List of True Crime: New York City characters

True Crime: New York City featured a cast of several well-known actors such as Laurence Fishburne, Christopher Walken, and Mariska Hargitay. Whereas the first True Crime game featured rapper Snoop Dogg, True Crime: NYC features Redman.

Marcus Reed
Marcus Reed is a former gangster-turned-cop, whose father is a jailed Kingpin. He is a street-hardened detective, who has experience on both sides of the law, giving him the push he needs to enforce it, his way. Marcus grew up in the Bronx, following in his father’s footsteps. After his father’s childhood friend Terry saved his life, Marcus decided to go straight. Mentored by Terry, he eventually became a police detective and joined Terry as his partner. He maintains a conflicted relationship with his father, Isaiah ‘The King’ Reed, who continues to run his criminal enterprise from prison and hopes to utilize his son’s newfound influence to foster his own goals.

Voiced by Avery Waddell

Isaiah "The King" Reed
Isaiah "The King" grew up on the streets and was best friends with Terrence "Terry" Higgins, and grew into a notorious kingpin running a large portion of east coast extortion. Terry took the other side, going into law enforcement. Even though their paths diverged, Terry and the King’s respect and friendship never died, and when the King went to prison, Terry promised to look after his son, Marcus, after becoming his mentor, Terry ushered him into the Police Department and covered up Marcus’ shady past.

From his prison cell, "The King" runs his business, living a life of relative luxury and watching over his son Marcus' "strong arm of the law" as best he can, taking full advantage of Marcus' position as a cop... and waiting patiently for the day he will be released.

Voiced by Laurence Fishburne

Terrence "Terry" Higgins
Always willing to bend the law to take down criminals, Terrence has been patrolling the streets of New York for twenty years, busting the criminals by any means necessary.

Terrence has made friends and enemies on each side of the law. He grew up on the streets and was childhood friends with Isaiah Reed, who grew up to be “the King,” a notorious kingpin running a large east coast narcotics distribution. Terrence took a different lead, going into law enforcement. Even though their paths diverged, Terrence’s and the King’s mutual respect and friendship never died, and when the King went to prison, Terrence promised to look after his son, Marcus Reed. Terrence became Marcus’ mentor, ushering him into the police department and covering up Marcus’ shady past.

After Terrence was killed while bringing evidence of departmental corruption to the Feds, Marcus vowed to avenge his mentor’s death and refuses to let anything stand in his way.

Although, at the end of the game Marcus finds Terrence (Terry) had faked the death to escape from the Feds shaking him down for protection. Marcus is angered that Terry faked his death and tricked him into doing his dirty work, so Marcus chases him onto a subway train. After getting to the final train car, Terry unlatches the rest to escape. Marcus, enraged, fires blindly at the train car and knocks it off the track, causing the rest of the train to crash into it. Marcus runs and scarecely escapes the crash. At the end of this mission, Terry's dead body is carried away on a stretcher. Marcus walks off the scene after talking with Whitting and Dixon. In the Bad Cop ending, Marcus shoots Terry in the head for betraying him.

Voiced by Mickey Rourke

Special Agent Gabriel Whitting
Working in the shadows of Federal Law Enforcement, Gabriel Whitting has been on the fringes of law enforcement and government shadow ops for 40 years. He is more comfortable with clandestine meetings in back alleys than with public interaction. Whitting’s used to pulling the strings and then disappearing.

He’s currently investigating police corruption in the New York Police, specifically a crime syndicate mole high up in the ranks. Marcus Reed is new to the force, and has just lost his partner and mentor, Terrence Higgins; he’s perfect for recruitment by Whitting for his investigation. Whitting gives Marcus information to go out on the street and take down the syndicates, with the hope that this will produce enough evidence to bring down the mole.

Whitting has loyalty to no one, except his secret agenda, which only he really knows.

In the bad cop ending, Navarro kills Whitting with a bullet to his heart after being wrongly accused of being a traitor.

