheCaribbeanMon:
** Chalky initially thinks he is from Jamaica, but he is from Trinidad.
** The character was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen almost]] named "Calypso Pete".

* TheSmartGuy: He is probably the smartest character on the show

->'''Played by''': David Aaron Baker

->'''Played by''': Ivo Nandi

->'''Played by''': Chris Caldovino

->'''Played by''': Joseph Riccobene

->'''Played by''': Giampiero Judica

->'''Played by''': Vincent Piazza

->'''Played by''': Anatol Yusef

* HiddenDepths: Despite his bluster and his bad temper, Charlie has frequently shown that he is far from stupid. When he finally learns to reign his temper in and apply various lessons he's learned over the years, he becomes an exceptionally skilled opponent and shows exactly why he ended up one of the leaders of organized crime in the states.

* {{Jerkass}}: Unlike his more polite (and intelligent) boss.

* AxCrazy: His very first appearance establishes this.

%% Doesn't explain what the reaction is. * BerserkButton: While any number of things could set him off, he especially hates condescension and has a nasty habit of seeing it everywhere, even in gestures of good will.

* BodyguardBetrayal: In "Margate Sands", he is stabbed to death by his second, Tonino, while his other two remaining men watch without interferring.

* DeadpanSnarker: Has his moments.
* DeathByIrony: [[spoiler:He's ultimately killed by Tonino, who did it out of threat to his life. In other words, his death was ''nothing personal''.]]

** Gyp's response to a priest telling him to quiet down in a church is to beat the priest up and rob His church.

* EvilIsPetty: When not exploding into violent rages, he often finds smaller ways to be a dick to people.

* GratuitousItalian: Though not to Masseria's extent.

* ButtMonkey

* TheConsigliere

* ExtremeDoormat

* TheGenericGuy

* PunchClockVillain

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Like Luciano, he's generally seen as little more than a thug, more intelligent and sophisticated but still just a low-level gangster, who will never be anything more than a pawn for more powerful men.

* KosherNostra

%% Doesn't explain what the reaction is. * Berserk Button: While any number of things could set him off, he especially hates condescension and has a nasty habit of seeing it everywhere, even in gestures of good will.

%% Doesn't explain what the reaction is. * Berserk Button: As "Bone for Tuna" demonstrates, do not attempt to bully him.
%% * The Brute: In Season 3.

* BerserkButton: While any number of things could set him off, he especially hates condescension and has a nasty habit of seeing it everywhere, even in gestures of good will.

* BerserkButton: Anti-Semitic remarks are one of the few things to get him to drop his calm approach and become violent. The real Lansky even assisted the US Military against the Third Reich and his gang often broke up Nazi rallies in New York.

* ADayInTheLimelight: "Friendless Child"

* BerserkButton: As "Bone for Tuna" demonstrates, do not attempt to bully him.
* TheBrute: In Season 3.

* KickTheSonfOfABitch: [[spoiler:Betraying your boss and literally stabbing him in the back and when he has his pants down would be a cowardly and reprehensible act if directed at anyone other than Gyp Rosetti.]]

* NiceHat: Masseria calls him a "general", so Gyp steals a Revolutionary War general's tricorn hat to wear.

[[caption-width-right:275: [[labelnote:Click here to see Luciano in 1931]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vincent_305.jpeg]] [[/labelnote]]

[[caption-width-right:275: [[labelnote:Click here to see Luciano in 1931]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hd_wallpaper_boardwalk_empire_lucky_luciano_hbo_film_charles_luciano_boardwalk_empire_vincent_piazza_new_jersey_character_tv_show_lucky_luciano_tv_series_atlantic_city_acting_historical_character_actorc.jpeg]] [[/labelnote]]

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[[caption-width-right:275: [[labelnote:Click here to see Luciano in 1931]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hd_wallpaper_boardwalk_empire_lucky_luciano_hbo_film_charles_luciano_boardwalk_empire_vincent_piazza_new_jersey_character_tv_show_lucky_luciano_tv_series_atlantic_city_acting_historical_character_actor.jpeg]] [[/labelnote]]

** The character was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen almost]] named "[[UpToEleven Calypso Pete]]".

* WouldHurtAChild: [[UpToEleven While he's looking to you in the eye, pleads you to not shoot and has shown himself to not be a threat already.]]

* JerkAss
* LargeAndInCharge

* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate

* RichBastard

* WickedCultured

* TheBrute

* ForegoneConclusion: His break with Rothstein in season 4 and alliance with Masseria? [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castellammarese_War It's not going to end well for Massseria.]]

* FromNobodyToNightmare: It's odd to think that a man whose introduction consisted of Chalky taunting him for his age and cheap suit will be one of the most powerful men in the United States in a few decades.

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Like Luciano, he's generally seen as little more than a thug who will never be anything more than a pawn for more powerful men.

* KosherNostra

* TeensAreMonsters

* YoungFutureFamousPeople

* AxCrazy: It's not hard to see where his eventual, famous nickname and the reputation that led to it would come from.