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Protagonists
Vinnie
Vincent "Vinnie" Cannoli
"Oh, Cannoli! My favorite dessert!"
A freelance enforcer and hitman from Syndicate City, Vinnie proudly considers himself a product of violent crime during the Roaring '20s. When he was hired by the Thugtown mob boss Mr. Belluccio to find and bring back a certain man known as "Frankie the Fly", Vinnie had no idea that accepting this particular assignment would change his life forever...- Adaptational Badass: Vinnie Cannoli is much more capable in these games than he was in Hellbent For Whiskey. For one, he ends up taking down hundreds, if not thousands of zombies alone (including a giant mutant rat), rather than a few dozen with help from Paulie like in the animated film. He then goes on to fight the US Army plus both the Bonnino and Bellucio gangs, and survives all his encounters with them. And that's not getting into what happens in 2, with Vinnie revealed to be outright immune to the zombie poison, and going on to fight in Europe, help the Allies secure Omaha Beach, wipe out battalions of Nazi soldiers, and even take down a Nazi wonderweapons operation.
- Badass Normal: Through a combination of his ruthlessness and his skill in various weapons, Vinnie was able to kill hundreds, possibly thousands, of enemies on his own and still come out on top. Such enemies include armed gangsters, soldiers, zombies, mutant rats, and even giant zombies!
- Been There, Shaped History: While he had his reasons to do so, Vinnie participated in D-Day with the Allies during the story of Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2 and fought past beach fortifications.
- Determinator: Once he decides on a course of action, he will accomplish it no matter the odds, or die trying. Get on his bad side and he won't stop until you're dead, or he is.
- Enemy Mine: In 2, he is forced to aid the US Army, who have by now twice attempted to kill him, in storming the German beach fortifications at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Thanks to his ultimately successful breakthrough attempt, the Army decides to return the favor and aid him in his quest to stop the Dark Don by providing him with an ammunition resupply during his raid through the Bavarian Alps.
- Even Evil Has Standards: While he is a ruthless Mafia gangster who won't hesitate to kill those who get in his way, Vinnie does have some moral standards. Once he learns about the zombie poison that caused the Thugtown Incident, Vinnie murders the scientist responsible for its creation by drowning him in a container full of said poison. He is disgusted when he learns that Frankie the Fly caused the Thugtown Incident and betrayed his boss Mr. Belluccio to steal the mob boss' money. When the Dark Don reveals himself to be a still-alive Frankie, Vinnie is disgusted with Frankie's plans to betray not only his own country, but also his erstwhile allies, the Germans.
- Hired Guns: While he works for the Mafia, Vinnie does not work for any one crime family, preferring to work for any mob boss who will pay his fees.
- The Immune: During the story of Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2, Vinnie was revealed to be immune to the zombie poison, according to a government investigation. This was the reason why the Dark Don wanted to capture him alive and use his blood to synthesize an antidote, thereby making the zombie poison a more controllable biological weapon.
- Nominal Hero: Like most people, Vinnie does what he does because he gets paid for it, though the fact that he enjoys fighting and killing helps. Vengeance is also one of his most powerful motivations if someone makes an enemy of him. Despite this, Vinnie is rather honorable for gangster because he has a low opinion of betrayal and murdering innocent people.
- One-Man Army: It won't matter how many zombies, gangsters, cops, soldiers, or whatever else is thrown at Vinnie. Vinnie always comes out on top.
- Rambunctious Italian: He has many traits one would expect from an Italian-American gangster of the Prohibition era: bold, swaggering, passionate, irritable, and violent.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Obviously, since he is a mafia gunman after all. Though the "attractive" part of the trope is noticeably downplayed in favor of it making him look flashy and badass instead.