Voiced by Christopher Walken

Fareed Abdul Salaam
Fareed Abdul Salaam a.k.a. "Freddie" is a veteran New York taxi driver, who gives new meaning to the expression "Customer is King". His resourcefulness is legendary and his knowledge of the city is second to none. Unlike most cabbies, he isn't one to discriminate and there is no address within Manhattan he refuses to go, becoming the cabbie of choice for many, a crook.

He works hard to pay off his gambling debts and feeds his bountiful brood of 9 wives and children, Freddie has taken to capitalism with a vengeance. He runs favors, serving as a go-between, and helping his fares make things happen in any way he can. His cab is his home, cruising Gotham's streets 24/7, with few naps in-between.

He sees an opportunity with Marcus to further his ability to ‘make things happen any way they can’.

Voiced by Brian George

Redman
Redman makes a brief appearance in the game's main plot, and is featured as an unlockable character at the end of the game.

Voiced by Redman

Madam Cassandra Hartz
Hooked into New York’s elite on each side of the law, the Madam has her girls gathering information from all sources in order to protect her position as the number one runner of call girls in the city. Madame Cassandra is very shrewed, but she runs Gotham's finest brothel out of her luxury penthouse, frequented by who's-who in NYC and beyond. High-society figures, politics, entertainment stars, and the kingpins of crime.

Cassandra is an insatiable voyeur and gossiper and her beauties are not only trained to please, but also to memorize what's spoken between the sheets. Her establishment is loaded with hidden cameras and microphones and no information escapes her, especially of the controversial kind.

Madam Cassandra is the queen of dirt and she knows how to wield it to her benefit. An unsavory quality, which has allowed her to prosper beyond belief.

She’s all business, but keeps it friendly, especially since being friends with a cop like Marcus couldn’t hurt. Her main headaches come from a pair of vice cops, Bickell and Padilla.

She’s done favors for Special Agent Gabriel Whitting in the past, which has helped her immunity immensely.

Voiced by Traci Lords

Victor Navarro: Chief of Organized Crime Unit
Marcus’ chief antagonist on the force, Navarro is a by-the-book old fashioned cop who’s thoroughly unimpressed, if not downright suspicious, with Marcus. Only his trust of Detective Terrence Higgins’ judgment allows him to accept Marcus, the son of the notorious, and imprisoned crime boss, 'The King,' as one of New York’s finest.

Victor and Terry are friends as well as fellow officers, and Terry can get away with more insubordination than Victor would allow from anyone else... especially Marcus.

Voiced by Esai Morales

Lieutenant Deena Dixon
Deena Dixon was one of the first females in her class to be a detective. Deena Dixon’s had a harder time than most proving herself in the testosterone-driven environment of New York’s toughest precincts. Her soft side shows through, though, in her mentoring of officers that show potential. Marcus Reed is the beneficiary of this mentoring, with Dixon getting him out of a few tough spots, helping with his training, and generally watching his back.

Her professionalism and toughness make her respected throughout the department, most importantly by Victor Navarro, head of the Organized Crime Unit. It’s Dixon who shields Marcus from the brunt of Navarro’s aggression, but the promise she sees in Marcus makes her confident of her time invested in him.

Deena’s role in True Crime: New York City is to be sort of a den mother to Marcus. She shows a side of compassion to Marcus that she doesn’t show to everyone in her unit. She can be lenient when she wants to be and stern when she has to be. Make no mistake - at the end of the day, she makes sure that Marcus gets his duties done. Deena functions throughout the game in the pivotal role of Marcus’ boss.

Voiced by Mariska Hargitay

Magdalena Rojas
Magdalena is the widow of the infamous drug kingpin Umberto Rohas, former leader of the Magdalena Cartel, and the major drug empire. After Umberto was killed by CIA agents, Magdalena took over the Cartel in his place. She first appears in the game as Teresa Castello, aka 'Mother Teresa', a benefactress famous in New York for setting up homeless shelters and mental wards. Marcus meets her outside one of her clinics, where she, pretending to be a police informant sets him off after the 'leader' of the Magdalena Cartel, Rey. After Marcus catches Rey, however, Rey tells Marcus that he is not the leader of the Cartel. He is in fact the kingpin of the Latin Lords, a gang in a war with the Magdalenas. Marcus realizes that Teresa tricked him into disposing of her main rivals, and tracks her down to an opera house. After a fierce gun battle, Marcus arrests Magdalena, who is able to confirm that there is a mole in the OCU. Marcus sends Magdalena to prison, and sets off after the next big gang, the Shadow Tong, President's Club, or the Palemero Mob.

