Grand Theft Auto: Vice City follows Tommy Vercetti as a failed drug deal pulls him into the city's criminal power struggle. His search for the stolen money and cocaine connects the Forelli crime family, the Vance brothers, Colonel Cortez, Ricardo Diaz, local gangs, business owners, and an eccentric circle of fixers and entertainers.
Together, these people shape Tommy's story and give Vice City its personality. Narrative importance separates the character groups, while each overview explains a person's place in the plot, connection to Tommy, or associated missions and businesses. Some details necessarily refer to story developments, so players avoiding spoilers should finish the relevant mission strand before reading beyond a familiar name.
Role
Protagonist
Tommy Vercetti is the playable lead whose attempt to recover a botched drug deal grows into a campaign for control of Vice City's criminal and business interests.
Tommy Vercetti
Tommy Vercetti is the playable protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, voiced by Ray Liotta. A former Forelli family member who survives the Harwood ambush and a 15-year prison sentence, he is sent to Vice City in 1986 where the opening drug deal collapses.
- Affiliation
- Vercetti Gang / Forelli Crime Family (former)
- Status
- playable
- Location
- Liberty City / Ocean Beach
- First Appearance
- In The Beginning
- Voice Actor
- Ray Liotta
Role
Antagonists
Direct opposition to Tommy is represented here by the Liberty City mob boss whose demands and fear of Tommy's growing influence frame the larger conflict.
Sonny Forelli
- Affiliation
- Forelli Crime Family
- Status
- antagonist
- Location
- Liberty City / Ocean Beach
- First Appearance
- In The Beginning
- Voice Actor
- Tom Sizemore
Role
Main Characters
Tommy's closest associates, major rivals, recurring mission-givers, gang leaders, and prominent business contacts appear here. Their loyalties and importance can change as the campaign progresses.
Ken Rosenberg
- Affiliation
- Rosenberg Law / Forelli associate
- Location
- Liberty City / Ocean Beach
- First Appearance
- In The Beginning
- Voice Actor
- William Fichtner
Lance Vance
- Affiliation
- Vance Crime Family
- Location
- Vice Point, Vice City
- First Appearance
- In The Beginning
- Voice Actor
- Philip Michael Thomas
Juan Cortez
- Affiliation
- Cortez Organization
- Location
- Starfish Island, Vice City
- First Appearance
- The Party
- Voice Actor
- Robert Davi
Avery Carrington
- Affiliation
- Carrington Real Estate
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- Four Iron
- Voice Actor
- Burt Reynolds
Ricardo Diaz
Ricardo Diaz is a main character in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City who leads the Diaz Gang from Starfish Island. Affiliated with the Diaz Gang and initially an employer from The Party onward, he controls narcotics in Vice City and hires Tommy and Lance before turning hostile.
- Affiliation
- Diaz Gang
- Location
- Starfish Island, Vice City
- First Appearance
- The Party
- Voice Actor
- Luis Guzmán
Phil Cassidy
- Affiliation
- Independent arms dealer
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- Gun Runner
- Voice Actor
- Gary Busey
Mitch Baker
- Affiliation
- Biker Gang (Greasy Chopper)
- Location
- Downtown Vice City
- First Appearance
- Alloy Wheels of Steel
- Voice Actor
- Lee Majors
Mercedes Cortez
- Affiliation
- Cortez Organization
- Location
- Starfish Island, Vice City
- First Appearance
- The Party
- Voice Actor
- Fairuza Balk
Kent Paul
- Affiliation
- Independent (music industry)
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- The Party
- Voice Actor
- Danny Dyer
Jezz Torrent (3D Universe)
- Affiliation
- Love Fist
- Location
- Downtown Vice City
- First Appearance
- Supply & Demand
- Voice Actor
- Noisestorm? (band)
Candy Suxxx (3D Universe)
- Affiliation
- InterGlobal Films
- Location
- Prawn Island, Vice City
- First Appearance
- Recruitment Drive
- Voice Actor
- Jenna Jameson
BJ Smith (3D Universe)
- Affiliation
- Independent / Kaufman Cabs associate
- Location
- Little Haiti, Vice City
- First Appearance
- Martha's Mug Shot
Auntie Poulet
- Affiliation
- Haitians
- Location
- Little Haiti, Vice City
- First Appearance
- Juju Scramble
- Voice Actor
- Youki Kudoh
Umberto Robina
- Affiliation
- Cubans (Little Havana)
- Location
- Little Havana, Vice City
- First Appearance
- Stunt Boat Challenge
- Voice Actor
- Danny Trejo
Steve Scott
- Affiliation
- InterGlobal Films
- Location
- Prawn Island, Vice City
- First Appearance
- Recruitment Drive
- Voice Actor
- Dennis Hopper
Doris
- Affiliation
- Kaufman Cabs
- Location
- Little Haiti, Vice City
- First Appearance
- Recruitment Drive (Kaufman Cabs)
Mr. Black
- Affiliation
- Independent (hitman network)
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- Road Kill (Phone Hits)
Role
Minor Characters
Shorter appearances include specialists recruited for particular jobs, gang members, employees, political and media figures, and people tied to individual scenes or businesses.
