Liberty City – Ghosts of the Past

Liberty City. Cold. Ruthless. Never forgiving.
After the dust settles from Claude’s silent rampage in 2001, the city bleeds quietly beneath its neon skyline. But long before that, its streets had already tasted war.

Old enemies remember.
Old allies want revenge.
And a new war is about to erupt in a city that never sleeps — but never forgets.

Carl Johnson

In 1987 a young CJ fled the Grove and found a second home — not by choice, but by survival. In Liberty, he ran with small crews, learned the game, and crossed paths with rising gangsters and future enemies. Deals were made. Lives were lost. And one mistake haunted him forever.

Now, years later, Liberty City is calling him back — not as a lost kid, but as a legend whose past was never buried deep enough.

Carl Johnson’s Journey Between 1992 and 2001

When Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas concluded in 1992, Carl “CJ” Johnson had risen from a reluctant Grove Street member to the undisputed leader of Los Santos’ most influential gang. The years that followed marked a dramatic transformation in CJ’s life, as he evolved from a street-level gangbanger into a wealthy and respected businessman. Between 1992 and 2001, CJ secured his legacy across San Andreas and extended his influence beyond the state.

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1992 – Rebuilding Grove Street

After defeating the Ballas and Vagos and dismantling Officer Tenpenny’s corrupt hold on Los Santos, CJ took charge of restoring the Grove Street Families. By the end of the year, Grove Street was back on the map, stronger and more united than it had been in years.
CJ also finalized his control of several high-value ventures, including the Four Dragons Casino in Las Venturas and real estate properties across San Fierro. This marked the first step in shifting his focus from the streets to long-term business stability.

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1993–1995 – Expansion and Consolidation

In the early ’90s, CJ solidified his position as both a businessman and a community figure. He invested heavily in legitimate enterprises while still keeping close ties to the Families. His brother Sweet focused on managing day-to-day gang operations, while CJ acted as the financial backbone, channeling casino profits and business revenues back into Grove Street.
During this period, CJ traveled frequently between San Fierro, Las Venturas, and Los Santos, ensuring that his influence stretched across the entire state. His partnerships with the Triads under Wu Zi Mu further strengthened his power and guaranteed stability in San Fierro.

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1996–1998 – Stepping Away from the Streets

By the mid-1990s, CJ had successfully transitioned into a life less centered on gang conflict. Grove Street remained active, but CJ was no longer directly involved in turf wars. Instead, he dedicated himself to managing his businesses, expanding the casino, and developing new properties.
Though gang culture in Los Santos began to shift with the spread of harder drugs and new rivalries, CJ avoided being pulled back into the violence. His wealth and influence allowed him to focus on growth while his family and allies maintained control of the streets.

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1999–2000 – Extending Influence Beyond San Andreas

As his reputation grew, CJ’s business ventures began attracting attention beyond the borders of San Andreas. His success in Las Venturas and Los Santos gave him access to new networks, including connections in Liberty City. By the turn of the millennium, CJ had transformed into a figure who was respected not only in San Andreas but also recognized in other criminal and business circles across the country.
This era marked his quiet rise from regional power to national influence.

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2001 – A Respected Power Player

By 2001, the year of the events in Grand Theft Auto III, CJ had fully stepped away from the streets. Grove Street Families still operated in Los Santos, but their role was diminished compared to the gang’s early ’90s dominance. CJ himself had no need to return to the life of constant gang warfare. Instead, he lived as a wealthy and respected entrepreneur, with a secure empire built on casinos, clubs, and real estate.
His transformation from gang member to businessman stood as proof of his resilience, intelligence, and vision. While he no longer needed to be in the public eye, his presence and influence shaped the criminal and business landscapes of San Andreas well into the new millennium.

This isn’t just CJ’s past.
This is where his legend began… and where it might end.

Tommy Vercetti

Tommy Vercetti’s Journey Between 1986 and 2001

In 1986, Tommy Vercetti overthrew Ricardo Diaz and established himself as the most powerful figure in Vice City. Known as “The Harwood Butcher” for his brutal past, Tommy transformed from a loyal enforcer in the Forelli Crime Family into an independent crime boss with complete control over Vice City’s underworld. Between 1986 and 2001, Tommy maintained his empire with an iron grip, ensuring that his name became synonymous with power, fear, and wealth across the criminal world.

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1986 – The Rise of a Kingpin

After serving fifteen years in prison for multiple murders in Liberty City, Tommy was sent to Vice City by Sonny Forelli to oversee a drug deal. The deal collapsed, and through a series of decisive moves, Tommy eliminated Diaz, cut ties with Sonny Forelli, and took control of Vice City’s drug and property empire.
By the end of 1986, Tommy owned businesses across the city, including nightclubs, protection rackets, real estate, and the powerful Vercetti Estate. Vice City no longer belonged to the Forellis — it belonged to Tommy Vercetti.

