The Penguin: The History of the Falcone Crime Family, Explained

Key Takeaways

The Falcone family is well established in DC Comics mythology as bridging old and new Gotham.
The family appeared in iconic
Batman
stories like
Batman: Year One
and
The Long Halloween
.
The Penguin
is the latest live-action adaptation to unlock the huge storytelling potential of Gotham’s ‘Roman Empire’.

As a lifelong fanatic of Gotham City and its enigmatic characters, I must say that the portrayal of the Falcone family in recent adaptations has been nothing short of captivating. Having grown up reading countless stories featuring the Falcones, it’s fascinating to see their complexities unfold on screen.

In the realm of Batman, his world is famed for its array of vibrant antagonists. However, over the course of more than eight decades, the perils facing Gotham City aren’t limited solely to the clownish, parasol-twirling, enigmatic denizens of Arkham Asylum. The Falcone family, often referred to as the Roman Empire, have been interwoven in Gotham City lore for close to 40 years. They’ve surfaced in some of Batman’s most memorable tales, gradually carving out a significant role in the city’s history, both on the pages of comic books and, increasingly, on television shows such as “The Penguin”.

The Falcones serve as a link between the original and modern Gotham, with their actions leading to Batman’s creation through the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents and their role becoming more prominent when Batman’s fight against crime brought in infamous villains such as Joker, Penguin, and Riddler. It is no wonder that this influential family has found a place in various media expansions. Here, The Penguin demonstrates how crucial the Falcones are in illuminating Gotham’s dark corners.

What Is The Falcone Crime Family?

In the annals of Batman’s past, it was the Falcones who held a crucial role as his initial adversaries. Although he faced a rising number of inmates at Arkham Asylum earlier on, it was the powerful grip of the Falcone crime family over Gotham City that marked the beginning of strategic partnerships for Batman.

DC Comics has expanded upon the Falcone family, but the main characters resemble the Corleone family from Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather,” particularly as portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola’s movie version. The primary figures are Carmine “The Roman” Falcone, a seemingly unbeatable crime boss, and his wife, Louisa. Following them are the three Falcone offspring: Mario, Sofia, and Alberto, listed by age from oldest to youngest.

The Falcones arrived accompanied by both allies and adversaries. Among the most prominent groups are the Viti Clan, a branch of their family based in Chicago, and the Maronis, a competing crime dynasty led by Salvatore “The Boss” Maroni.

The Falcones In DC Comics

The Penguin: The History of the Falcone Crime Family, Explained

For the first time, the Falcone family made their appearance in Frank Miller’s groundbreaking “Batman: Year One” comic series. In 1987, DC Comics was leveraging the opportunity presented by the universe-wide reset, “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, to start anew and create a fresh continuity for iconic superheroes. This led to influential storylines and series such as John Byrne’s “Man of Steel”. Following his role in ushering in the darker era of comic books with “The Dark Knight Returns” the previous year, Miller seized this opportunity to redefine Batman by delving into his early years.

In “Batman: Year One,” the story focuses on a raw Batman battling to liberate Gotham City from the grip of criminal families that ruled it, delivering a gritty and realistic portrayal. Within this narrative, a detective’s corruption within the GCPD is uncovered, revealing the intricate web of crime and the institutions in Gotham City. The novice Batman saves the family of newly assigned Lieutenant Gordon from the Falcones and Vitis, forming an alliance with him. Together, they gather evidence against the corrupt Commissioner Loeb to have him removed from office, aided by District Attorney Harvey Dent.

In contrast to how influential “Batman: Year One” was, the Falcone saga is often seen as defining. “The Long Halloween” is a 13-part comic series, initially released as limited edition, penned by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale. This storyline is widely recognized as a Batman classic, with it inspiring spin-offs and sequels that extend to the upcoming 2024 limited series “The Last Halloween”, which serves as a tribute to Sale following his passing in 2022.