- Sole Survivor: He is the only known survivor of the 1928 Thugtown Incident, even gaining the nickname "Tyrant of Thugtown" because of this. Subverted and then Played Straight when the Dark Don reveals himself to be Frankie the Fly, alive and well despite being thrown off a flying blimp by Vinnie. After an intense battle, Frankie is once again at the mercy of Vinnie, who decides to finish the job by throwing him into the blades of a meat grinder-like trap.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Cannoli, a Sicilian pastry consisting of tubes of dough filled with sweetened ricotta cheese. Vinnie's mother often made cannoli for her son when he was a child and Vinnie fondly remembers his childhood whenever he eats them. In the games, they act as his only Medicinal Cuisine.
- Walking Armory: He carries only his trademark M1911 pistol when he first arrives in Thugtown. As he makes his way through the ruined city, Vinnie picks up a Lupara, a Thompson sub-machine gun, a Magnum revolver, an Ithaca 37, an M2 flamethrower, an M1 bazooka, a Maxim MG 08/15, and even a Tesla gun. In the sequel, Vinnie gets caught by the Dark Don's goons and is initially disarmed, but when he breaks free and rampages through the levels, he gets a baseball bat, a chainsaw, a pair of Beretta-styled pistols, a Thompson, a sawed-down pump-action shotgun, a Mauser C96, an MP-40, a Sturmgewehr 44, a Flammenwerfer 41, a Panzerfaust launcher, a prototype revolving grenade launcher, and even an MG-42. Try fitting half of that in your jacket, folks!
Paulie
Paulie
Paulie during the events of the first game.
As he appears during the second game
Vinnie's partner in crime. Upon the outbreak of World War II, Paulie ends up joining the United States Army and fights in Europe as an infantryman.
- Badass Normal: Like Vinnie, he is a ruthless, violent gangster capable is killing many enemies with whatever weapons he has.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: Compared to the talkative Vinnie, Paulie is relatively quiet. He is no less passionate or violent though.
- Demoted to Extra: In Hellbent For Whiskey, he was the Deuteragonist. Here, he never appears in the story proper, and only serves as a character in coop mode.
- Eyes Out of Sight: In both games, Paulie's eyes are hidden by his headgear, whether it's a fedora or a helmet.
- Flat Character: His background isn't given much detail aside from being a gangster and Vinnie's partner.
- From Camouflage to Criminal: Inverted. By the time of Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2, he was an infantryman in the United States Army. It is unknown how and why Paulie went from gangster to soldier during the 15-year gap between the first and second games.
- Hero of Another Story: Canonically, he doesn't take part in the Thugtown Incident despite existing in the game world. Paulie is there only when players want to use the games' Co-Op Multiplayer mode or a different skin for the first-player mode.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Just like Vinnie, for the same reasons as well. Averted in the sequel however, where he's decked out in military gear instead.
Antagonists
Frankie the Fly
Frankie the Fly (a.k.a. The Dark Don)
"One more thing, Mr. Vinnie: I! Hate! Cannoli!"
As the Dark Don
A member of the Belluccio mob based in Thugtown and a veteran of World War I. The gangsters of Thugtown saw Frankie only as a weasel and a troublemaker, but they underestimated how far this man would go...
- Adaptational Badass: Rather than remaining as a lowly gangster like in Hellbent For Whiskey, he ends up joining the Nazi cause in the 1930s and ends up becoming the leader of his own private army, complete with access to advanced tech, battalions of willing collaborators and Nazi soldiers. And even before that, he was established to be a World War I veteran and a pilot, which he wasn't in the original animation.
- Adaptational Jerkass: While Frankie in Hellbent For Whiskey was at least somewhat amicable towards Vinnie and Paulie before his death, here he's shown to be an unrepentant career criminal who will do anything to become rich and powerful, including backstabbing anyone and everyone he works with.
- Adaptational Villainy: Oh, so much. In Hellbent For Whiskey, while he still ends up betraying the Bellucios, he was merely acting on orders from the Constelli Crime Family to destroy the Bellucios' brewery. Here, he purposefully infects almost everyone in Thugtown with zombie poison-laced alcohol, backstabs both the Bonnitos and the Bellucios (even personally murdering Don Bellucio via headshot), and attempts to steal Don Bellucio's entire fortune for himself. And, after that Evil Plan is foiled, he decides to sell out his own country by working closely with the Nazis, amassing a massive fortune from providing them with the zombie poison formula and wonderweapons research. And even after that, he decides to plan on eventually Taking Over The World, by unleashing the Zombie Apocalypse on the Allies and eventually replacing Hitler as the new Nazi leader.
