Luck Gandor

"If you hate me, you’re welcome to do so. Hate me all you like. Just as it won’t bring your brother back, the dead won’t return, either. My pain won’t disappear."

- Luck to Eve

Luck Gandor (ラック・ガンドール, Rakku Gandōru) is one of the heads of the Gandor Family mafia alongside his older brothers Keith and Berga. He and his brothers become complete immortals in November 1930 after unwittingly consuming the Cure-All Elixir at the Martillo Family's promotion party for Firo Prochainezo.

In December 1931, Luck and his brothers find their turf war with the Runorata Family further troubled by signs of the drug trade on their turf, and in January 1932 he engages in a vicious fight with Gustavo Bagetta in front of Eve Genoard. In September 1933, he orders Tick Jefferson and Maria Barcelito to deal with Jacuzzi Splot, whose gang has started operating on/near Gandor turf without their consent.

In February 1935, Luck and his brothers hire several powerful assassins (including Ladd Russo) as extra muscle alongside Tick and Maria to accompany them when they attend the Runorata Family's three-day casino party at Ra's Lance.

Appearance
Luck has short brown hair and vulpine brown eyes. He normally dresses in sharp business suits. In the anime, he and his brothers are color-coded: Luck wears a brown suit while Keith and Berga wear blue and green respectively.

Personality
Luck comes across as calm and collected, with a constant faint smile on his face (Firo claims this is just a pretense to look cool). Luck intentionally pretends to be ruthless because he believes that he is not suited to be a mafioso--a belief that other characters also hold. He is far more empathetic than a mafia capo should be--he could not bring himself to issue a death penalty for Edith or allow Eve Genoard to become a killer.

That being said, Luck is completely capable of violence and cruelty, having no qualms about employing a torture specialist and inflicting violence upon their torture victims himself. This is especially so when his men or family have been injured or killed, or are otherwise in danger - he cares deeply for those in his family and cannot forgive those who harm them. During these times (e.g. when Keith was kidnapped; when Dallas murdered Gandor men) Luck is just as furious -- if not more so -- than Berga, though he attempts to hide his fury under his typical placid demeanor.

Luck has indicated that he used to be afraid of death, to the point where he was afraid of the poem "Spirits of the Dead" by Edgar Allan Poe. He has since lost this fear as an immortal, and even jokes about how he keeps cheating death.

Pre-1930
Luck grew up in Hell's Kitchen, alongside his two older brothers and his father (his mother is not mentioned in the narrative). His family took in Claire Stanfield after the boy's parents died, and the four boys were very close with Firo Prochainezo, who lived in the same tenement block.

In 1919, Luck, his brothers, and Firo search the neighborhood for Claire, who has run off to play. They finally find him when they enter a derelict building - he pokes his head through the hole in the ceiling at their calls. Luck cannot believe that Claire managed to climb all the way up there, and watches Claire easily flip and twirl his way down to the floor with dry resignation.
 * 1919-1920

Berga urges the group to head home now, since the blood oath in the Gandor home is to "be home before dark" and their father will probably "bawl [them] out." Claire and Firo both agree that "old man Gandor" is "scary when he's mad." The five boys head back home.

It is likely that Luck's father died sometime in 1920, since Claire is in the circus by then (and he only ran away after the death of the Gandor don).

Soon after the death of the Gandor don, several of the Gandor capos (including Nicola Cassetti) hold a meeting to discuss the future of the family. Nicola thinks that the three boys shouldn't be pulled into "all this." Just as the men agree to find a substitute boss, Luck and Berga open the door to the room, having heard the conversation. Luck informs them that there will be no need to find a substitute boss, and recalls how their father had tried to protect their territory until the very end. ("That being the case, it's our job...to inherit his pride"). As he talks, Keith walks through the door with blood covering his torso and dragging two corpses in tow. Luck announces that the three of them will take over the Gandor Family.

By September 1925, Luck is in his teens and is the Family's youngest and lowest-ranking executive. Entrusted with debt collection duties, he deals with a local clockmaker who has borrowed $2025.50 (the equivalent of $27,877.01 in September 2016) from the Family; the clockmaker says he will pay it back. At the time of the loan, he warns the clockmaker that if he cannot pay his debts he ought to be ready to sell his own family to make it up. (This is hyperbole).
 * 1925

Twenty-three days later, Luck walks to the clockmaker's shop and confronts the clockmaker over his debt with the full intention of pressuring the clockmaker into selling his land. It is clear from the clockmaker's words that he does not have the money, and Luck suggests that the man consider selling his store, or the land his shop is on.

Luck is unmoved by the clockmaker's excuses, and is then taken aback when the clockmaker offers to pay the debt back with his body. He clarifies that he had heard the Gandors were looking to hire and that he is hoping to sell the Family his own son. Luck's expression reveals his surprise for the first time, and the clockmaker calls for his step-son ("Tick!") to come over. Luck soon hears the sound of metal sliding against metal; a boy rounds the corner opening and closing scissors gripped in his hands.