Voiced by Socorro Santiago

Leeland Shen
Leeland is the stepson of "Uncle Benny" Tong, the first leader of the New York gang, the Shadow Tong. Leeland's mother, which her name is unrevealed, married Benny, apparently for his money. Leeland and his mother did not get along with Benny or his daughter, Vivian. A few years ago, however, Benny disappeared, and Vivian was left to fend for herself against Leeland and his mother. Vivian, upset with her famliy problems, left home and ran off with Herman, a goth. Marcus Reed, in an attempt to get close to Leeland which was now the leader of the Shadow Tong, tracked down Vivian and returned her. Leeland was distrustful of Marcus which was going under the false name of 'Jimmy Mac', and with his henchman Lin, attempted to kill Marcus. Marcus defeated Lin, and after arresting Jing who was another henchman, and shutting down Leeland's slavery operation, went after Shen. Leeland abducted Marcus, however, and brought him to a secret lair in the sewers. There, Leeland showed Marcus the corpse of Uncle Benny. Benny had been the only one who knew about the lair which was orginaly a hideout for Chinese immigrants suffering from racism, but Leeland and his mother tortured Benny into revaling the location. Leeland tries to kill Marcus too, but Vivian frees him. Marcus defeats Leeland in battle, and forces him to reveal more info on the mole. Leeland had made calls to the mole, and, although the mole's voice was masked, Leeland was able to reconize that the mole had a Spanish accent or gives the location of the meeting spot depending on the order of cases Marcus takes. Marcus arrests Leeland, putting an end to years of family trouble.

Voiced by Jerry Ying

"Benjamin"
The mysterious "Benjamin" is the leader of the President's Club, a group of rival gangs working together for the best profits. They are so called because the major leaders are all named after a U.S. president or patriot. There's Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson, and Grant. Not much is known about Benjamin, the "eye atop the pyramid", but this is what is known. His real name is Lionel Jones and he first appeared in 1998 in Japan. He met the current leader of the Yakuza, Kobi, and fell in love with her. He trained in the Samurai arts with her, and she secretly confided in him a new drug she invented, "Pop". "Pop" is 10 times more addictive the cocaine or meth, and sells for more than 100 times as much. Benjamin left for America with the secret and founded the Presidents. However, Kobi tracked him down and a gang war began between the Yakuza and the Presidents. Marcus eventuly tracks Benjamin at his music studios, where Benjamin kills Kobi in a battle in his rooftop Zen gardens. Marcus, although with no Samurai skills, picks up Kobi's sword and mannages to defeat Benjamin. At Marcus' mercy, Benjamin quickly gives up more info on the mole. Marcus slaps the cuffs on Benjamin and brings him in.

Vincent Tuzzi
Tuzzi is the Don of the Palemero branch of the Mafia. He is the successor of the previous Don, Al Palemero. Palemero was arrested by a famed F.B.I. agent in 1995 and was sentenced to life in prison (some have said Palemero was arrested because he nobly refused to kill any cop). Recently, however, the feds have noticed a growing number of money laundering cases in New York. Gabriel tells Marcus that their has to be a new don, but he dosent know who. Marcus tracks down someone who might; Gino DeLuca, an old friend of Palemero who has been refusing to give his share of his money to the Mob (as Gabriel says: "In the old days, the Mob would cut off his testicles and feed them to a goat... but there are no goats in New York.") Marcus interrogates Gino, who points the way to Alfie, a mortician who works for the Pearly Gates, an old Mafia front. After a car chase, Alfie gives up more info, eventually leading the way to Tuzzi's new office building, the Tower of Piza. Once the building is finished, Tuzzi plans to collect the money the many tenants will generate. Marcus chases Tuzzi through the unfinished tower and finally catches him on the roof. Tuzzi gives up some info on the mole and Marcus arrests Tuzzi.

Voiced by Fred Berman