List of True Crime: New York City characters

A large number of characters appear throughout the True Crime: New York City storyline. The video game featured a voice cast of several well-known actors such as Laurence Fishburne, Mickey Rourke, Christopher Walken, and Mariska Hargitay. The first game in the series, True Crime: Streets of LA, featured rapper Snoop Dogg whereas True Crime: New York City featured Redman.

Marcus Reed
Introduced in: "Vengeance"

Marcus Reed is the player-conrolled protagonist in True Crime: New York City. He is a former gangster ,who has chosen to leave his life of crime to become a police detective. His father, Isaiah Reed, is a jailed kingpin. Marcus born to a Jamaican father and a Guyanese mother grew up in the Bronx, following in his father's footsteps. After his father's childhood friend Terrence "Terry" Higgins saved his life, Marcus decided to go straight. Mentored by Terry, he eventually became a 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 his prison cell and hopes to utilize his son's newfound influence to foster his own goals.

Marcus was voiced by Avery Waddell.

Terrence "Terry" Higgins
Introduced in: "Vengeance"

Killed in: "Way of Honor" (Good Cop) "Hustler's Exit" (Bad Cop) 

Terrence "Terry" Higgins is always willing to bend the law to take down criminals. Terrence has been patrolling the streets of New York for twenty years, busting 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.

At the end of the game, Marcus discovers that Terrence 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 causes an explosion that knocks it off the track, causing the rest of the train to crash into it. Marcus runs and scarcely 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.

Terry was voiced by Mickey Rourke.

Victor "Vic" Navarro
Introduced in: "Vengeance"

Killed in: "Hustler's Exit (Bad Cop) "

Victor "Vic" Navarro' is 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.

In the endings, he finds Marcus and Whitting waiting for him in his locker at the Central Grand Station. When Victor opens the locker, it has a clothes bag and a golf club. However, the bag falls, revealing millions of dollars in cash. Whitting arrests Victor for his crimes. In the Bad Cop ending, Victor manages to escape his arrest and shoot down Whitting. He manages to get onto a subway train. When Marcus arrives, Victor ambushes him and fights him. Afterwards, he was thrown over the train by Marcus' punch.

Navarro was voiced by Esai Morales.

Lieutenant Deena Dixon
Introduced in: "Vengeance"

Lieutenant Deena Dixon was one of the first females in her class to be a Lieutenant. 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 is 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 does not 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.

Lieutenant Dixon was voiced by Mariska Hargitay.

Kev Lar
Introduced/Killed in: "Vengeance"

Kev Lar makes a brief appearance during the introduction scene. He is a drug kingpin who had ordered an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Isaiah Reed. After disposing of Kev's goons and bodyguards, Marcus catches up to Kev and fatally shoots him with an Uzi. Kev's name is a pun for the synthetic fiber of the same name.

Redman
Introduced in: "The Rat Race"

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

Redman was voiced by Himself.

Vincent Tuzzi
Introduced in: "Sour Candy"

Vincent Tuzzi is the Don of the Palermo branch of the 'Mafia' (Palermo being a city in Sicily). 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 although some have said Palemero was arrested because he nobly refused to kill any cop. Palemero was called "The Last Don" and the media frenzy around his arrest almost spawned a reality show. Recently, however, the feds have noticed a growing number of money laundering cases in New York. Gabriel tells Marcus that there has to be a new don, but he does not know who. Marcus tracks down someone who might be; 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 and condominium building, named after the Tower of Pisa. 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.

Tuzzi was voiced by Fred Berman.

Candy
Introduced in: "Sour Candy"

Candy is Tuzzi's personal trainer. According to Whitting, she was a contestant on American Idol. Her real name is Shaniqua Robinson.

Lionel "Benjamin" Jones
Introduced in: "Benjamin's Studios"

Lionel "Benjamin" Jones 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 former U.S. presidents featured on American currency bills. There's Lincoln, Jackson, Grant, Hamilton and Benjamin (although Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin were never U.S. presidents). Benjamin met the current leader of the Yakuza, Kobi, and fell in love with her after his first career as a disco star went down the drain. He trained in the Samurai arts with her and she secretly confided in him a new drug she invented called "Pop". Pop is 10 times more addictive than cocaine or meth and sells for more than 100 times as much. Benjamin left for America with the secret and founded the President's Club. However, Kobi tracked him down and a gang war began between the Yakuza and the President's Club. Marcus eventually found Benjamin at his music studios where Benjamin kills Kobi in a battle on his rooftop in Zen Gardens. Marcus, although with no Samurai skills, picks up Kobi's sword and manages to defeat Benjamin. At Marcus' mercy, Benjamin quickly gives up and provides more information on the mole.

Kobi
Introduced in: "Meeting Kobi"

Killed in: "Zen Gardens"

Kobi is the leader of the Yakuza and Benjamin's one-time girlfriend. She supplied Benjamin with her drug and used him as an international distributor but they later became enemies after Benjamin moved to the United States and manufactured his own Pop. Kobi tracked Benjamin down and followed him to the U.S. Her Yakuza and Benjamin's President's Club became involved in a gang rivalry. Kobi is killed by Benjamin, when she loses a sword fight to him.

The Presidents
Grant is one of the five heads of The President's Club. He runs the print factory which produces counterfeit money.

