Anthony Zuitco, Jr
| Anthony Zuitco, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Anthony Bono Zuitco, Jr. February 3, 1960 Queens, NY |
| Occupation | Hitman, Bodyguard |
| Associates | Vincenzo Sporteino |
| Family |
|
Anthony Zuitco, Jr. is a businessman, hitman, and longtime bodyguard of Vincenzo Sporteino.
Early Days
Anthony was born in Queens, New York to a grocer and a stage and screen actress turned grocer. Despite his mother's temporary time in the spotlight, they lived modestly in an apartment above his family's grocery store.
When Anthony was 9, he witnessed the death of his parents by the assassin James Anderton as he opened fire at them while they stood out front of the grocery store. Anderton fled, leaving Anthony kneeling beside his dying parents, unsure of what had just happened. After his parents' death, Anthony was sent to a foster home, but the act of watching his parents die caused him to lash out uncontrollably. He ran away from his new foster parents, deciding he'd rather live on the streets than with someone he didn't know.
In 1972, after spending three years unemployed and alone, he met Sonny Bellini, who, noticing his size and muscles, asked if Anthony wanted a job with his organization. Anthony agreed and went with him to meet Vincenzo Sporteino, who initially declined to hire him due to his age. After some persuasion from Sonny, Anthony was hired and became part of The Family, which was run by Sporteino and had criminal connections.
A few days later, during a shopping trip, an assassin tried to kill Sporteino. Anthony instinctively stepped in front of him, taking the bullets himself. Though shot, Anthony chased the attacker, subdued him, and almost beat him to death. Others from Sporteino's organization pulled Anthony away and rushed him to the hospital for treatment. While there, Sporteino expressed that his opinion had changed and he wanted Anthony to become his full-time bodyguard. Anthony agreed, remaining in this role until Sporteino's death in 1995.
Fleeing to New Prairie
In 1973, Vinnie Sporteino's headquarters was raided by the police, and he, Anthony, and Sonny Bellini were all arrested and taken to jail. On the way to the jail, Anthony managed to break free of his restraints and take control of the vehicle. Using it, he knocked the other vehicle with Sporteino and Bellini in it off the road and freed them. The trio decided to leave everything behind and make for a new home. After traveling to the Midwest, the three found themselves in Milwaukee, WI. There, through some business contacts Sporteino had made over the years, they were recommended the city of New Prairie, WI, which at the time was far enough from the big cities, but offered the chance to expand and grow, which was exactly what Sporteino had wanted. The trio traveled north and settled in their new city. Anthony helped Sporteino rebuild his organization by recruiting new men and helpers with a vigorous procedure that ensured they would never turn against them.
His Parents' Murderer
Over the years, Anthony never forgot the day his parents were murdered in front of him and wished he knew more about that day. With Sporteino's help, Anthony finally got information regarding who killed his parents, unaware that it was Sporteino who had hired the gunman. Anthony took some time off and drove out to Seattle, Washington to have a confrontation with the killer, James Anderton. Reaching his house, Anthony proceeded to beat Anderton up from the rage that had built up over the last decade. After two hours, Anthony pulled out his gun and fired a shot into each of Anderton's appendages, causing Anderton to confess that it was Sporteino who had hired him for the job and he was only following orders.
Anthony, refusing to believe him, went to his car, grabbed the can of gasoline from his trunk and proceeded to light Anderton's house on fire with him still inside. He stood and watched as the flames engulfed the home, and Anderton's scream for help and mercy slowly succumbed to the roar of the fire. Leaving Seattle, Anthony made his way back to New Prairie, with ANDERTON’s words still in his head. Keeping it to himself, he continued on with his life, a little happier. In December of 1995, Anthony was reconfirmed by long time ex-friend SONNY BELLINI that VINNIE was behind the murdering of his parents all along and the reason it took him so long to find who supposedly did it, was because VINNIE was purposely preventing Anthony from finding out. Anthony turned on his fellow friend but was taken down by a shot from VINNIE, point blank in the chest. The shot in the chest left Anthony wounded but didn’t kill him. Awaking a few minutes later, he made his way out of the warehouse and to his vehicle. He left the compound and stayed at the NICKEL MOTEL where he laid low for 3 days while he got his stuff and money in order. After the third day of being there, he gathered all the stuff he had and left New Prairie for good, vowing never to return to the city. Calling a business friend in California, he made his way to the coast where he helped set up numerous businesses (shipping, industry, technology) and eventually took over ownership. Soon, he had a new stream of money coming in as he became the head operator behind said businesses. However, in an attempt to prevent anyone working for the businesses to find out who exactly he was or potentially hurt him, he would never meet with anyone personally. All business was done over the phone or with a select few ‘business partners’ who would do his talking and bidding for him. The idea helped build a persona for him, that made those who worked for him scared to try anything and those he dealt with feel intimidated and cowardly do whatever he wanted. Over the years, he would simply be known as The Big B, for his constant acquiring of warehouses, shipping and other such enterprises. In 1998, one of his scientifically geared corporations got their hands on a new chemical and found a way to create high explosives when mixed with a dry powder that they created. Needing to acquire more of the chemical in order to sell the newly created explosives, Anthony found the source was from HAZDON back in New Prairie. Initially he was reluctant to go back to the city, but eventually did as he realized that a shipment of goods containing the chemical would be leaving the city, at which time he and a few of his fellow friends would hijack the vehicle and take it back to the coast. Upon arriving, he was ambushed by another group, who killed all his men and left him seriously wounded. Catching a glimpse of the vehicle they arrived in, Anthony later tracked the car to a “business” in Chicago, which just so happened to be owned by FANUCCI ENTERPRISES, which had been taken over by MICHAEL FANUCCI’s unknown son, TAYLOR FANUCCI. Pretending to be a future high stakes business man, Anthony talked to TAYLOR in his office building and created a diversion to get a few moments alone in his office. In there, he found a log book that stated 2 shipments were leaving that evening and they contained highly valuable and dangerous goods. Going to the track yard, Anthony was knocked cold by a waiting FANUCCI goon. They took him on the train and dropped him off somewhere in Ohio.
Appearances
Short Stories
Films
- To Tom Cortini (2002) (First Appearance)
- To Tom Cortini 2: Return to Sender (2003)
- To Tom Cortini 3: Damaged Goods (2003)