Francesco Competello

Francesco Competello (d. 1892) was the Italian don of a Camorra family operating in New York. He was one of the most powerful crime lords in the city.

Dealings with Warthrop
Competello and his crime family left Naples, Italy sometime in the mid-1800's, when he grew tired of the wars and oppression. Pellinore Warthrop aided him during his escape from Naples, and Competello owed him ever since.

Warthrop called in the debt in 1892, when Santiago Luis Moreno Acosta-Rojas discovered the last living specimen of Titanoboa cerrejonensis, although it is possible that Competello already knew of Acosta-Rojas' discovery. Competello dispatched one of his men to guard Warthrop's discovery at the Monstrumarium. However, this man was shot and killed.

When Warthrop met Competello to offer his condolences, Competello had him and the Titanoboa kidnapped by two of his nephews. Warthrop's apprentice, Will Henry, tracked them down and murdered them, taking Warthrop back to his hotel room.

Realising that Competello would want to avenge his nephew's deaths, Society President Abram von Helrung met with him and attempted to make peace. Competello, who had already had the snake he believed to be the Titanoboa killed (though he had actually killed a regular boa), had von Helrung murdered via decapitation, and had his head sent to Warthrop, along with the dead boa.

Death
Later that day, Will Henry and Faulk met with Competello, who was aided by his one bodyguard, at the Zeno Club. Competello only agreed to the meeting under the assumption that Warthrop would be the one talking to him: Warthrop, in fact, was not present. After a short conversation, Will Henry shot Competello in the face, killing him almost instantly.

Mr. Faulk took the blame for Competello's death, and managed to evade the Cammora's assassins. A power vacuum was left in the family for a short time after the death.

Competello's death incited the rest of the Camorra on Elizabeth Street to firebomb the monstrumologist's meetingplace, killing all of the scientists and ending the field of study.

Personality and traits
Like many crime family heads, Competello had a strong attachment to his family members, and would mercilessly avenge deaths in his family. He claimed to be a fair and reasonable man, a claim supported by Abram von Helrung.

List of appearances

 * The Final Descent (first appearance)