Unknown Salieri gangster that was cut from the game

[daviunic]

I suppose most of you are aware that during the development, the game featured an additional Salieri gangster character we know very little about. He looks like a generic gangster and appears in a few pieces of pre-release media.

First is this screenshot from a cutscene:


Frank is present, so this is definitely before the Omerta mission. And based on the positioning of the characters and the way they sit, it seems pretty likely this is the cutscene at the start of Molotov party. Obvious differences compared to the final version include earlier character models, Sam changed seats, removal of our unknown gangster, and no cloth beneath the ashtrays.

Next are these two shots from the harbour:



I'm not entirely sure if it's the exact same character, but needless to say, this is completely absent from the final game. There's two missions that take place in the harbour, and neither includes Paulie or the Pierce Arrow being there.

Lastly, the unknown gangster can be seen in another cutscene, this time in an actual video by GameStar TV from February 2002, which was around beta time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqJpM4IWrfs

Frank is present here as well, so another early mission. Based on the positions and animations, it's the cutscene at the start of Better get used to it. It looks very similar to the first screenshot in this topic, so it's pretty safe to say it's at least a close, if not the exact same, build of the game.

It's hard to say whether this unknown characters was actually involved in the story at all, had a name, or if he was just a cutscene prop. But it's clear he was in the game at some point between alpha and beta and then removed at some point before the final release. I haven't checked the files much for any leftovers of him, but it does seem pretty likely his model is still there.

[AMadeMan]

I assume he is either a placeholder or an early version of either Luigi or Vincenzo.
It would make more sense if he was a temporary bodyguard or helper of Tommy if Paulie or Sam weren't available.

[daviunic]

[Melber]

In the level "MISE07B-SALIERY" this gangster is still sit. is deactivated and is missing at the beginning of the cutscene. It is only as a person in the background

Here his code:

[AMadeMan]

So is it safe to say he was just meant to be in the background/cutscenes?

[Melber]

[daviunic]

Thanks for the info. I guess that answers my question.