Carmine Falcone

In-story informationFull nameCarmine FalconeSpeciesHumanPlace of originGotham CityTeam affiliationsFalcone Crime FamilyNotable aliasesThe Roman, Don FalconeAbilitiesCriminal mastermind
Expert marksman

Carmine Falcone is a fictional supervillain in DC Comics, portrayed as a powerful mob boss, an enemy of Batman, and a friend of the Wayne family. He has also been depicted in some versions as the illegitimate father of Catwoman.

In live-action, the character has been portrayed in film by Tom Wilkinson in Batman Begins (2005) and John Turturro in The Batman (2022), and by John Doman in the television series Gotham (2014).

Background

Carmine Falcone made his debut in the four-part story Batman: Year One written by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli in 1987.^[1] In the comics, Falcone is a powerful Mafia chieftain nicknamed "The Roman", where his stranglehold over Gotham City's organized crime is referenced as "The Roman Empire" at least once. In Batman: Year One, his penthouse is designed in a Roman architectural style.

The character is based on Marlon Brando's portrayal of Don Vito Corleone from the 1972 film The Godfather. Jeph Loeb, writer of Batman: The Long Halloween, stated in an interview that he paralleled the Falcone family to that of the Corleone family: Falcone's power and wisdom akin to Vito Corleone, his son Alberto's personality and appearance that of Fredo Corleone, and his daughter Sofia's temper matching that of Sonny Corleone. Lastly, his elder son Mario's deportation to Sicily, physical appearance and desire to legitimize the Falcone family are all traits shared with Michael Corleone.^[2]

Fictional character biography

In a flashback in The Long Halloween, gangster Vincent Falcone brings his badly wounded son, Carmine, who had been shot several times by his rival, Luigi Maroni, to Thomas Wayne. Fearing Maroni would finish the job at a public hospital, he begs Wayne, one of the city's best doctors, to perform surgery at Wayne Manor. A young Bruce Wayne watches his father save Falcone's life. Years later at Thomas and Martha Wayne's funeral, Carmine Falcone, now part of his father's crime family, tells Bruce that he can always ask a favor of him should he need it.

In Batman: Year One, Falcone is shown to be the most powerful figure in Gotham City, with the mayor, city council, and much of Gotham's police force in his pocket and all of the city's criminal outfits under his control.^[3] His power comes under attack with the arrival of the mysterious vigilante Batman. Despite GCPD Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb's desperate attempts to stop him, Batman's attacks on Falcone's crime family become even more brazen and Falcone decides to have Batman killed. Batman further embarrasses Falcone by rescuing Catwoman when the mobster and his henchmen catch her trying to rob them. In the process, Catwoman leaves Falcone permanently scarred when she scratches him with the metal claws of her costume.

Falcone orders his nephew Johnny Viti to kidnap the family of Detective Jim Gordon, but the attempt is foiled. When Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent's investigations start threatening his power, Falcone orders an unsuccessful hit on Johnny out of fear that he might talk. The failed hit results in the Falcone family getting embroiled in a mob war with Viti's boss Carla in Chicago, which serves only to further diminish Falcone's influence in Gotham.

During The Long Halloween, the weakened Falcone family is targeted by a serial killer calling himself Holiday, who targets and kills at least one member of the Falcone crime family each month on a holiday, leaving an item related to that holiday at the scene of the crime. When Batman and Dent burn his hoard of stolen cash, Falcone strikes back by hiring costumed "freaks" who become Batman's Rogues Gallery. Convinced that Dent is secretly Holiday, Falcone persuades his former rival Sal Maroni to kill Dent while standing trial for murder. Falcone arranges for Maroni to obtain a vial of acid, which he hurls at Dent during a court proceeding. The acid disfigures the left side of Dent's face, leading to his becoming Two-Face. Two-Face personally kills Falcone following a coin flip that lands on the scarred side.^[4] Falcone's son Alberto (presumed to have been the victim of the killer on New Year's Eve) ultimately confesses to all of the Holiday killings in an attempt to be accepted into the family business.^[5]