- Ascended Extra: In Hellbent For Whiskey, he was merely the Starter Villain who gets killed off by Vinnie and Paulie mere minutes after his introduction. Here, he turns out to be the Big Bad and the orchestrator of the Thugtown Incident, the Dark Don Gang, and the Nazis having access to both the Zombie Poison and its related research.
- Big Bad: He is the mastermind of the 1928 Thugtown Incident, having spiked Thugtown's local breweries with zombie poison on the eve of St. Patrick's Day. Frankie did this to kill everyone in Thugtown and steal Mr. Belluccio's money without any repercussions. 15 years later, he sells the remaining stockpiles of zombie poison to Nazi Germany, becoming a very wealthy crime lord known as the Dark Don in the process. Unsatisfied with this, Frankie plots to betray Germany as well and Take Over the World.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He holds no loyalty to anyone, resorting to both manipulation and brute force to betray everyone he knows and achieve his goals.
- The main purpose of the Thugtown Incident was to allow Frankie to betray Mr. Belluccio and steal his money.
- After getting the zombie poison needed for his plans, Frankie abandoned the poison's inventor to his fate in an underground lab, surrounded by zombies and mutant rats.
- Despite being rescued by Vinnie from the Bonnino mob, Frankie left the enforcer to die after blowing up a bridge.
- In Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2, Frankie planned to betray the Germans by building an army of giant zombies and conquering Germany from within. This was on top of the fact that he already betrayed the United States by selling the zombie poison to Germany.
- Didn't Think This Through: His plan almost fell apart because he didn't realize that Thugtown's gangsters drank only imported alcohol. Because of this, everyone in Thugtown except the gangsters were poisoned. Without Vinnie's intervention, Frankie would have been tortured and likely killed by the suspicious Sonny Bonnino.
- Dirty Coward: At the end of the day, he is a spineless, weaselly coward who will beg for mercy and make every excuse possible once he is cornered.
- Disney Villain Death: In Guns, Gore & Cannoli, Vinnie throws Frankie overboard after boarding his blimp and beating him up. By this time, Thugtown is engulfed in a cloud of poison gas, so Frankie's chances of survival aren't very good. Despite this, he turns up alive and well 15 years later.
- Does Not Like Spam: Among his taunts to Vinnie during their fights, Frankie states that he hates cannoli, Vinnie's Trademark Favorite Food.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: No one in Thugtown suspected how cunning, ruthless, and vindictive Frankie truly was since he was seen merely as a small-time gangster and troublemaker.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: He believed he deserved respect because he served in the United States Army during World War I and saw himself as a war hero. Because he was treated as a Butt-Monkey by the Belluccio mob, Frankie developed a deep grudge against his employer Mr. Belluccio and all of the other gangsters of Thugtown, which became part of the reason why he caused the Thugtown Incident.
- Expy: As the Dark Don, he ends up becoming one to the MCU incarnation of Johann Schmidt, aka the Red Skull. Both are the heads of their respective top-secret organizations serving the Nazi regime, but are secretly plotting to overthrow Adolf Hitler and his inner circle in order for them to Take Over the World for themselves. To achieve this, they utilize top-secret and experimental weaponry and base their operations in a mountain base. And to top it all off, they even wear similar black trenchcoats.
- From Camouflage to Criminal: He is a war veteran turned gangster.
- Killed Off for Real: After the final battle of Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2, Vinnie conclusively kills Frankie by throwing him into a meat grinder-like trap.
- Les Collaborateurs: As the Dark Don, he ends up betraying the United States to Nazi Germany, leading a mob willing to collaborate with wartime enemies of the United States for profit. In addition, Frankie has command over a battalion of Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS soldiers.
- Nerdy Nasalness: He speaks with a nasally New York accent. This enhances Frankie's image as a weaselly coward.