Luck studies the other boy - his willowy body makes it difficult to tell how strong he is, and he looks amicable enough. The clockmaker introduces the boy as Tick ("awfully good with his hands") and he is sure that Luck will be able to 'make use' of him. That is to say, he is hoping that Luck will take Tick as collateral. Luck cannot believe what he is hearing, but at the same time he can't help but find himself interested in Tick (or rather, his scissors).

The clockmaker takes Luck's silence as agreement, and recalls Luck's warning about selling off his family. He urges Luck to at least "try out" Tick for just a day, and if he is displeased the clockmaker will sell the store and the land. Luck curses himself for being overly soft as he steps out of the store, with Tick by his side. He spots Manhattan Bridge off in the distance - with prime real estate so close to a tourist attraction like the bridge, the clockmaker should be pulling in customers easily. Either the man was grossly incompetent, or extremely unlucky.

He asks Tick why he carries scissors around with him, and Tick calls it a 'hobby.' Luck heaves a sigh at the twist of events, and Tick smiles 'innocently' and asks what the matter is. At Tick's good-natured look, Luck sighs again and wonders what on earth he's supposed to do with the boy. He looks nice enough, but not all that smart and probably not notably strong either.

He asks Tick if he understands the situation he is in, and Tick says that he thinks that "Father" borrowed money, could not pay it back, and thus sold Tick to Luck as collateral. Luck stops him there, assuming that Tick understands the words but not the meaning behind them. He informs Tick that if he does decide that Tick is useless he will stick a debt reminder on him and stick him outside the shop.

At Tick's breezy reply ("Okay. I'll do my best.") Luck grows agitated and again interrogates him on whether or not he understands what helping 'us' (the mafia) entails, that he might have to get his hands dirty. Does he understand what that means? Would he be prepared for it? He asks Tick what he would do if Luck ordered him to kill another person, expecting that the petty question will force Tick to admit his shortcomings.

Tick's answer shocks him into silence: "If you told me to, Mr. Luck." Luck figures that Tick has a "few screws loose" and looks around the street. A carriage passes by, and when it is gone he spots Randy and Pezzo standing across the street. The two men are capos of the Martillo Family, and they tease Luck good-naturedly upon spotting him. The two men continue down the street, and Luck is about to leave when Tick pipes up that it appears the capos have business with his stepfather as well.

Luck whips around, just in time to see Randy and Pezzo kick open the shop door. A moment later, he can hear their outraged roars directed toward the clockmaker, demanding that he pay back the twelve thousand dollars debt he racked up at the Martillos' gambling house. Luck claps his hands to his mouth to stop himself from crying out at the revelation. The clockmaker had racked up six times the amount of debt he owed the Gandors to another organization, and saddled him with the "scissors boy."

Various scenes flashing through his head, Luck prepares to confront the clockmaker again with no mercy. Tick quietly asks him to stop, and states that his stepfather is "done for." He not only hasn't the money to pay back the Martillos and the Gandors, he owed money to eight other people as well. Selling the store wouldn't cover it all. Tick admits that he believes his stepfather plans to run away tonight, and Luck lets out a quiet breath at that. He prompts Tick to continue, and Tick explains that he has a little brother who is extremely smart, unlike Tick. Their stepfather probably thinks that he will be fine as long as he has the younger son with him.

Tick continues on to say that he is just a hindrance, so his stepfather was planning on abandoning him anyway. So the clockmaker had foisted him off onto Luck to get the Gandors out of the way. Luck finally realizes that Tick is far more aware of his situation than Luck had first supposed. He asks Tick how he can still smile knowing what his 'father' has done, and if he hates his brother. Tick responds that he loves them both very much.

Despite Tick's efforts, Luck decides that he cannot let the clockmaker off the hook and sets off for the store. Tick drops his scissors and grabs Luck's arm, reminding that he does not know what he might be worth to the family - for all he knows, Tick might be worth the debt. After all, Luck had promised that he would take in Tick for a day for assessment purposes. At the nervous overtone to Tick's voice, Luck concedes silently that the boy isn't "entirely an idiot" and is relieved that Tick has emotions after all. (...He fully realizes the situation he's in, and he's long since come to terms with what he'll have to do.)

Luck emphasizes that Tick will be stuck with the debt should he prove worthless and should the clockmaker flee, with a grudging respect for Tick's resolve. His interest in Tick is renewed, and he turns away from the store (once again sighing that he is too soft) to head back to the family office. Glancing at Tick, he feels a bit of pity for the other boy - it is clear that Tick is far too kind to become a member of an illegal organization.

