Angelo

''Even should my master die, I will still tear out the throats of my prey. ''- Angelo, 2002: (A-Side), p. 31Angelo is a professional assassin and bodyguard. Born in Spain, he moved to South America and at some point began working for a South American drug cartel. After the events aboard the yacht ship Entrance in 2002, he accompanied Firo Prochainezo to New York and began working as a bodyguard for the Martillo Family.

Appearance
In 2002: (A Side) Bullet Garden Angelo is described as a man with sleepy eyes, stubble lining his jaw, and brown skin. His clothing is described as "unkempt." He tends to wear blue shades. The businessmen perceive him to be "perhaps thirty years of age" based on his looks. In the same light novel, Firo says he has "dark skin and defined features that make him look like the type who would be popular with women."

It is apparently not very hard to tell by looking at him that he's not a man who makes an honest living.

Biography & Chronology (2002 A-Side)
Angelo was born in a village in Spain, probably around 1972. A street urchin, he lived in a corner of an alley for much of his childhood. One day, the villagers, who were upset about (presumably) the homeless "harming the town's aesthetics," hired some officers to "clean up" the alleyways. The officers fired their machine guns indiscriminately into the alleys, killing men, women and children in cold blood. By the time they reached his corner, however, the officers had run out of ammo--the only reason Angelo had survived that day. It was during that incident that Angelo obtained his first gun, finding it in one on the alleys the officers had neglected to clean up.

Twenty years later, the population of his home village would be eradicated with the exception of the women and children--and wiped off the map. Many of the villagers were thieves and murderers, according to Angelo, and it is implied that he was the one who murdered them ("I forcibly put an end to this cycle of revenge").

At some point while in Spain he met and married his wife. with whom he had a son, Carlos, born sometime in 1999.

He departed his home country to return to South America (having worked there before) in an unspecified year, and began working as a bodyguard for a South American drug cartel to earn money (the move outraging his wife). Everything changed when, several days prior to Entrance setting sail, the boss of his drug cartel was killed in a shootout against another organization, having been shot in the back despite Angelo having defeated all of the enemies. The shooter was determined to have been a spy.

Angelo and The Demolisher, whom Angelo knew as a freelance killer, took revenge by attacking the restaurant where the Businessmen (thought to be connected to the boss's death) were eating. He entered the building after killing Death (with a sniper rifle) and shot dead four of the Businessmen (ignoring Illness in spite of the fact that she aimed at him), and leaped out a window (the glass of which was presumably already shattered like the others) so that The Demolisher could destroy the building.

At that point, he received a call from Carnea Kaufman, his deceased boss's twelve year old daughter and the new head of the drug cartel. His boss had asked him to "take care of his daughter," an order that Angelo found annoying. At first he considered bringing her back to his family in Spain, but decided not to after considering his wife's reaction. Angelo's loyalty to his former boss, who had respected his rule not to kill women and children and given him a place to be, meant that he felt he had a debt to him, and so Angelo knew he could not abandon Carnea to the new dangers she was now facing. Angelo decided that he would go after 'those bastards', aka The Mask Makers, who were responsible for everything, and asked The Demolisher to dig up some info on them.

After the shootout at the restaurant, Angelo travelled to the west coast of North America. While sitting in a bar and looking through the window at the Entrance, the cruise ship he planned to infiltrate, he received a call from The Demolisher, who was the one who had earlier informed him that The Mask Makers were going to take the Entrance to Japan. Angelo states his mission's goal is to find the leader and the employer of the group. After ending the call, Angelo contemplates the fearsome size and capabilities of the Mask Makers and the "one in a million chance...that he would die" (a probability that the narrative points out is actually closer to 50-50) and his thoughts turn to his soon to be three year old son Carlos, who he has never met in person. His thoughts conclude on the idea that he'll nab one of the masks as a souvenir and take his wife and son to Venice on vacation.

Once upon the yacht ship Entrance, Angelo, dressed in a black jacket and black leather pants, made his way to the casino on deck after leaving the door to his cabin ajar per The Demolisher's instructions. Observing Firo Prochainezo's impressive gambling skills, he took a seat beside him at a card table and challenged him to a one-on-one match. Firo agreed to the match, and Angelo began shuffling the deck, slipping a card up his sleeve as he did so, which he replaced on the top of the deck after he finished shuffling, a move that Firo interprets as deliberately made so that Firo would notice. When Firo then shuffled the deck, he dropped a card on the floor, which Angelo picked up and slipped into his sleeve.

