With Mafia: The Old Country set to introduce a new cast of characters in a prequel story set before the rest of the trilogy, it might not seem like there's much room for established characters to make an appearance. Protagonists like Tommy Angelo from Mafia 1 or Vito Scaletta from Mafia 2 can't realistically appear in Mafia: The Old Country due to their age at the time the game takes place. However, that doesn't mean the franchise is out of options for a potential Old Country cameo.
The legacy of the Mafia series' crime families runs deeper than the main trilogy explores, even if each game's protagonist starts out as a relatively new member of the underworld. However, as the earliest entry prior to The Old Country, certain established characters from the original Mafia are the only feasible ones that could appear to connect the prequel to the larger trilogy. Of all the Mafia characters old enough to appear in The Old Country, Mafia 1's Don Salieri seems like the most likely candidate, and his presence would instantly add weight to the game's story.
Mafia: The Old Country Could Fill the Void That GTA 6 Left Behind
With Grand Theft Auto 6 getting pushed back to 2026, Hangar 13's Mafia: The Old Country might have to step up to the proverbial plate.
Don Salieri Would Be a Massive Mafia: The Old Country Cameo
As a Prequel, Mafia: The Old Country's Cameos Are Limited
Mafia: The Old Country takes the series back to 1900s Sicily in the fictional town of San Celeste, following a newcomer to the series, Enzo Favara, and his journey from indentured servitude to the Sicilian Mafia. With a focus on a brand-new protagonist, it's unlikely that The Old Country will be too concerned with telling the story of an established series character. However, there's still room for a familiar face or two to show up, given several characters' connections to the Sicilian Mafia at the turn of the century.
Why a Young Don Salieri Makes Sense for a Cameo in The Old Country
While the Salieri Family has a couple of characters who hail from the old country of Sicily, Don Salieri himself would be the most significant—and most likely—character to appear as a cameo in The Old Country. Ennio Salieri grew up in Sicily in the late 19th century, putting him in a prime position to show up in The Old Country. Salieri wouldn't immigrate to the United States until 1908, when he settled in Lost Heaven and joined up with Don Peppone's crime family.
If a young Don Salieri does make a cameo in Mafia: The Old Country, it is possible that he is joined by his childhood friend and eventual right-hand, Frank Colletti. In Mafia 1, Frank recalls a story of betting on dog races with Salieri back in the old country, which would be the perfect event to reference in the prequel. Perhaps Enzo could encounter a young Salieri and Colletti at the local dog track as a call back for fans who remember Frank's tale from the original game.
It's also possible that Mafia: The Old Country features Marcu Morello in a cameo role, given the rivalry he would form with Salieri years later in Lost Heaven. Like Salieri, Morello was also born in Sicily and has connections to the Sicilian Mafia. However, he is not nearly as significant a character to the greater Mafia franchise as Don Salieri, so a cameo from Morello in The Old Country may not hit the same way as one from Salieri.
Don Salieri is also mentioned by name in Mafia 2, despite not actually appearing, so it's possible Mafia: The Old Country will make a similar reference to the character.
Mafia 2's Vito Scaletta is another character with ties to Sicily, being born there in 1925 before immigrating to the US. However, this would make him 25 years too young to appear in Mafia: The Old Country, but there's a chance his family is referenced. With asterisks attached to most of the Mafia characters who could realistically appear as cameos in The Old Country, Don Salieri stands out as the most likely choice, and his impact on the series as a whole would make this potential cameo carry a greater weight than any other possibly could.
Mafia: The Old Country
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 74 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