He asks if Tick is really all right with everything that has happened, considering that he was not even able to bid farewell to the family he is trying to protect. Tick does not believe he is doing anything as grand as that, so he probably will not regret his actions. Furthermore, the relations/ties between people are not so easily cut. Luck smiles along with Tick as he talks.

Tick then says that on the other hand, people are "easy to cut. You can touch them, you can see. My scissors could cut them up. That makes me sad, and happy." A chill runs down Luck's spine.

At some point in 1925, the older members of the Family finally stop calling him "Young Master" and "The Little Gandor Fiend," nicknames that he had endured when younger.

1927 Luck and his brothers arrive at one of the New York eateries under their sphere of influence. Firo and Claire have already arrived for the reunion, and the brothers greet Claire (whom they have not seen for a long time) fondly. Claire ribs Firo about how he thought Firo was going to join the Family, and Berga corrects Claire - Firo has joined a Camorra instead. Claire wonders what will happen if there is a feud and they have to end up killing each other, and Berga suggests they drag Firo back over to their mafia. Luck cuts the conversation off - they had promised not to talk about it.

Firo changes the subject and brings up the Feast of San Gennaro that is starting tomorrow. Claire has never heard of it, so Luck explains the backstory of the festival to him, and the "miracle of San Gennaro." The talk of miracles reminds the table of "The Phantom Father," the current subject of the rumors and tabloids. According to rumor, the Phantom Father is a serial killer who does not die if he is stabbed. Claire remarks on Keith's visible lack of interest in the conversation topic, and Luck teasingly replies that Keith prefers "silent movies to festivals," having taken shine to a certain lady accompanist as of late.

The talk is interrupted by a drunken brawl that has broken out between two diners. Berga quickly and violently puts an end to the fight; Luck coolly tells him not to make too much of a mess, and then intimidates the two brawlers by reminding them who exactly runs this establishment. With the commotion having ruined the mood, the others gather their belongings and prepare to leave. The owner apologizes to Luck, who dismisses the apologies and reminds him that they are expecting the eatery to do good business during tomorrow.

Once outside, Firo asks what happens tomorrow, and Luck reveals that they plan to use the festival to earn a little more by way of liquor sales. Firo compliments Luck on his intelligence, and says that he "looks good as a boss." Claire then obliviously butts into the conversation by slinging an arm around Luck's shoulders (hooking him by the neck) and demanding that Luck show him where the festival is being set up. He drags Luck down the street with Berga following, leaving Keith and Firo in the dust.

The next day finds the Gandors in an uproar in Coraggioso. Keith's bloody jacket and a smashed lollipop have been found in an alleyway, with Keith nowhere to be found. Nicola calls the bookie's and the gambling den, only to learn that Keith has not visited either location. Luck and Berga are visibly upset at the news; Luck muses that they have not been having trouble with the neighboring outfits, and wonders almost desperately if this is all just a joke on Keith's part. Berga, fed up, declares that he is going to go out and resume searching, but Luck shouts at him not to: if the other outfits see them panicking, they might seize the opportunity and cause trouble. Not to mention, they have no leads for Berga to follow.

Luck tells Nicola to keep checking on other location without involving his subordinates, and advises Berga to have patience. He then decides to call Claire and ask him to search for Keith in a "professional capacity," though he feels guilty for dragging Claire in on his day off. Once he gets a hold of Claire, he updates him on the discovery of the jacket and lollipop.

Claire returns with Keith and head into Coraggioso's basement later that day, where Berga and Luck are overwhelmingly relieved to see that Keith is safe. Keith informs them that "no other outfits were in on it," and Berga (shocked) asks if that means Keith got himself caught on purpose. Luck accuses Keith of being out of his mind, since bosses should not go around putting themselves into danger. Keith stops, turns, and replies, "...we still had two." Luck clutches his head in his hands and groans, as that had not been his point at all.

Claire interjects that the brothers really ought to thank Firo too, since if it were not for Firo keeping the priest busy Keith would have had a harder time moving around on his own. Luck worriedly asks if Firo is all right, and Claire grins and says that Firo is fine.

November 1930
Luck and his brothers are first introduced playing a card game with Jorgi (the Family's financial manager). Through the game, they reveal to Jorgi that they are aware of his embezzlement and secretly 'test' him on his character via Russian Roulette. When he fails the test (he points the gun at the Gandors), he is taken away and surreptitiously executed.

A few minutes after Jorgi's body is taken away, Luck is approached by Dallas Genoard and three of Dallas' friends. Dallas, who is unaware of Firo's relationship with the Gandors, wants the Gandors to help him take revenge on Firo for roughing up his gang earlier that day. In exchange, he offers to join the Gandor Family along with his friends. Luck cooly declines, his utter dismissal of Dallas' worth inciting Dallas' ire. Berga promptly throws Dallas and his friends out of the Coraggioso when they become aggressive, and then examines the contents of Dallas' left-behind crate with Luck. The crate contains two bottles filled with liquid that they assume is liquor.