Though the game was a "neck and neck battle of wits," Angelo "absurdly" lost with a bust and congratulated Firo on his victory (which the narrative implies was a purposeful loss on Angelo's part). Angelo introduced himself as a man who works with "international exports" and offered to buy Firo a drink back at his cabin as an apology, since Firo's winnings were higher than the amount of chips that Angelo possessed, an invitation he intended to extend from before the match. Firo accepted, and Angelo accompanied him back to his own cabin. As they reached Angelo's room, he received a call from The Demolisher, who reveals he saw Angelo at the casino with Firo and that he left Angelo a present in his cabin, which he couldn't have done had Angelo not followed his instructions like he'd asked. Angelo, aware that Firo can hear him, kept his own replies innocuous and unrelated to what he was hearing. After the call ended, Angelo (who claimed he was conversing with an 'uncle') let Firo into his room, and as they sat down at a round table he offered to pour him a drink from the liquor he had in a wooden box (the gift in question).

Angelo then asked Firo if his restaurant business (Firo had introduced himself as a restaurant manager) was known by the name "Mask Maker." Firo's silence, despite lasting for only a few seconds, confirmed Angelo's suspicions, and he drew a black handgun with red and gold decorations, demanding that Firo disclose all he knows about the Mask Makers and his 'boss'--the man who ordered the death of Angelo's own boss. Firo decided to try and force the barrel of the gun down, but as soon as he moved Angelo fired his gun (the noise muffled with a silencer), shooting Firo in his shoulders and legs. Before Angelo could start his interrogation, Firo regenerated, to which Angelo, instead of panicking, simply asked what Firo was. Angelo explained that he had been planning on listening to Firo in the beginning, and only fired because Firo went for his gun, which he now lowered. Firo asked Angelo for a favor before disclosing what he knows, which is that Angelo inform Ennis and Czeslaw Meyer that Firo was shot in a tough fight. Angelo answered that he understood and he would trust him, and promises him that as apology for shooting him Angelo will tell his family that Firo was "a courageous and skilled warrior." He let Firo return to his own cabin.

The next day, Angelo met with Firo, Ennis, and Czes on the lowest floor of the shopping mall on deck and apologized to Ennis for the bullet holes in Firo's clothes the previous night. Firo had agreed to help Angelo with reconnaissance and nothing more, and the two began discussing their plan of action, eventually moving along with Ennis to a nearby cafe, where they drank coffee while conversing. Firo and Ennis spotted Claudia Walken on the other side of the nearby fountain; the fact that they know her is something that Angelo was a little envious of. As it turns out, Claudia and Charon Walken were scheduled to promote their movie that day on the event stage near the fountain. Angelo began scanning the room, checking to see if any of The Mask Makers had shown up. A minute later, Bobby Splot arrived dressed in Charon's costume, "The Gear" (his identity unbeknownst to the others).

Two of The Mask Makers who had attacked the restaurant back in South America took a seat at the table next to Firo, Ennis, and Angelo. Angelo, recognizing them, surreptitiously alerted Firo and Ennis to their presence. Once the Mask Makers stood up, Angelo prepared to follow them to the second floor, only to be thwarted by the arrival of Illness, who loudly identified him as "the awesome gunman from the other day." The two Mask Makers, now cognizant of the situation, drew their guns as did Angelo, and both sides fired at almost the same time. Angelo managed to shoot the shoulders of both cult members after they fired, and just before their bullets reached Angelo's forehead Firo lunged in front of him at the last minute, the bullets burying themselves in Firo's shoulder. The fountain area was plunged into chaos, as passengers fled in panic. Members of the Mask Makers in the crowd began a counterattack, and Angelo followed Firo and Ennis into the cafe for shelter.

Inside the cafe, Angelo, the only one armed out of the three, apologized for dragging Firo and Ennis into a shootout and inquired as to how Firo's shoulder was faring. Apologizing again, Angelo quickly poked his head and arm out around the wall of the cafe and fired multiple times at one of their assailants, aiming for the man's arm rather than killing him outright. Firo thought "it was almost insanity to aim for the arm with a handgun in this situation, but carrying out such an action meant that Angelo was already far beyond normal levels of competence." Angelo explained that he didn't want them to die instantly, and Firo, in admiration, replied that he was tempted to hire Angelo as a bodyguard on the spot. To this, Angelo responded that he had already sworn his loyalties to his boss.

The shootout continued for several minutes, during which time Angelo had injured or killed several of their attackers. However, reinforcements arrived in a constant flow, replacing the deceased--thus negating any dent Angelo had made in the original numbers. He continued to "coldly...shoot them down." Suddenly, a deafening noise rang out through the mall, announcing the arrival of a newcomer - a "shadow holding an assault rifle" standing in front of a luxury boutique. Firo asked Angelo who the newcomer was, and though Angelo didn't know, he realized that the 'shadow' was dressed like Illness and Death were back at the restaurant (in a combat suit).