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1987–1990 – Consolidation of Power

In the years following his takeover, Tommy solidified his empire. The Forelli Family attempted to reassert influence in Vice City, but their efforts failed against Tommy’s dominance. He maintained absolute control over drug trafficking, gambling, and nightlife.
During this time, Tommy expanded into shipping and construction, creating legitimate fronts to launder profits. By the end of the 1980s, the Vercetti Family was regarded as the single most powerful criminal organization in Vice City, rivaling the Liberty City Mafia families in both wealth and influence.

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1991–1995 – The Vercetti Family’s Golden Age

The early 1990s marked the peak of Tommy’s reign. Vice City was firmly under his control, and rival gangs operated only with his permission. His influence stretched beyond drugs and racketeering — Tommy owned entire sections of the city’s economy, from real estate developments to entertainment venues.
While Liberty City’s Mafia families fought amongst themselves, Tommy enjoyed relative peace in Vice City. His wealth allowed him to live lavishly, but his reputation for ruthlessness ensured that few dared to challenge his authority.

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1996–1999 – Maintaining the Empire

As the 1990s progressed, Tommy focused on maintaining his position rather than expanding it. His organization ran efficiently, with loyal lieutenants ensuring the smooth operation of rackets, clubs, and construction interests.
Despite Vice City’s changing landscape, the Vercetti Family remained untouchable. Attempts by external gangs to establish themselves in the city were swiftly crushed. By keeping a low public profile but maintaining an iron grip on the underworld, Tommy guaranteed the stability of his empire for over a decade.

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2000–2001 – The Silent Power of Vice City

By the turn of the millennium, Tommy Vercetti was no longer simply a crime boss — he was the undisputed ruler of Vice City. Unlike Liberty City, which descended into chaos with Mafia wars and betrayals, Vice City remained stable under his leadership. As of the events in 2001 in Liberty City, Tommy sees an open door to enter the market up north and decides to go back to Liberty City…

GTA: Vice City 2 (1988)

Bloodlines. Power. Legacy.

The year is 1988.
As Liberty City drowns in betrayal and blood, one man flees the chaos — a blood relative of Tommy Vercetti, haunted by his past and hungry for a future.

He arrives in Vice City, where neon lights mask brutal truths. With Tommy by his side, a new empire begins to rise — one forged in violence, loyalty, and ambition.

New enemies emerge. Old scores resurface. And in the shadows, the first veins of the San Andreas drug trade begin to pulse.

Before San Andreas… there was Vice City. And this is how it all began.

The Story of Stefano Vercetti (1988–1992)

Leaving Liberty City (1988)

Stefano Vercetti grew up in Liberty City under the long shadow of the Mafia. As a relative of Tommy Vercetti, he carried both the prestige and the burden of the Vercetti name. In the late 1980s, Liberty City’s criminal families were locked in bitter wars for control, and Stefano’s blood ties made him a marked man. By 1988, tensions had reached their peak. After a violent dispute with associates of the Forelli Family, Stefano was forced to leave Liberty City in order to protect his life.

Tommy, who by then had already seized control of Vice City, offered Stefano sanctuary. Vice City was safer ground, and Tommy recognized in his cousin not only family loyalty but also the sharp instincts of a survivor.

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Building Trust in Vice City

When Stefano arrived in Vice City, Tommy had already consolidated power after overthrowing Ricardo Diaz. The city belonged to the Vercetti Family, but Tommy needed reliable men to expand his operations. Stefano started small, managing protection rackets and learning the business side of the empire. His discipline and his Liberty City experience quickly proved valuable.

Unlike many of Tommy’s associates, Stefano was not driven by greed or recklessness. He understood the dangers of moving too fast. His cautious approach earned Tommy’s respect, and soon Stefano was involved in higher-level discussions about the future of the organization.

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The San Andreas Connection

By the late 1980s, cocaine had cemented its place as the most profitable drug in Vice City. However, Tommy knew the market would eventually stagnate unless he expanded. Stefano was the one who suggested looking westward — to San Andreas.

San Fierro and Los Santos already had growing drug scenes, but no single organization controlled the flow. Stefano’s contacts from Liberty City provided an entry point: smugglers, dock workers, and small-time dealers eager to work outside Mafia influence. With Tommy’s backing, Stefano traveled to San Andreas to lay the groundwork.

In San Fierro, he forged ties with small Chinatown crews who sought protection against rivals. In Los Santos, he scouted neighborhoods where demand was rising and rival gangs lacked structure. Slowly, Stefano built the foundation for a drug pipeline connecting Vice City to San Andreas.

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Opening the Trade

Shipments of cocaine began moving discreetly from Vice City to San Andreas. Stefano oversaw the logistics: cargo routes hidden in legitimate shipping containers, trusted couriers flown in under the radar, and front businesses in both states to launder profits.

Tommy relied on Stefano to keep the operation quiet and efficient. While Tommy’s name carried fear and authority in Vice City, it was Stefano who operated in the shadows, ensuring that rivals in San Andreas never fully realized who was behind the new influx of drugs.

