The Trio

The Trio
Status	Killed by Max Payne
Personal Information
Death Date	December 2001
Career Information
Affliations	Punchinello Crime Family
Occupation	Mafia Enforcers
Weapon	Ingram

"Punchinello's trio were nothing but bad news."

―Max Payne, 2001.

The Trio are three notorious hitmen/enforcers loyal to the Punchinello Crime Family. They are considered to be the most feared and violent members of the Punchinello syndicate. All three were killed by Max Payne during a shootout at Punchinello Manor.

History

Origins

It is unknown how the individual members of the Trio first met, but it can be assumed that Don Angelo handpicked them to be his top henchmen on account of their ruthlessness. Each member has an extensive rap sheet with the New York City Police Department and Max himself comments on how the Trio are so dangerous that, had Don Angelo himself allowed it, they would have mounted the heads of their victims on the gates of his manor.

Max Payne's vendetta

Max finds several mentions of the Trio prior to encountering them at Punchinello Manor:

On the first occasion, Payne finds a letter from Don Punchinello to his underboss Jack Lupino. Furious with Lupino defying his authority, Angelo threatens to send the Trio after him, but it is clear that Lupino is not intimidated in the slightest.

On the second occasion, after escaping from the basement of Lupino's Hotel following a brutal session of torture at the hands of Frankie "The Bat" Niagara, Max overheard a phone call between two Punchinello mobsters, with one saying that he heard a "crazy witch" screaming as she was taken away by Don Angelo's bodyguards; upon hearing that the Trio had been assigned to deal with her, the other mobster notes that what they will do is guaranteed to be worse than whatever Niagara can do to Max.

Demise

"Punchinello's trio was done for!"

―Max upon killing Vince Mugiano.

As Max enters the manor to find Angelo, he notes that all three members of the Trio have barricaded themselves in different rooms of the house, and that the only way to finish off Punchinello's mob was to hunt them down one-by-one. He starts with Providence, then Salem, and finally Mugiano, leaving no one to stand between him and the Don.

Personality

Much of the Trio's personalities is unknown. They are the most loyal henchmen of Don Punchinello, obeying every command he issued and even showing that they will die to protect him, which did happen.

Among the Mafia, they were well known as sadistic and cruel individuals, the mere mention of their name striking fear into the hearts of those who stood against them. They were skilled with firearms, favoring sawed-off shotguns and Ingrams in particular.

Boss Strategy

Pilate Providence (AKA "Big Brother")

Pilate Providence, AKA Big Brother

Providence, who sports a goatee and thinning hair and wears a dark suit with a cross tie, can be found in the manor's dining room, where he and several mobsters are using the tables as protective cover.

He wields a custom Ingram. A few shots from a Colt Commando or a Desert Eagle should do the job. You can also throw a grenade into the room to take out his buddies and severely weaken him first.

Joe "Deadpan" Salem

Joe "Deadpan" Salem

Salem, who is mostly bald with a Van Dyke and thin chin beard and wears a white jacket over a buttoned shirt and tank top, can be found in the second-floor guest bedroom with his men.

Salem is the toughest member of the Trio, as he wields dual Ingrams and will open fire the second Max enters the room. Just like with Providence, it is advised to throw a grenade into his room to kill some of his goons and weaken him before taking him out with an automatic weapon.

Vince Mugiano

Vince Mugnaio

Mugiano, who is mostly clean shaven with a full head of hair and dresses in a stylish suit with a dark tie and gold tie clip, can be found in the second-floor parlor near Don Angelo's office.

He wields a sawed-off shotgun, which needs to be reloaded often and thus makes him much easier to kill. Mugiano will move into another room, and the player should try to take him out quickly. Launching a M79 grenade into the adjoining room before the door closes is an easy way to dispatch the last of the Trio.

Appearances

• Max Payne
  • An Empire of Evil (Mentioned only)
  • The Baseball Bat (Mentioned only)
  • Angel of Death

Max Payne characters