Victor Vance
- Affiliation
- Vance Crime Family
- Location
- Vice Point, Vice City
- First Appearance
- In The Beginning
Gonzalez
- Affiliation
- Cortez Organization (traitor)
- Location
- Starfish Island, Vice City
- First Appearance
- Treacherous Swine
Mike (GTA Vice City)
- Affiliation
- Diaz Gang / Vercetti Gang
- Location
- Starfish Island, Vice City
- First Appearance
- The Party
Cougar
- Affiliation
- Biker Gang
- Location
- Downtown Vice City
- First Appearance
- Alloy Wheels of Steel
Hilary King
- Affiliation
- Independent (driver)
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- No Escape?
Alex Shrub
- Affiliation
- Vice City Government
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- Martha's Mug Shot
Earnest Kelly
- Affiliation
- Print Works
- Location
- Little Haiti, Vice City
- First Appearance
- Spilling The Beans
Cam Jones
- Affiliation
- Independent (safecracker)
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- No Escape?
The Psycho
- Affiliation
- Independent
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- Martha's Mug Shot
Maude Hanson
- Affiliation
- Cherry Popper Ice Cream Factory
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- Cherry Popper Purchase
Jethro
- Affiliation
- Viceport Boatyard
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- Checkpoint Charlie
Donald Love
- Affiliation
- Love Media
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- Four Iron (Cameo)
Pastor Richards
- Affiliation
- Independent (televangelist)
- Location
- Vice City
- First Appearance
- Road Kill (Mention)
Tommy Vercetti and the fight for Vice City
Tommy Vercetti is the playable protagonist. Recently released after a long prison sentence, he is sent from Liberty City to Vice City by Sonny Forelli to supervise a drug deal. The ambush that opens the game leaves Tommy responsible for recovering the lost money and merchandise, but that assignment gradually becomes a bid for independence and control. His position changes as he earns the trust of local contacts, takes work from competing power brokers, and acquires businesses across the city.
Criminal factions, allies, and mission-givers
The central cast is built around overlapping alliances rather than a simple hero-versus-villain divide. Ken Rosenberg is Tommy's nervous legal contact; Lance Vance pursues revenge for the death of his brother Victor; and Colonel Juan Cortez helps investigate the deal while introducing Tommy to influential figures. Ricardo Diaz, Sonny Forelli, and the ambitions of Tommy's own associates keep pressure on that network as the story develops.
Several characters anchor distinct mission strands. Avery Carrington represents ruthless property development, Kent Paul and Love Fist connect Tommy to the music scene, and Steve Scott and Candy Suxxx are tied to InterGlobal Films. Mitch Baker, Umberto Robina, and Auntie Poulet lead groups whose cooperation has to be earned, while Phil Cassidy, Cam Jones, and Hilary King become important around specialist jobs. Business figures such as BJ Smith, Doris, Maude Hanson, and Earnest Kelly show how Tommy's expansion reaches far beyond the original drug deal.
Reading the character details
- Name gives the character's displayed identity. Parenthetical labels distinguish this version from similarly named people elsewhere in the GTA series.
- Role shows narrative prominence: protagonist, antagonist, main character, or minor character. It does not describe morality, allegiance, or whether someone gives missions.
- Overview explains the character's connection to Tommy, a faction, a business, or a relevant story event. Because loyalties change, later details may contain spoilers.
The role groups are best treated as navigation aids. A powerful enemy can still appear among the main cast when their function extends across multiple mission strands, while a person involved in a memorable scene may remain a minor character because their direct story presence is brief.
FAQ
Who is the main character in GTA Vice City?
Tommy Vercetti is the protagonist and the character controlled by the player. Sonny Forelli sends him to Vice City after his release from prison, and the failed opening deal sets his rise through the city in motion.
Who are Tommy Vercetti's most important allies?
Ken Rosenberg, Lance Vance, and Colonel Juan Cortez are among Tommy's earliest major connections. Other allies and mission contacts include Kent Paul, Phil Cassidy, Mitch Baker, Umberto Robina, Auntie Poulet, Avery Carrington, and several people tied to Tommy's acquired businesses. Their loyalty and usefulness vary across the story.
Who is the main antagonist in GTA Vice City?
Sonny Forelli is the central antagonist. He is Tommy's Liberty City crime boss and expects Tommy to recover the money lost in the opening ambush. Ricardo Diaz is also a major opposing force in Vice City, although his broad story role places him with the main cast here.
Why is Ricardo Diaz not grouped under antagonists?
The role groups describe overall narrative placement, not a strict good-versus-evil split. Diaz is a major recurring figure who employs Tommy and Lance before the full conflict surrounding him becomes clear, so he appears with the main characters.
Are Victor Vance and Lance Vance related?
Yes. They are brothers connected to the Vance crime family. Victor is involved in the drug deal at the beginning of Vice City, while Lance survives and becomes a recurring partner in Tommy's attempt to uncover who arranged the ambush.
Do the character overviews contain story spoilers?
Some do. The descriptions may mention mission relationships, changes in allegiance, and later business events. Players who want to discover every turn naturally should read only about characters they have already met.