DON SALVATORE VISCHETTI

Real Name: Salvatore Vischetti

Identity/Class: Human (Pre-Modern era)

Occupation: Mafia don

Group Membership: Mafia, National Executive

Affiliations: Tony Riggio, Joseph La Rocca

Enemies: Night Raven

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Don of Dons, King of Chicago

Base of Operations: Chicago, Illinois, 1920s-1984

First Appearance: Mighty World of Marvel II#9/3 (February, 1984)

Powers/Abilities: Don Salvatore demonstrated no particular physical abilities, probably due to his advanced age. He may have been practiced with an automatic or machine-gun in his younger days. He had a keen mind for criminal operations, and controlled the entire Chicago Mafia. He traveled in a heavily-armored Cadillac.

History:
(Mighty World of Marvel II#9/3 (fb)) - Sal Vischetti was born in Chicago shortly after the turn of the century, and survived the violent years of Prohibition to rise to a position of power in the underworld. He controlled more than half of the meat business in the city by the onset of World War II. He consolidated this power base with the aid of the other Mafiosa, who felt that they could keep control of him by being his benefactors, until eventually he was untouchable - by the FBI, by the IRS, and even by a Federal Grand Jury.

(Mighty World of Marvel II#9/3) - On a rainy winter night in 1984, Don Salvatore was awakened by a nightmare of being smothered by beating wings. The dream hung heavily on him, and at dawn, he set out with his bodyguard and driver Tony Riggio to visit Joseph La Rocca at the stockyards. When they arrived, Don Salvatore and La Rocca reminisced about the early days, when they personally killed anyone who opposed Vischetti's plans. They were interrupted, however, by the appearance of Night Raven, who killed Riggio when Don Salvatore sent the bodyguard to deal with him.
   Later that day, Don Salvatore had La Rocca drive him to his lakeside house outside the city. En route, however, they were stopped by Night Raven, who jumped in front of the car, causing La Rocca to plow it into a snowbank. When Don Salvatore sent La Rocca out to kill Night Raven, the vigilante slashed his throat and threw him back into the car to land on top of the don. Night Raven then killed and branded Don Salvatore, who was found the next morning by a passing trucker.

Comments: Created by Jamie Delano and Alan Davis.

    "Don of Dons" and "King of Chicago" are only used by the narration to refer to Don Salvatore, not by anyone in-story.

    Don Salvatore was plagued the whole day by birds, starting with his dream. Later that morning, he saw a flock of pigeons from his window. At his meeting with La Rocca, the other man told him a story about when he murdered a union official named Pat Murray, whose numerous birds were released during the struggle. Finally, shortly before Night Raven stopped the car, a bird hit the windshield and died.

    The National Executive are - or were - a group of powerful American underworld players who basically controlled organized crime, at least up until the 1980s. Members included "representatives of Big Business", "old dry Dons of Organised Crime", "the union men", "a Commissioner of Police", "a merchant banker", and Yi Yang. There were also representatives from several secret societies, including Beauregard Montclair IV of the Southern Fascists.

    Night Raven was attacking the National Executive in order to send a message to Yi Yang.

Profile by LV!

Clarifications: Don Salvatore Vischetti, enemy of the Night Raven, has no known connection to

Tony Riggio has no known connection to

Joseph La Rocca has no known connection to

 

Tony Riggio

    Tony Riggio was Don Salvatore Vischetti's personal bodyguard and driver as of the early 1980s. He spent time in Sing Sing, having been released in 1952. Riggio investigated when he heard Don Salvatore's screams, and later drove the don to his meeting with La Rocca. He was killed there at the stockyards by Night Raven, and Don Salvatore later lit a candle for him in church.

    Tony Riggio appeared to be a skilled bodyguard and useful in a fight, though he had little opportunity to demonstrate any of this against Night Raven. His physical abilities may have been somewhat in decline, as he would have been at least middle-aged by this time.

--Mighty World of Marvel II#9/3

 

Joseph La Rocca

Joseph "Joey" La Rocca was Don Salvatore Vischetti's devoted right-hand man during his entire rise to power in Chicago. When Don Salvatore made plans, La Rocca provided the power to carry them out, personally killing countless people in pursuit of his boss' goals. Don Salvatore drove out to meet with La Rocca to try to steady his nerves, and when Night Raven killed Tony Riggio, he made La Rocca his temporary driver. Night Raven slashed La Rocca's throat and branded him after ambushing Don Salvatore's car on its way to the don's lakefront house.

Joseph La Rocca was a massively-built man who was extremely skilled with knives, blades, and cutting implements of all kinds. Even in his old age, he continued working in the stockyards to keep his skills honed. He was also utterly lacking in compassion for anyone, it seemed, except for Don Salvatore.

--Mighty World of Marvel II#9/3 (MWoMII#9/3 (fb), MWoMII#9/3

 

 


Images:
 Mighty World of Marvel II#9/3, p26
Joseph La Rocca - Mighty World of Marvel II#9/3, p29

Mighty World of Marvel II#9/3 (February, 1984)

First Posted: 06/26/2005
Last updated: 06/26/2005

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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