The funeral of Carlo Leone was attended by the heads of all the Liberty City families except Anthony Sindacco. Carlo was Don Antonio Leone's choice to be his successor, although the youngest he was by far the most cunning and intelligent. He showed great promise. Salvatore openly disagreed with his father's decision but it didn't matter. His word was law.
But Carlo's death rose suspicion, on the surface it seemed like a normal Sindacco hit, but with the Don in hospital, Salvatore assumed temporary control of the Leone family. Rumours began to spread that Salvatore was in on the hit on his brother and father so he could assume power. Salvatore was disgusted by the rumours and stated that if anyone ever brought up the rumour again it would mean their death. It never was.
It was 1972 and with the Don still in hospital Salvatore controlled the family. However he began doing things differently from his father's methods, for one his men began dealing with narcotics, something the Don was against. Salvatore couldn't resist the money to be made.
It also becomes apparent to his under bosses that he was hell-bent on revenge for his father and brother. But strangely he was not concerned with the Sindaccos but the Forellis, namely Marco.
His underbosses didn't understand why, they were ready to put a price on Anthony Sindacco head but Salvatore disagreed. Salvatore never liked Marco or his heir, Sonny Forelli – Where his father seen them as allies, he seen them as an obstacle to true power in Liberty. Since they split form the Leone family they ware getting too powerful. Salvatore couldn't have that.
Salvatore bided his time. In 1973 he met a young man who had just emigrated over from Sicily with his mother. Salvatore watched one day as this man within days of arriving in Liberty began to shake down local hoodlums and drug dealers for protection money on Leone Turf. Either this guy was crazy or very brave. Either way Salvatore liked it and was drawn to it. He needed someone ruthless like him in the family. His name was Tony Cipriati and he later became Salvatore's head under boss.
Tony's mother, who Salvatore only knew as "Mama", had recently bought a restaurant in St Marks not to far from Marco's Bistro. Cipriati Ristorante. Their past in Sicily is unclear but it was known that back there, Tony's father was a very feared and dangerous mafia chief. After his murder they had to flee to America. As it turns out, before he was shot, it was Antonio Leone who arranged for them to come to America.
Eventually in late 1973 Don Antonio Leone retuned home. Marco Forelli and a few of his men visited the Don to show their respect
It was assumed that the Don would re-assume power from his son, but he did not. He was now 57 and the many years of fighting had exhausted him. He announced that he was retired. Although he had wanted Carlo to run the family, he had no choice but to put control into Salvatore's hands. Salvatore at the age of 23 was the new Don.
This made Forelli uncomfortable, he knew Salvatore didn't like him but nothing could be done. Marco Forelli awkwardly embraced the new Don, congratulated him and left. Salvatore's underbosses gather around as kissed his hand, pledging their allegiance to him.
For the next 2 years Antonio taught his son what he needed to know about the business. He wanted this family war to stop, there had been too much death, he remembered back the speech Antonio Sindacco gave in Venturas and wanted Salvatore to work towards uniting the families. Salvatore was learning fast but he had his own ideas about how he would run Liberty.
Eventually in 1975 Antonio had become very tired. He made the decision to emigrate back the Palermo, Sicily, back to the motherland. He even asked Marco Forelli to join him, but Marco declined.
For the next 6 years Antonio lived a quiet life on his old farm, attending to his tomato and grape vines, thinking about his old friends Forelli and Vercetti and the good times they had all them years ago. He died peacefully in 1981
News reached Liberty. Salvatore and the Leones held a small remembrance service. It was the end of an era.