- Piggybacking on Hitler: He is allied with Nazi Germany only for the money they paid him for the zombie poison and the resources they provided. Frankie has no real interest in aiding the Germans in their war against the Allies and plans to eventually betray them, claiming that even the Führer would answer to him in the end.
- The Quisling: As the Dark Don, who's been working with the Nazis as one of their top researchers and backers by continuing to experiment with zombie poison, and leads his own personal syndicate composed of Mafiosos willing to work with the Axis Powers.
- Shadow Archetype: To his arch-enemy, Vinnie, since they are both gangsters who enjoy the criminal life. While Vinnie lives by certain moral standards, there is nothing Frankie won't do to accomplish his goals, up to and including betrayal and mass murder of innocents.
- The Sociopath: Arrogant, cunning, manipulative, ruthless, and selfish, he will stop at nothing when looking out for number one.
- Spared by the Adaptation: He lives much longer here than he did in Hellbent For Whiskey, where he was killed by Vinnie and Paulie mere minutes after his introduction. Whereas Frankie there died in 1928 just before the Zombie Apocalypse happened, here Frankie survives the Thugtown Incident, works with the Nazis during the 1930s and well into World War II, and is only killed for good when Vinnie storms his mountain base and throws Frankie to his death via sawblades.
- Took a Level in Badass: By 1944, he has become a powerful and wealthy mob boss known as the Dark Don, having taken over the criminal underworld of Syndicate City and allied himself with Nazi Germany. Because of this, Frankie is in command of an entire army (consisting of gangsters, German soldiers, and zombies) and has many resources at his disposal, including experimental German weaponry.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: By 1944, he was even more manipulative and ruthless than before, along with becoming megalomaniacal.
Sonny
Sonny Bonnino
- Badass Normal: He is almost as capable as Vinnie in a gunfight, fighting alongside several of his men.
- Boom, Headshot!: After his defeat, Sonny is shot in the head by Vinnie with a Magnum revolver.Vinnie: "He had more brains than I thought."
- The Don: He is the leader of the Bonnino mob in Thugtown and Mr. Belluccio's main rival.
- Flunky Boss: When Vinnie fights him, he also has to deal with the surviving Bonnino mobsters protecting him.
- Poor Communication Kills: Justified. He and his gang are killed by Vinnie in large part due to their refusal to talk about Frankie's possible double-crossing. Since Vinnie was working for their rivals, the Bellucios, at the time, it's very unlikely that the Bonninos would trust anyone hired by their enemies.
- Properly Paranoid: From what little the evasive Frankie already told him, Sonny had his suspicions that Frankie was somehow involved in the recent troubles in Thugtown, but died before he could learn more.
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: As The Don of the Bonnino Crime Family, he's also their toughest fighter, proving to be much harder to take down than his goons and a much more serious threat to Vinnie.
- Starter Villain: He is the first true threat that Vinnie encounters in Thugtown, being the one who must be killed before Vinnie can rescue Frankie.
Mickey the Rat
Mickey the Rat
- Angry Animalistic Growl: When it sees Vinnie for the first time, Mickey gives an ear-piercing growl just before it attacks.
- The Cameo: In 1944, its skeleton can still be found in the Thugtown sewers, its giant size serving as a reminder of what zombie poison can do.
- Flunky Boss: Other mutated rats sometimes join Mickey in its hunts.
- Named After Somebody Famous: It is named after Mickey Mouse, a particularly famous (and much friendlier) rodent.
- Raising the Steaks: It is a mutated zombie rat and possibly one of the very first victims of the zombie poison.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Its eyes seem to glow red when it's on the attack.
- Rodents of Unusual Size: This particular zombie rat is the largest of its mutated kind, being the size of a small truck.
- You Dirty Rat!: It is a giant hungry rat, and looks particularly mean, ugly, and diseased as a result of mutation by the zombie poison.
- Zombie Puke Attack: Besides attempting to maul Vinnie to death, Mickey also spits blobs of acid, sometimes even a continuous stream of them.
