The Mask Makers

The Mask Makers are a mercenary group originating in the 1700s from Monica Campanella's identity as a serial killer. Monica's descendant Luchino B. Campanella runs the group in the 21st century.

1705: The Ironic Light Orchestra
The Mask Maker is a serial killer that terrorizes Lotto Valentino in the 1700s. The Mask Maker is named after the Venetian masks they wear, and those they leave at the scenes of their crimes. They kill all their victims by stabbing them in the heart with a stiletto. As the Mask Maker manages to escape the efforts of the City Police, their reputation begins evolving into that of an urban legend. Rumor spreads that the Mask Maker will kill anyone who catches sight of them.

Elmer C. Albatross is able to recognize that the Mask Maker is Monica Campanella after being threatened by her. Elmer confronts Monica, and she explains that she became a serial killer in order to aid Huey Laforet's gold counterfeiting operations--her targets being members of Lotto Valentino's rivaling counterfeiting and drug trade.

2002 A Side: Bullet Garden
By the 2000s, the Mask Makers have become a mercenary group. They hijack the sister ships Entrance and Exit in 2002.

At this point in time, the Mask Makers seem to be a rather carefree group of eccentric but slightly malevolent movie-lovers. Early in the book one of the Four Great Weapons, and the supposed strongest of the group, Death, is killed.

Before the hijacking of the Entrance, Illness befriends Claudia Walken - an actress who the other Mask Makers are fans of. During the night, Life sneaks aboard, and lays the ground work for the operation. However things get complicated by the unforeseen arrival of Bobby Splot, his three friends, and their fellow stowaway Carnea who are looking for vengeance against the Martillo Family and seeking out Angelo respectively; vacationing Martillo Family Executive Firo Prochainezo and his wife Ennis, with Czeslaw Meyer; Felix Walken and Chane Laforet's sibling descendents, Claudia and Charon Walken; and Angelo, who is pursuing Mask Makers and mistakes Firo for one.

Eventually Illness and Czes encounter Bobby Splot's Gang capturing members Tall, Troy and Humpty while Bobby and Carnea escape. Unfortunately for Bobby and Carnea, they accidentally trigger one of Life's set up devices and are than pursued by him, along with the other Mask Makers. Illness is notified of this and also engages in persuit. Unfortunately for the Mask Makers, she looks at the time and her mind switches from "Stowaways" to "Clauda" thus exiting to see her friend instead.

Structure
When it was founded, the Mask Makers had only three members. However, in 2002, the group consists of no less than twenty people who hijacked the Entrance and Exit each, bringing the minimum up to forty at least. Luchino Campanella is the boss of the organization and runs it despite his young age, earning him the nickname Rookie. Besides him are the Four Great Weapons who are the direct superiors to the rest of the organization if Luchino is elsewhere. The members are all known by their code-names: Aging, Life, Death and Illness. Luchino chose these four based on their abilities.

Boss
Monica Campanella† → Luchino B. Campanella

Original Members

 * Monica Campanella†


 * Huey Laforet


 * Elmer C. Albatross

Four Great Weapons

 * Death †
 * Illness
 * Life
 * Aging

Trivia

 * in the 2002 Side A prologue, an unnamed Mask Maker says that the Four Great Weapons are called the Four Heavenly Kings in Japan. This is a reference to Buddhist protective deities of the cardinal directions.