Manfred Beriam

Manfred Beriam is a US senator in the 1930's. He has close ties with the Runorata Family and Nebula, and is interested in immortality for darker purposes. His wife Natalie and their daughter Mary are on board the Flying Pussyfoot, and are used as hostages by the Lemures to force Beriam to use his political power to free Huey Laforet. Beriam does not comply with this demand, nor does he try to have the train stopped despite this being within his power, since the train's cargo of explosives is apparently more important to him than his family. He does, however, attempt to negotiate with Huey to call the Lemures off, although Huey refuses. Mary briefly escapes the Lemures' grasp in the company of Czeslaw Meyer, but Czes abandons her for his own safety and she is recaptured by Chane Laforet. Mary and Natalie are then rescued by Rachel, and arrive safely in New York. He is one of the antagonistic forces of the Baccano! Universe via Nebula, Szilard Quates and Huey Laforet.

Background
Not much is known about the Senator, although he focuses on power and has a high influence, he cannot tolerate anyone that is immortal and sees them as monsters that must be purged from the world. This implies he has had dealings with them in the past.

Personality
Unlike any other leading figures, Manfred Beriam commands an intimidating aura around those who oppose him, he was able to silence Rachel from any protests after rewarding her for securing her family in the Flying Pussyfoot incident. Even when threatened with death by the hands of Maria Barcelitto, he stares her down and compliments her skills with the blade, such passive-aggressive suggestions bellie the cunning threat the Senator poses with immortals.

He is often cool and aloof in any situation and can be amazingly confident in his skills in negotiations. He once acted scared and nervous to lure Chi into attacking him before reverting back to his cold, calculating self.

1931 - The Grand Punk Railroad


1932 - Drugs and Dominoes
Senator Beriam meets with Bartollo Runoratta and discuss about locating Dallas Genoard to bring back to Nebula for experimentation, they consider bringing Eve but Manfred decides to leave her out of their experiments.

In 1932, Senator Beriam is seen in conversation with Bartolo Runorata about the possibility of immortality and plans to capture and study the partial immortal Dallas Genoard to this end, he allies himself with Nebula and the crime family to track him down although Huey's team of Larvae led by Tim had taken the immortal from their clutches.

1933 - The Slash
Maria once met the Senator during her assasination assignments and lets him go as he seemed to pose no threat.

Manfred arrives in New York to Mist Wall, Nebula's HQ to oversee an experiment conducted by Huey Laforet and to witness the involvement of the immortal prisoner's faction of Homunculi and the gangsters of New York (The Martillo family and The Gandors) as well as Chicago gangs (Jacuzzi Splot). Manfred confronts Tim and reveals that he has been granted lead overseer of Mist Wall as all of its employees are infact Incomplete Immortals via vaccine innoculation a year back. He tells Tim that he is merely a pawn drawn to Huey and Nebula's war before leaving the premises to meet with Nebula executives of the experiment's success.

Some time after the Mist Wall bombings, Chi locates Manfred and attempts to kill him for orchestrating the incident but Chi is trapped with the help of The Former Felix Walken and by Spike, former Lemure sniper who was part of the incident. They talk about Manfred's disdain for immortals and he boasts that humanity will never allow them to succeed before taking Chi away to parts unknown. His daughter meets him in his study and he muses about the challenges yet to come.