Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… as the son of a bricklayer in the old country, Sicily. Gyp saw his father work hard for very little money and then die at age 50. This is why Gyp came to America, the land of opportunity.
Living… in New York with his wife, daughters and mother-in-law. Gyp will kill or torture almost anyone at the drop of a hat, but he’ll let his mother-in-law get away with any insult she wants. That is his Sicilian loyalty at work.
Visiting… Atlantic City, N.J. Gyp is trying to work his way up in the bootlegging business, and the people he needs to talk to are all in Atlantic City. While Gyp has the ambition and the drive, he doesn’t always have the savvy and sophistication that it takes to make friends in Atlantic City.
Profession… running brothels and speakeasies in New York. But that’s small-time work in the grand scheme of things. Gyp has a mind to get into the serious money of bootlegging. It doesn’t matter who or what gets in his way, Gyp isn’t going to let this kind of opportunity pass by.
Interests… good Italian cooking. Gyp’s main weakness, aside from his deadly temper, is his love of meatballs.
Relationship Status… married. Though Gyp doesn’t always find the kind of excitement that he’s looking for in bed at home. His sexual tastes are, shall we say, slightly painful, and he isn’t about to ask his wife to do things like that to him.
Challenge… keeping his temper under control. Rosetti will attack and even kill anyone, no matter how powerful or dangerous they are, if he detects a hint of insult or sarcasm. When leading Atlantic City gangster Nucky Thompson advises Gyp to take things less personally, he retorts, “Everyone’s a person, alright? So how else could they take it?” Gyp is often his own worst enemy.
Personality… a ticking time-bomb. Gyp is one of the most dangerous men in America. His inability to relate to people, which fuels his violent rampages, also makes him a sad and lonely man. On some level he realizes this, which is why he once demanded of God while praying, “And I’m supposed to go through my life… no friendship, no love, ‘til I’m pissin’ in my bed?”
Get to Know him in...
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Officially, Nucky Thompson is the beloved treasurer of Atlantic County, New Jersey. But most voters aren't aware of his other profession: bootlegging. Prohibition has made alcohol illegal in the U.S., which has created a huge opportunity for bold men willing to bend the law to become rich and powerful. For Nucky, the real challenge isn't getting the alcohol, it's keeping it out of the hands of other gangsters while also avoiding traps set by Agent Van Alden and the FBI.
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Through most of the 20th century, Atlantic City, New Jersey, was controlled by a powerful partnership of local politicians and racketeers. Funded by payoffs from gambling rooms, bars and brothels, this corrupt alliance reached full bloom during the reign of Enoch 'Nucky' Johnson - the second of the three bosses to head the Republican machine that dominated city politics and society. In Boardwalk Empire, Nucky Johnson, Louis 'the Commodore' Kuehnle, Frank 'Hap' Farley, and Atlantic City itself spring to life in all their garish splendour. Author Nelson Johnson traces 'AC' from its birth as a quiet seaside health resort, through the corruption, notorious backroom politics and power struggles, to the city's rebirth as an international entertainment and gambling mecca where anything goes. Boardwalk Empire is the true story that inspired the epic HBO series starring Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt and Kelly Macdonald. 'As good, if not better, than the television series' Independent