Jackson little is known about him but he appeared in a short cameo firing at Marcus Reed in a limo. He is killed when Marcus shoots at his limo, causing it to explode.

Lincoln is the head of a notorious crackhouse.

Hamilton is also one of the heads of The President's Club (even though Alexander Hamilton was not a real-life president). Not much is known about Hamilton because of his brief appearance in the game, but what is known is that he runs a nightclub knowns as "Club Tadow" where many of The President's Club's affiliates meet.

Magdalena Rojas (Teresa Castillo)
Introduced in: "Teresa's Dare"

Magdalena Rojas is the widow of the infamous drug kingpin Umberto Rojas, the 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 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, he 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 Magdalena Cartel. 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 Orgnanized Crime Unit.

Magdalena was voiced by Socorro Santiago.

Rey
Introduced in: "Safe House"

Rey is the head of the Latin Lords. Magdalena Rojas and the Magdalena Cartel are his main rivals so Magdalena tricks Marcus into thinking Rey was the head of the Magdalena Cartel. Rey is a prominent fan of soccer and enjoys pizza as his favorite appetizer.

Zeke
Introduced in: "Escape Crazy"

Zeke is a mental patient in one of Teresa's mental wards. He is an African-American dwarf. He refers to himself in the third-person, has a strange voice and speaks in a childish way, characteristics of an average mental patient. He agrees to help Marcus escape, only muttering "Zeke will help you, Zeke knows this place..." and shows that he has memorized the building's floor plan and even security codes to unlock doors. He is later shown in the Redman minigame, still wearing the mental ward striped pajamas and wielding a bazooka.

Zeke was voiced by Beetlejuice.

Leeland Shen
Introduced in: "Homeward Bound"

Leeland Shen is the stepson of "Uncle Benny", the foremost leader of the Shadow Tong, unlike his father who respected Shadow Tong's traditions and Chinese Heritage (such as using one of the tea houses as a museum/heritage center), Leeland couldn't care less about such things and goes down to the bottom line: cash and power. Leeland's mother, whose name is not revealed, 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 family 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, who was going under the false name of Jimmy Macc, and with his henchman Lin, attempted to kill Marcus. Marcus defeated Lin, and after arresting Jing, who was another henchman, shut down Leeland's slavery operation and went after Leeland. 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 originally a hideout in the old days for Chinese immigrants suffering hostile sentiment, probably during WWII, but Leeland and his mother tortured Benny into revealing the location. Leeland tried to kill Marcus too, but Vivian freed him. Marcus defeated Leeland in battle and forced him to reveal more information about the mole. Leeland had made calls to the mole, and, although the mole's voice was masked, Leeland was able to recognize that the mole had a Spanish accent or gives the location of the meeting spot depending on the order of cases Marcus takes. Marcus arrested Leeland, putting an end to years of family trouble.

Leeland was voiced by Jerry Ying.

Vivian Shen
Introduced in: "A Bad Crowd"

Vivian Shen is Leeland's younger sister. She appears as a gothic individual and is first seen in the game partaking in a ritual in a gothic club. Vivian is distant from her brother Leeland as they do not share the same biological mother. She aids Marcus during his and Leeland's physical confrontation.

Lin
Introduced in: "Hard Sell"

Lin is a close friend and associate of Leeland. He owns a souvenir manufacturing company called "Lin's Souvenirs" and employs Marcus, under the alias of Jimmy Macc, in order to help him distribute his merchandise.

Isaiah "The King" Reed
Introduced in: "Street Test"

Isaiah "The King" Reed grew up on the streets and was best friends with Terrence "Terry" Higgins. He grew into a notorious kingpin running a large portion of east coast extortion but Terry chose a different path, and became involved in 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 Marcus into the Police Department and covered up Marcus' shady past. He's of Jamaican descent

Isaiah runs his business from his prison cell, living a life of relative luxury and watching over his son's "strong arm of the law" as best he can, taking full advantage of Marcus' position as a cop.

Isaiah was voiced by Laurence Fishburne.

Madam Cassandra Hartz
Introduced in: "Free-Roam Time" (On the phone) "Breaking Point" (In person) 

Madam Cassandra Hartz is 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. Madam Cassandra Hartz is very shrewd, but she runs New York's finest brothel in her luxury penthouse, frequented by who's-who in New York City; high-society figures, politicians, entertainment stars and the kingpins of crime. Her character is possibly inspired by Heidi Fleiss of Los Angeles.

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. Her main headaches come from a pair of vice cops, Bickell and Padilla. She has done favors for Special Agent Gabriel Whitting in the past, which has helped her immensely.

As a storytelling device, she could be considered a budding maternal figure to Marcus, fostering Marcus's Bad Cop side and being the Devil on his shoulder, rivaling Lt. Dixon and her being the Angel and fostering Good Cop behavior. Marcus's interaction with both middle-aged women is surprisingly similar - he visits their office to work for them in a business relationship, paired with kind words here or there (Dixon's being maternal guidance, Hartz's being sexual innuendos).

Madam Hartz was voiced by Traci Lords.

Fareed "Freddie" Abdul Salaam
Introduced in: "Zuma Museum"

Fareed "Freddie" Abdul Salaam is 39 year old veteran Pakistan Gypsy 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 victim of countless cabbie robberies.

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 Manhattan'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".

Freddie was voiced by Brian George.