In Batman: Dark Victory, Falcone's grave site is robbed and his body goes missing. In the end, it is revealed that Two-Face has Falcone's body in his possession, having frozen it using Mr. Freeze's cryogenic technology. Selina Kyle briefly visits the grave at the conclusion of the story, where it is revealed that she believes that Falcone is her biological father and is determined to learn the truth.^[6]

The New 52

Carmine Falcone appears in the second issue of Batman Eternal as a former mobster determined to reclaim his empire after Commissioner Gordon is framed for mass murder.^[7] It is revealed at the conclusion of the story that Falcone was unaware of the larger plot against Batman, and was simply informed that he would have a chance to strike by an anonymous letter sent to him by the true mastermind.

DC Rebirth

In the "War of Jokes and Riddles" storyline, Falcone is contacted by the Joker with strict instructions to kill the Riddler within an hour. His men ultimately fail to complete the assignment, leading the Joker to have Falcone's men assassinated. The Penguin then takes over his business interests on Joker's behalf.^[8]

Family

The following are relatives of Carmine Falcone:

• Vincent Falcone – Carmine's father and the founder of the Falcone crime family.
• Carla Viti – Carmine's sister and the boss of the Viti crime family in Chicago.
• Louisa Falcone – Carmine's wife and mother of his three children. Her current whereabouts are unknown.
• Johnny Viti – Carla's son and Carmine's nephew. Part of the Viti family in Chicago.
• Lucia Viti – Carla's daughter and Carmine's niece.
• Sofia Falcone Gigante – Carmine's daughter who takes over as boss of the Falcone family. Mario later legally changes his sister's name to Sofia Gigante so he can cleanse the family name of her crimes.
• Alberto Falcone – Carmine's inept son, who is desperate to be accepted into the family.
• Mario Falcone – Carmine's son and a successful businessman who seeks to legitimize the Falcone family, even if it means turning on his siblings.
• Selina Kyle – Carmine's alleged daughter, although her parentage is never definitely proven.
• Kitrina Falcone – Carmine's estranged granddaughter and a skilled escape artist who becomes Catwoman's sidekick and apprentice.

In other media

Television

• Carmine Falcone appears in Gotham, portrayed by John Doman.^[9] This version is a veteran Mafia Don connected to Mayor James Aubrey, Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb, and various members of the Gotham City Police Department. Additionally, he employs Victor Zsasz as a hitman and Arthur Penn as an accountant.^[10][11]
• Carmine Falcone appears in the Justice League Action episode "Time Share", voiced by Jason J. Lewis.^[12]

Film

• Carmine Falcone appears in Batman Begins, portrayed by Tom Wilkinson. This version works with Jonathan Crane, who later betrays him, and is a beneficiary of Ra's al Ghul.
• Carmine Falcone appears in Batman: Year One, voiced by Alex Rocco.^[13]
• Carmine Falcone appears in Batman: The Long Halloween, voiced by Titus Welliver.^[14]
• Carmine Falcone appears in The Batman, portrayed by John Turturro.^[15] Similarly to the Batman: The Long Halloween depiction, this version was shot before he was saved by Thomas Wayne years prior and has an illegitimate daughter, Selina Kyle, whom he attempts to kill. Batman saves Selina and hands Falcone over to the police, but the Riddler kills him.

Video games

• Carmine Falcone appears in the Batman Begins tie-in game, voiced by Tom Wilkinson.
• Carmine Falcone appears in Batman: Arkham Underworld, voiced by Jon Polito.
• Carmine Falcone appears in Batman: The Telltale Series, voiced by Richard McGonagle. This version is an associate of Mayor Hamilton Hill and Thomas and Martha Wayne who takes control of Gotham's criminal underworld shortly after the Waynes are murdered.

See also

• List of Batman family enemies
• Batman and the Monster Men
• Carl Grissom
• Sal Maroni

References

External links

• Carmine Falcone at DC Comics Wiki
• Carmine Falcone at Comic Vine