The Falcones In Batman: The Long Halloween

Title “The Long Halloween” continues the story from “Batman: Year One“, focusing on the second year of Batman’s vigilante career. It involves Catwoman in the Falcone family saga, as she uncovers clues suggesting Carmine Falcone might be her father. It also offers a gripping backstory for a menacing version of Two-Face, and delves into the deep-rooted crime feud between the Falcone and Maroni families that permeates Gotham’s underworld.

In the course of climbing the criminal ladder and securing his family as the dominant force in Gotham’s underworld, Vincent Falcone – father of Carmine Falcone and Carla Viti – found himself locked in a power struggle with the Maroni family encroaching on his territory. A decisive moment arrived when Luigi Maroni, Sal Maroni’s father, ordered an assassination attempt on Vincent’s son. On one fateful night, a severely injured Carmine Falcone was brought to Dr. Thomas Wayne by Vincent, and the doctor managed to save his life. This critical incident occurred in the presence of a young Bruce Wayne, marking a lasting demonstration of the Waynes’ allegiance towards the Falcones. This loyalty would ultimately draw the socially prominent Bruce into the events of the Long Halloween, unfolding alongside his enigmatic night persona.

That particular year saw Batman, Gordon, and Dent strengthen their alliance to bring down the Falcone clan. Tragically, family members of the Falcones were slain on significant holidays, earning the moniker “Holiday” for the mysterious assassin. As Carmine’s attempts to eliminate Dent fell short and conflict escalated with the Maronis, he was compelled to rely on an expanding roster of villains in costumes to maintain his empire’s stability. Matters took a turn for the worse when Alberto Falcone and Carla Vita were both killed by Holiday. During a trial in which Sal Maroni offered testimony against Carmine Falcone, Dent survived but was disfigured by a corrosive attack.

In a dramatic turn of events, Dent transforms into the vengeful dual personality known as Two-Face, killing Carmine Falcone, who appears to meet his end alongside Sofia Falcone in a scuffle with Catwoman. The Falcone clan seems to disappear from Gotham’s scene when Alberto is unveiled as Holiday, adopting the ‘freak’ persona to surpass his father and orchestrating his own death hoax. As the narrative unfolds, Two-Face and Alberto’s actions and personas become intertwined. Dent’s wife falsely accuses Alberto of some of Harvey’s crimes, with hopes that her husband may be healed in Arkham. Meanwhile, Alberto’s execution is postponed due to his insanity.

The Falcones In Batman: Dark Victory

The narrative from this well-known storyline unfolded in the simultaneous limited series “Dark Victory” and “Catwoman: When in Rome,” along with “The Long Halloween.” “Dark Victory” delves into the origin of Batman’s sidekick, Robin, and resolves several character arcs from Miller’s “Batman: Year One.” The story follows the ongoing struggle between the Falcone family and Two Face, which escalates when Carmine Falcone’s eldest son Mario returns to Gotham and gains custody of Alberto upon his release on house arrest. Meanwhile, Sofia, who became paralyzed after her encounter with Catwoman, continues the Falcones’ battle against Two Face.

It seems clear that Two-Face is the culprit when a fresh murderer known as Hangman begins eliminating crooked police officers. However, it’s later discovered that Sofia, disguising her injuries, was taking revenge on those who assisted Harvey Dent in becoming DA. As the truth unveils, Sofia ends up suffocating her brother Alberto and is eventually gunned down by Two-Face. When the ailing Mario, the last Falcone standing, burns down the family home, it appears that the Falcones have lost their control over Gotham. The criminal organization’s efforts to manipulate the rising criminals of Gotham ultimately resulted in its own demise.

The Falcones In Other Batman media

The significant Falcone clan has made an impact in the Arkham video game franchise. Their timeless comic book narratives have been converted into animated films like “Batman: Year One” and a significantly revised “Batman: The Long Halloween”. However, live-action movies and series have shown the most potential in bringing their crime family’s stories to life.