That evening, the Gandor brothers attend Firo's promotion party at The Alveare. During the party they unknowingly consume Szilard Quates' immortality elixir, and become complete immortals. While Firo's party is underway, Dallas and two of his friends return to the Coraggioso and kill Mike and four other Gandor members before reclaiming the crate for themselves. The police contact the brothers in the middle of the night, and they rush to the scene. Luck is livid over the murders of Mike and his other subordinates, and vows revenge.

When the police leave the Coraggioso the next day, the Gandors decide to go speak with the Martillos about the murders. In the back alleys near the Alveare, they come across Dallas and his two friends threatening Firo and Ennis; Luck draws his handgun and points it at the back of Dallas' head, and his brothers do the same with the two henchmen. He interrogates Dallas about the previous night's massacre, and Dallas attempts to blame Firo as the perpetrator. Luck reveals that he and Firo are childhood friends, and shoots Dallas in the head (his brothers do the same to their captives). Ennis warns them to tie Dallas and co. up, but her warning comes too late; Dallas and his friends regenerate, and gun down the brothers, Firo, and Ennis.

Luck and the others soon regenerate, and they witness the showdown in the alleyway between Firo and Szilard. At some point in the aftermath, they retrieve Dallas' body along with his friends', and transport them to a warehouse. They bind their captives' hands and feet, and place them in separate drum canisters. Then, they wait until the three wake up, and proceed to make Dallas and company's punishment very clear: eternal drowning. Keith drops a pack of 52 jokers into Dallas' drum, and Luck and Berga make a show of giving Dallas a choice of a recreational object to use in the drum (which would obviously be useless).

The brothers fill the drums with cement, and drop them into the Hudson River.

1931 - The Grand Punk Railroad 

Luck contacts Claire over the telephone with the latest news as to the turf war with the Runoratas, and Claire agree to come to New York as soon as possible to help the Gandors out. On December 31, Luck, his brothers, Firo, Ennis, and Maiza head to Pennsylvania Station and wait for the arrival of the Flying Pussyfoot, upon which Claire is working as a conductor. Once the train arrives, the brothers watch Firo, Ennis, and Maiza have their reunions with Isaac & Miria and Czeslaw Meyer. Upon receiving a telegram informing them that Claire is waiting outside, the brothers exit the station to greet him. Claire asks them what they need him to do, and cheerfully informs them that he's met the girl of his dreams. He also informs them that his name is no longer Claire.

1932 - Drug &amp; The Dominos

(To Be Added)

1933 - The Slash
In September 1933, Luck heads to a room in the basement of Coraggioso, and opens its door to the screams of Tick's latest torture victim. He suggests that Tick take a break, and once he is gone Luck advises the victim that the length of Tick's break will depend entirely on what he has to say.

The man begs Luck to keep "that freak" away from him; he will confess everything he knows. Luck sighs; cracks his neck from side to side and waits for him to regain calm -only for the man to shriek at the sight of TIck, who has poked his head through the open door. Luck asks him if something is the matter, and Tick replies that he thinks the man will die if they do not take him to a doctor soon.

Luck reassures Tick that he will 'take care' of it, and tells Tick to go upstairs and have some crackers. He waits until he is sure that Tick is gone, and then he turns and smiles at the bloody man on the floor: "Mr. Tick is a kind man, isn't he," and kicks the man hard. "But I am not. I hope you understand."

That month, Luck and his brothers are displeased to learn that a delinquent gang run by Jacuzzi Splot has been operating on and between their territory (and Martillo territory) without the Gandors' permission. Luck orders Tick Jefferson to go negotiate with the delinquents, and orders Maria Barcelito to act as Tick's bodyguard. He demands that there be no bloodshed, reminding them that violence is a last resort.

After the Mist Wall incident, Luck is informed by Ronny Schiatto that Jacuzzi will pay a fixed tribute to the Martillos, and by Claire that Claire will be acting to represent the gang's interest in their dealings with the Gandors and Martillos. He is highly irritated that Tick and Maria could not procure this information (or an explanation) first, and he coldly informs them that in the face of their failure they should sell their information to the Daily Days if they want to be paid.

1935-1936
(To be added)

Abilities
Luck possesses absolute immortality. He has good leadership skills, earning him the respect of larger mafia families. While enemies fear him and while he can be quite intimidating, he is not a tyrannical leader; his kindness has earned him the trust of Eve Genoard.

Trivia

 * In the dub of the 2007 anime adaptation, Luck's voice actor Jason Liebrecht also voices Gretto Avaro.
 * Luck is the only Gandor brother who still lives in the old family apartment, and the only one who hasn not married by 1930.