As Angelo and the others observed the 'shadow's' movements, Angelo received a call from The Demolisher, who admitted that he was still watching Angelo, asking what he was doing with Firo. Angelo asked if The Demolisher could provide them with any support regarding the newcomer, and The Demolisher replied that yes he could, since there were no "civvies" around. Angelo, perturbed, attempted to question him but was immediately cut off by a loud explosion rocking the hull. The fourth floor, where the boutique stood, was destroyed.

Firo turned to Angelo for answers, and Angelo, clearly disturbed, said that The Demolisher "told [him] not to worry...because he's set up explosions like this all over the ship." At that point, Firo suddenly spotted The Gear by the fountain. Thinking Charon was inside, he rushed over to to The Gear's side, ignoring Angelo and Ennis' exclamations. Angelo and Ennis waited there for Firo to return, and when he did he had brought The Gear and a girl dressed in a shark cosstume (she was shell shocked from the explosion). Angelo immediately recognized her as Carnea Kaufman, and when Carnea regained her senses a few moments later she got to her feet and enveloped Angelo in an embrace. Reeling from shock, Angelo asked Carnea how in the world she had ended up on the Entrance. He referred to her as 'Boss,' shocking Firo, Ennis, and Bobby.

Chronology continued: 2002 (B-Side)
The beginning of 2002: (B-Side) Blood Sabbath established that Angelo had made several miscalculations concerning his plan to corner the Mask Makers on this ship. One was that the Mask Makers were not on vacation after all-they had boarded the ship armed. The second miscalculation was the series of coincidences that had led to the mass shoutout. The third was that the Demolisher had installed explosives on the ship. And the final mistake -- was Carnea Kaufman.

In the cafe, Angelo informed Firo that there are only three official members surviving of the drug cartel he was working for. Letting out an "uncharacteristic, bitter laugh," he introduced Carnea as the Boss of his organization. Firo observed that Angelo, who was breaking out in a cold sweat, was "incomparably more shocked than when he had seen Firo's recovery" at this new development. Angelo implored Carnea to tell him how she got on the ship, and why. Carnea replied that she didn't want to seem him and others be hurt because of her, a sentiment Angelo labelled as foolish. As for how, Carnea admitted she had stowed away on the ship, and that it was the Demolisher who had smuggled her into the States and onto the ship with the promise that if she were around, Angelo would not start any gunfights on the Entrance. Angelo calls him a bastard, and his cold fury was such that it not only overwhelmed Carnea, Firo, and Ennis but elicited a soft scream from Bobby. At the sound, Firo turned and asked Bobby, still dressed as The Gear, to identify himself. Bobby answered falsely that he was Charon's stuntman.

The group made their way to Angelo's cabin, where they began discussing their next course of action, which included looking for Czeslaw Meyer. Once the plan had been determined, Angelo made his way alone to the shopping mall at sunset, wearing his sunglasses despite the dim lighting. He stopped and raised his gun, aiming it at a shadow hanging from the second floor, which he knew to be Illness. Illness asked him how he knew she was here ("I had a feeling," he said) and reminded him of his policy not to kill women and children. Snickering, she fingered her submachine gun and posited that if she were to shoot him now, he'd likely die. Angelo merely grinned and offered a one-off line as a response.

Illness, curious, wondered why Angelo followed such a policy in the first place, and Angelo recounted the incident with the officers that had happened back when he was a child, the officers who killed "without any mercy for women and children." However, Angelo continued, "the reason I don't kill women and children...isn't my own little way of revenge, or anything like that. ...It's just my own stubbornness, and my pride as a gunman." Illness, unsatisfied, demanded to know if he even wanted to take revenge, to which Angelo replied that he already ''did. ''He told her what had happened to the village twenty years later, implying that he murdered the men of the village while sparing the women and children.

Illness starts trembling, and Angelo continued talking without looking at her, stating that he wasn't "bragging about [his] misfortunes," and that it didn't matter whether or not Illness had been through worse than him (or vice-versa). The only thing that matters, he concluded, was the fact that "you and I are here and there, each holding our weapons."