German scientist
German scientist
- The Cameo: In 1944, his skeletal corpse can be seen, still floating inside the zombie poison vat he was drowned in.
- Fatal Flaw: Greed. Despite the obvious dangers posed by the zombie poison he created, the scientist refused to destroy the poison, wanting a reward for his life's work. The scientist gladly produced even more poison when Frankie offered to pay him, not realizing that the gangster intended to abandon him once he was no longer needed.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: He wears glasses and is shown to be a morally bankrupt scientist who doesn't consider how much death and destruction his research causes.
- Herr Doktor: He speaks English with a thick German accent, one of the few hints of his background.
- It's All About Me: He couldn't understand why the government sponsors who funded his work would be horrified by the effects of the zombie poison, believing he was cheated out of his just reward.
- Laser-Guided Karma: In the end, Vinnie drowns the scientist in a vat of zombie poison. Given that the scientist created the poison and was partially responsible for the 1928 Thugtown Incident (along with having no true regrets for his crimes), he deserved his Cruel and Unusual Death. One could even say that he was finally rewarded for his work. To make it sink in even more, the United States federal government issued a gag order to cover up the mess in Thugtown, ensuring that the scientist and his work would not ever be mentioned to the general public.
- Mad Scientist: He went overboard by creating a poison that not only killed its victims but also reanimated them as undead cannibals. While the scientist was proud of his work, his sponsors were...less than pleased.
- Minor Major Character: He appeared in only one scene of Guns, Gore & Cannoli but he is the inventor of the infamous zombie poison that caused the Thugtown Incident.
- No Name Given: He never gave his name to Vinnie and died nameless.
- Villainous Legacy: Despite his death, zombie poison would continue to cause problems along with countless deaths. In 1944, the remaining stockpiles of zombie poison in Thugtown were sold by the Dark Don to Nazi Germany.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Once Frankie the Fly had enough zombie poison to contaminate Thugtown's entire moonshine supply, he left the scientist for dead inside the underground laboratory.
Commander Wienerschnitzel
Commander Wienerschnitzel
- Bald of Evil: He's revealed to be bald underneath his officer's cap, and is very much an unrepentant Nazi and close ally of the Dark Don.
- Commissar Cap: Wears a gray German officer's cap, which helps to indicate his status as a high-ranking member of the Wehrmacht.
- Dragon with an Agenda: He works with the Dark Don at the behest of his government, being there to command German soldiers, observe the Dark Don, and represent the interests of the Nazi German government.
- Faux Affably Evil: Whenever he encounters Vinnie, he politely and condescendingly asks the gangster to surrender quietly. After Vinnie predictably (and defiantly) refuses with a well-aimed insult at Normandy, Wienerschnitzel quickly loses his temper and orders his troops to capture Vinnie.
- High-Class Glass: He wears a monocle over one eye, giving him a hint of higher social class compared to his subordinates and enhancing his image as a Nazi Nobleman (which he may or may not be).
- Just Between You and Me: Before fighting Vinnie for the last time, he gloatingly confesses that Joe Barista was working for the Nazis all this time, having lured Vinnie into enemy hands at both Thugtown and Europe. Wienerschnitzel did this in the vain hope that it would demoralize Vinnie. All it did was reveal Joe's treachery, eventually leading to the pilot's death by Vinnie's hand.
- Only One Name: Wienerschnitzel is the commander's only known name.
- Removable Turret Gun: Downplayed. During his final battle with Vinnie, Wienerschnitzel uses a salvaged ball turret, its weapons and ammunition still intact.
- Smug Snake: He is arrogant and tends to underestimate his enemies. Despite personally witnessing Vinnie fight off a U-boat by disabling its deck weapons, Wienerschnitzel remains as arrogant as ever, believing that he could kill or capture Vinnie on his second (and final) try.
- Those Wacky Nazis: He displays traits one would expect from a Nazi German officer of World War II: arrogant, condescending, disciplined, ruthless, and somewhat sadistic.