The Falcone clan serves as an ideal introduction for Batman and his criminal counterparts in the city of Gotham. Tom Wilkinson’s character, Carmine Falcone, played a significant role in the film Batman Begins, only to meet his downfall at the hands of Batman and Scarecrow. However, fans will recognize elements from the storyline of The Long Halloween more prominently in the sequel, The Dark Knight. In this movie, the Joker’s destructive activities bring about the disintegration of Gotham’s crime families, such as the Maronis, and lead to the transformation of Harvey Dent into Two Face.

The Falcones In Gotham

As a devoted fan, I’d say that the Batman character who really shone due to Gotham’s early gang wars on the big screen is none other than the Penguin. The Fox prequel series, Gotham, which followed Jim Gordon’s arrival in this corrupt city, was all about the power struggles between the Falcone and Maroni families during its initial seasons. What made it fascinating was watching the cunning Penguin manipulate these two factions to climb up the ladder of power.

In the television series Gotham, Robin Lloyd Taylor’s Penguin orchestrates a conflict between the Falcones and Maronis that leads Carmine Falcone to consider quitting criminal activities. Portrayed by John Doman, Carmine is depicted as the most honorable and compassionate version on screen, yet his family remains just as lethal and unhinged. When Carmine departs Gotham following his son Mario’s infection from the Mad Hatter’s Tetch virus and subsequent death, Jim Gordon coaxes him back to thwart the Penguin’s reign of chaos.

In its fourth season, Gotham drew heavily from “The Long Halloween” storyline by introducing Sofia Falcone. Unable to shield her from the dangerous life of Gotham City, Carmine ultimately chose allegiance with Penguin over his troubled daughter. However, instead of taking her own life as a ruse, Sofia actually killed her father and framed her adversary. Predictably, her reign as queenpin didn’t last long; she was shot and left in a coma.

The Falcones In The Batman And The Penguin

The storyline involving the Falcone family plays a significant role in Matt Reeves’ Batman Crime Epic Saga, as depicted in films and series, starting from 2022’s “The Batman”. Although “The Long Halloween” heavily implied that Selina Kyle, portrayed as Catwoman, is Carmine Falcone’s daughter, this was never explicitly stated in the comics. In “The Batman”, this connection becomes central to the film’s narrative. As a young Batman, played by Robert Pattinson, who has been serving Gotham for two years, confronts the city’s crime families, including Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and engages with his illegitimate daughter Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz).

In “The Batman,” the sinister scheme of the masked serial killer known as the Riddler exposes a network of corruption entwined in an ongoing conflict between the Maroni and Falcone families. Oz ‘Penguin’ Cobb, a cunning Falcone subordinate who manages the Iceberg Lounge club, is suspected of secretly tipping off the GCPD about the Maroni operation; however, this is merely a ruse to misdirect attention from the true informant, Carmine Falcone. In a calculated move to eliminate the Maronis once and for all, Carmine is fatally shot by the Riddler during an arrest attempt.

In a more expansive and interconnected manner than “The Long Halloween,” The Batman delves deeper into the Wayne family’s past, tying it back to a regrettable decision made by Thomas Wayne. A failed business transaction during his run for Gotham City mayor directly leads to Carmine Falcone’s involvement in the demise of young Bruce Wayne’s parents. Consequently, Falcone bears responsibility for the origin of Batman.

As a gamer, stepping into the shoes of the Penguin, I find myself in the thick of things two weeks after Carmine’s demise, portrayed by Mark Strong. The narrative unfolds, shedding light on the shifting landscape of organized crime, and the rise of none other than the Penguin himself.

It’s yet to be determined how “The Penguin” and the upcoming “The Batman 2” will continue the storyline of the Falcones, but they’ve undeniably added an intriguing layer to Gotham City folklore. The chaotic criminal gang presents a vast opportunity for further exploration of Gotham City. Their tumultuous and devastating past is now being vividly portrayed both on screen and in comic book pages.

2024-10-15 01:04