Illness decided to pull the trigger, but before she could, Czeslaw Meyer emerged from the shadows and implored Angelo not to shoot him, citing his policy not to shoot children. Illness, recognizing him from their previous conversations, identified by name. At this, Angelo interrupted and asked Czeslaw if he was Firo's "little brother." Angelo soon called Firo and informed him that he had found Czeslaw, who knew where Claudia was (Firo had been looking for Claudia as well as Czes). At some point, Angelo separates from Czes and Claudia (who show up on the bride with the other children), and goes in search of the Demolisher. Thirty+ minutes later, presumably having made an agreement with Illness and the others, Angelo shows up in front of the surviving Mask Makers on the ship Exit. The leader of the Mask Makers, Luchino B. Campanella ("Rookie") has handcuffed the hands of Mask Maker called Life together, telling Life that he just wants to confirm something.

At Angelo's appearance, Life squirmed and asked what was going on. His associates--Aging, Luchino, and the other survivors--said nothing. Angelo approached Life and removed his goggles, saying cryptically with a melancholy look in his eyes that Life ought not to act like a stranger--after all, he and Life knew each other quite well. He proceeded to accuse Life of being the Demolisher. Life cackled in response, sneering that Charon must have alerted Angelo's suspicions.

Following the Demolisher's admission that he and Life were the same person (thus working simultaneously for opposing sides), Angelo bowed his head quietly and asked if the Demolisher was the one who shot Carnea's father, his former boss. The Demolisher played dumb, asking Angelo "what do you think?" Angelo ground his teeth, turned, and walked back to the Entrance with "surprising calm," informing the surviving Mask Makers that the Demolisher's fate was in their hands. When asked if he was alright with that, Angelo announced that Carnea, his boss, had cried and asked him not to kill anyone anymore, and with a "strangely satisfied look on his face," he cited his policy not to kill women and children (referring to the fact that Luchino was a minor).

Several days after the events upon the sister ships Entrance and Exit, Angelo arrived in New York and visited the Alveare at Firo's suggestion (dressed all in black and wearing his trademark blue shades), needing a place to hide after the incident--the drug cartel had essentially been destroyed, and he could not return to his hometown until the cruise ship incidents were thoroughly investigated. There, he immediately turned to Maiza Avaro (who looked like the one with the greatest authority in the room) and stated that he "was brought here by introduction of Firo Prochainezo...Have you any need for a bodyguard?"

The alert atmosphere changed to one of good cheer and welcome, and Angelo was immediately bombarded with questions and opinions by the Martillos who had realized he was the gunman Firo had told them about. Angelo was taken aback at such an atmosphere, which was different from the 'normal' criminal organizations he was used to. Angelo realized that this was the sort of organization that "made Firo into what he is" and smiled "bittersweetly."

When Angelo finally spoke, he said that he was taking care of "an acquaintance's daughter" (Carnea) and was hoping the Martillos could help find him a safe place for her to stay.

Abilities
Angelo, often called a gunman or a sniper, is an excellent shot, able to fire a gun with remarkable speed and accuracy--so accurate the shots "almost appeared to be drawn to their targets." Angelo does not attribute his success to some special skill, however. He attributes his skill to pure experience, that he "happened to have survived this far."

He is also very good at card games, or rather, cheating at them (or both).

Quotes
"I have no intention of bragging about my misfortunes. I'm sure you have your own past to contend with. Whether or not you've been through worse than myself is a trivial matter. Some people in this world die of starvation before they even have a drink of water. Others live unfortunate lives even if they have food, shelter, and a family. Happiness and misfortune--neither are ever significantly important, and they aren't reason enough for people to survive through bloodbaths."  - Angelo to Illness, 2002: (B-Side), p. 192.

"I am not a guard dog. I am a hound." - Angelo, 2002: (A-Side), p. 31.

Trivia

 * Angelo has a policy to not harm or kill women and children.
 * Angelo's wife and a son named Carlos ("turning three" in 2002) live back in Spain.
 * He has yet to meet his son in person.
 * Angelo had originally turned down the woman who was to eventually become his wife out of the feeling that he "had no right to pursue happiness." However, she proved tenaciously formidable, and won him over (apparently her skills with a kitchen knife are lethal).
 * It is implied he won his first shootout because his opponent tripped over a corpse.
 * When the Businessmen accuse him of acting like Chuck Norris in Hitman, Angelo replies that he thinks of himself as "more of a John Wayne."
 * To this, the Businessmen respond that he is more Antonio Banderas than John Wayne, which can probably be considered the most accurate of the three comparisons, since the narrative compares Angelo and Banderas throughout the novel.
 * On the topic of comparisons, the narrative and Angelo himself have compared him to a hound.
 * HIs impressive accuracy with a gun has led him to be compared with a shark: "He had become an object of fear, sometimes likened to a man-eating shark who could track the scent of blood."
 * Of all of Claudia's films, The Wild Dog is Angelo's favorite.