- Unfortunate Names: In the German language, Wienerschnitzel means Viennese cutlet, a pan-fried veal cutlet and a national Austrian dish.
- Vehicular Turnabout: During his final battle against Vinnie, he decides to use the Sperry Ball Turret from Joe Barista's B-17 against the Mafioso, complete with still-functioning .50 caliber machine guns.
Dark Don Gang
The syndicate's emblem
A new Mafia Family that mysteriously sets up shop in Syndicate City and the Thugtown Quarantine Zone in 1944. The Dark Don Gang, as they are known, operate independently of The Commission and thus do not play by any of their rules. Led by the enigmatic and mysterious Dark Don, their apparent goal is to kidnap Vinnie Cannoli for unknown reasons...- Les Collaborateurs: They're ultimately revealed to be Mafiosos willing to sell their own country out to the Nazis, having been funded and backed by the Wehrmacht.
- The Mafia: On the surface, they look and act like any other Italian Mob. However, as Joe Barista reveals, they operate independently of The Commission.
- Mooks: They serve as the Dark Don's primary muscle in both Syndicate City and the Thugtown Quarantine Zone, and, consequently, are the most commonly encountered human enemies in 2.
- Putting on the Reich: Their logo borrows heavily from the Nazi German flag, complete with the use of reds, whites, and blacks. Which makes sense, given that it's later revealed that they're Nazi collaborators.
- Rogue Soldier: The German soldiers operating in and around the Dark Don's testing facility report directly to the Dark Don himself, and are implied to be complicit in his plans to overthrow the current Nazi regime.
- Renegade Splinter Faction: While technically allied with the Nazis, they, much like their boss, eventually plan to usurp their current leadership and take over their operations in eventually conquering the world.
Deuteragonists
Mr. Belluccio
Mr. Belluccio
- Boom, Headshot!: He is shot in the head from behind by Frankie as soon as he finishes ordering his men to stop Vinnie. Ironically enough, his rival Sonny was killed this way by Vinnie a short time ago.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In Hellbent For Whiskey, he is incinerated when he tries to extinguish a cigar in a toilet (which was filled with flammable tainted whiskey at this point). Here, he gets shot in the head from behind.
- The Don: He is the leader of the Belluccio mob in Thugtown and the main rival of Sonny Bonnino.
- Small Role, Big Impact: It was abuse from his mob that eventually drove Frankie to cause the Thugtown Incident. Mr. Belluccio was also the one who gave Vinnie a reason to come to Thugtown, thus turning the gangster's life upside down.
- Unwitting Pawn: After Frankie reaches Mr. Belluccio alive and alone, he lies to the mob boss about Vinnie being a mad dog, killing anyone who got his way. With this, Mr. Belluccio orders his men over the phone to stop Vinnie at any cost. No sooner does he put the phone down, the mob boss is killed by the treacherous Frankie.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He is killed within seconds during his only scene in Guns, Gore & Cannoli. Mr. Belluccio didn't even get to meet Vinnie, a man he hired, in person.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Frankie kills him once he informs the Bellucio mobsters that Vinnie is supposedly a threat to their operations.
Rusty
Rusty
- Action Survivor: He is an unremarkable middle-aged man who was fortunate and resourceful enough to survive a sudden Zombie Apocalypse overtaking his hometown.
- Mr. Exposition: As the first surviving human Vinnie encounters in Thugtown, Rusty is the one who provides Vinnie with much-needed information about Thugtown, its current events, and its gangsters. He is also the one who points Vinnie in the direction of the Bonnino gang, who are holding Frankie the Fly prisoner.
- Sole Survivor: It's implied that he's the only local to survive the Thugtown Incident. Subverted when it's revealed that the Dark Don's true identity is Frankie the Fly, another Thugtown local who somehow survived despite being seemingly killed by Vinnie.
