This is Donnio Torzi, a Giant Otter and a gang boss in Rio De Janiero, Brazil.

I've started some character drawings for Fred Savage, both to work out the look of certain characters and to introduce certain important personalities in the story. This is another part of a brainstorming effort to shape the characters and personalities.

Donnio is the product of a hard and violent childhood in Rio De Janiero's massive Favela Rocinha, a sprawling slum city. Conflicted between pursuing an education and a life of crime, Donnio resolved this ambiguity by not sleeping, completing high school while participating in small-scale robbery, scamming, and trafficking in the off-hours.

It was during his adolescence that Donnio began to come to grips with his homosexuality, first shunning it, then gradually accepting it, and finally embracing it. During the same time period his criminal ambitions also grew, and anyone who thought of his open homosexuality as a detriment quickly became acquainted with his determination and
ruthlessness.

Despite discrimination, Rio De Janiero is one of the most gay-friendly cities on the planet, so his sexuality had comparatively little impact on his criminal career. He read and continues to read voraciously, is eloquent and well-spoken, stylish, and organized but also has a personal touch that has allowed him to move fluidly between Rio's business and criminal scenes, liaising the two. He is the owner of a hotel and club in Copacabana called “O Recurso do Comerciovento”.

The violent nature of the favelas, the immense rift between the rich and poor, and the eruptions of bloodshed mean that Donnio, perhaps now the world's first openly gay mob boss, needs outsiders capable of moving back and forth between the wealthy and the poor to get things done, violent or not. Though he fancies Fred's looks, he respects the
mercenary's heterosexuality and maintains a professional relationship with him. He has great respect for his aging mother, who he has worked hard for to provide a means of escape from the favelas, but has an immensely challenging job as Columbian drug cartels move in all over the city.

Donnio has no quarrel with the Columbians, and would prefer to utilize them as business partners and associates, but justifiably fears that these outsiders will not respect him or his associates due to his sexuality, and will thusly trample over his dearest interests. He knows there will be bloodshed and is not afraid to defend his honor and sees Fred as a vital asset in undermining and destroying his greatest threats.