By the end of the 1980s, the Vercetti Family had established itself not only as the ruling power of Vice City but also as a major player in the San Andreas cocaine market. This expansion laid the groundwork for conflicts that would soon engulf Los Santos — the same wars that Carl Johnson would later navigate.

GTA: San Andreas Stories (1987)

Where Blood Feuds Begin

Before the streets were ruled by legends, they were stained by betrayal.
In 1987, South Los Santos stands on the edge of a war — Grove Street and the Ballas once shared the same corners… but loyalty shattered fast.

As alliances crumble, the Ballas make their move: reaching beyond the West Coast, forging dangerous ties with Vice City cartels to flood San Andreas with cocaine.

Grove Street fights to survive. The Ballas fight to dominate.
And the streets will never be the same.

This is the first shot in a war that would define a generation.

This is how the feud began.

Setting

San Andreas Stories (1987) takes players back to the late 1980s, a time when Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas were on the verge of major criminal transformations. Before Carl Johnson’s return in 1992, the foundation of San Andreas’ underworld was laid by three rising figures: Tyrell, T-Bone Mendez, and Johnny Sindacco.

Each protagonist reveals a different perspective of the state’s evolution — from gang wars in Los Santos, to cartel connections in San Fierro, to Mafia control in Las Venturas’ casinos.

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Protagonists & Storylines

Tyrell (The Ballas’ Enforcer – Los Santos)

• Background: Tyrell is a hardened street soldier from Ganton who grew up watching Grove Street Families dominate the streets. By 1987, however, the Families are in decline — internal divisions and drug disputes leave them vulnerable. Tyrell emerges as one of the most ruthless figures of the Ballas, eager to push his gang into a new era.
• Story Focus: Tyrell’s missions chart the rise of the Ballas. He organizes neighborhood takeovers, brokers early crack cocaine deals, and eliminates Grove Street lieutenants who stand in the way. Through Tyrell’s eyes, players see how the Ballas transformed from a rival gang into the most feared force in Los Santos by the late ’80s.
• Gameplay Style: Street-level warfare, drive-bys, gang recruitment, territory control, and the introduction of crack distribution across South Central Los Santos.

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T-Bone Mendez (San Fierro Rifa Lieutenant – San Fierro)

• Background: T-Bone Mendez, a fiery enforcer of Mexican descent, is carving out territory in San Fierro’s Latino districts. In 1987, he’s still rising within the Rifa, desperate to secure larger profits and respect for his people.
• Story Focus: T-Bone is the man who establishes the drug pipeline between Vice City and San Andreas. He forms connections with Tommy Vercetti’s organization in Vice City, arranging for shipments of cocaine to move through San Fierro’s docks and into Los Santos.
• Key Plotline: His missions involve smuggling operations, sabotage against rival gangs like the Triads, and securing alliances with crooked dockworkers and customs officials. By the game’s end, T-Bone becomes the central figure linking the East Coast drug empires with San Andreas.
• Gameplay Style: Smuggling missions, shipyard heists, dockside firefights, cross-country convoys, and large-scale shootouts against rival smugglers.

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Johnny Sindacco (Sindacco Family Heir – Las Venturas)

• Background: Johnny Sindacco is a young, ambitious member of the Sindacco Mafia Family. In 1987, the Mafia families from Liberty City are beginning to eye Las Venturas as the next frontier for expansion. Johnny is sent west to establish the Sindacco foothold in the casino business.
• Story Focus: Johnny’s missions revolve around building Mafia influence in Las Venturas. He starts by muscling out small-time casino owners, setting up fronts, and forging alliances with corrupt officials. Over time, the Sindaccos clash with other Mafia families — the Leones and the Forellis — over control of the Strip.
• Gameplay Style: Casino management, intimidation missions, racketeering, sabotage of rival casinos, and high-stakes deals with mob bosses.

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Core Themes of San Andreas Stories (1987)

1. Rise of Drug Empires: The introduction of large-scale cocaine distribution changes San Andreas forever, linking Vice City’s kingpins with West Coast street gangs.
2. Power Shifts: Grove Street Families begin to crumble, the Ballas seize power, and new organizations like the San Fierro Rifa grow into major players.
3. Mafia Expansion: The Sindacco Family’s move into Las Venturas lays the groundwork for the Mafia casino wars that continue into the 1990s.
4. Three Perspectives, One State: By controlling three protagonists, players witness how the entire criminal landscape of San Andreas was shaped before the events of GTA: San Andreas.

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Conclusion

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Stories (1987) serves as the missing chapter between Vice City and San Andreas. It explains how drugs first flooded Los Santos, how San Fierro became a smuggling hub, and how Las Venturas fell under Mafia control.

• Tyrell shows the birth of the Ballas’ empire.
• T-Bone Mendez demonstrates the rise of international drug trafficking.
• Johnny Sindacco reveals how Liberty City’s Mafia planted their flag in Las Venturas’ casinos.

Together, their stories create a complete picture of San Andreas in the late 1980s — a violent, chaotic, and transformative period that set the stage for everything to come.