- The Teetotaler: Downplayed. It is unknown if he drinks alcohol or not, but he would have avoided drinking Thugtown's moonshine on St. Patrick's Day to be one of the few to not become a zombie. It's very likely he either doesn't or instead drinks imported alcohol like the Bonnino and Bellucio mobsters.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: He is neither seen nor mentioned in Guns, Gore & Cannoli again after Vinnie leaves his pawn shop, even after all of Thugtown is gassed by the United States Army by the end of the story.
- In 1944, Vinnie returns to Thugtown and finds a note on the wall of the pawn shop. In it, Rusty describes his plan to find a boat to escape Thugtown after learning about the Army's plan to gas the city, offering to wait for Vinnie until dawn. From this, it is presumed that Rusty escaped from Thugtown, but his fate afterward remains unknown.
Joe Barista
Giuseppe "Joe" Barista
"You's gotta be kiddin' me!"
A freelance pilot, mob associate, and the proprietor of Joe's Pilot Bar. A long-time resident of the crime-ridden Syndicate City, Joe has moonlighted for various crime organizations and is well-informed about the inner workings and latest events of the criminal underworld. At some point, he befriended the notorious Vinnie Cannoli, becoming one of the gangster's trusted contacts. In 1944, Joe informs Vinnie about the Dark Don and how this mysterious crime boss wants to capture him.- Always Know a Pilot: After Vinnie learns about the Dark Don and his association with Nazis, Joe convinces Vinnie to fly with him to Europe and confront the problem at its source. At Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, their plane is hit by enemy fire, leading to Vinnie parachuting to safety alone.
- Ambiguous Criminal History: His crimes were never elaborated on, but he has worked with gangsters to the point that they consider him one of their own. Given Joe's skills, he was likely involved with smuggling and transport.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Deconstructed. While he considers the Dark Don insane and has no love for the Nazis, it wasn't enough to stop Joe from giving in to Greed.
- False Friend: After being paid to do so, he lures Vinnie into the Dark Don's clutches at Thugtown and Europe by taking advantage of Vinnie's determination.
- Graceful Loser: After he is defeated by Vinnie, Joe uses his last breath to warn Vinnie about the Dark Don's intentions to build an army of giant zombies and Take Over the World. He also tells Vinnie about his immunity to the zombie poison, which is why the Dark Don wanted to capture him.
- Knowledge Broker: He has contacts in various places, including the Syndicate City police, leading him to being well-informed about much of the criminal underworld. Vinnie occasionally talks to Joe about the underworld's current events.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Despite knowing that Vinnie takes betrayal very personally, Joe chose to betray him in exchange for money. As a result of his utterly selfish choice, Joe suffers Vinnie's wrath in full.
- Ludicrous Gibs: He is blown to pieces when he is shot point-blank by Vinnie with an 8.8 cm Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun.Vinnie: "I'll make sure they put all your pieces in the same coffin, Joe."
- Meaningful Name: His surname Barista is Italian for barkeeper, which makes sense considering that Joe is the proprietor of a bar. It also suggests that Joe is of Italian-American descent like Vinnie.
- No Honor Among Thieves: Honestly, Vinnie, what did you expect from someone who is willing to work with criminals? As in, people who make money dishonestly and by any means necessary.
- Nothing Personal: While he had nothing against Vinnie, the money Joe received for his betrayal was too good for him to pass up. When confronted by Vinnie himself over this, Joe expressed no regrets and simply said that the money was Worth It. Predictably, this infuriates Vinnie even further.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Subverted. For his part in luring Vinnie to Europe and into the Dark Don's hands, Joe was rewarded with a large sum of money and a luxurious estate in the Bavarian Alps. Ironically, Joe and the Nazis kept their respective ends in a treacherous bargain.
- Tank Goodness: When finally confronted by Vinnie for his betrayal, Joe drives a Tiger I tank into battle. Knowing full well that Vinnie will kill him if he loses, Joe holds nothing back.
- Villainous Valor: With his entourage and German allies dead and knowing that Vinnie will stop at nothing to kill him, Joe elects to make a Last Stand against his former friend by busting out a tank and fighting him to the bitter end.
- Walking Spoiler: It's hard to talk about him and his actions considering his role in the second half of Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2.
