Mob Wives Star Sues Rockstar, Says GTA V Based on Her

IanDavis

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Aug 18, 2012
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Mob Wives Star Sues Rockstar, Says GTA V Based on Her



Karen Gravano claims the game uses her likeness and life story.

The Grand Theft Auto series is famous for showcasing a lot of messed up people doing messed up things. Most of the characters are so overblown (not to mention psychopathic) that it's a relief to know that they're all fictional. Well, mostly. Karen Gravano, former star of the Mob Wives reality TV show and daughter of the notorious mobster Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, claims that the game [a href=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/games/mob-wives-star-grand-theft-auto-v-ripped-life-story-suit-article-1.1701292#ixzz2uQ8DoNXa]uses both her likeness and life story[/a], and she wants $40 million dollars as an apology.

The lawsuit claims that the GTA V character [a href=http://gta.wikia.com/Antonia_Bottino]Antonia Bottino[/a] is a direct ripoff of her own life story. The player first encounters her in the game as she's tied up and about to be buried alive. After being rescued, she tells a story about how her father, Sammy Bottino, was framed for murder. After that, her family runs from safe house to safe house, until he gets caught and turns snitch as part of a plea bargain. Due to his status, Antonia's father refused to allow her to star in the reality TV show "Wise Bitches".

Sound familiar? The quest is indeed remarkably similar to that of Gravano's father, [a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Gravano]Sammy Garavano[/a], who eventually helped the feds bring down the mobster John Gotti (after murdering plenty of people himself). But if that's not enough, Gravano is releasing a second memoir, complete with "not-so known aspects of the story" that Rockstar allegedly used.

Gravano is suing Rockstar for $20 million in compensation, and another $20 million for punitive damages. Of course, the trick here is that Grand Theft Auto V is arguably satire, meaning it can do what it wants. If she was really the badass mafia chick she claims, you'd think they'd settle this in a dark room using a sock full of quarters and a cigar cutter.

check out our take on Escapist News Now:


Source: [a href=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/games/mob-wives-star-grand-theft-auto-v-ripped-life-story-suit-article-1.1701292#ixzz2uQ8DoNXa]NY Daily News[/a]

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martyrdrebel27

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Feb 16, 2009
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She loses this case. Of course. If she can sue and win then so could these people:

america's got talent hosts
halo
easy e
Lindsey Lohan
Al Pacino

ugh, this is exhausting, but point made. GTA always has been thinly veiled satire. If she can sur and win this, then Family Guy is seeeeriously fucked.
 

Kyogissun

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Jan 12, 2010
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Callate said:
Wait, wait. I thought GTA V was based on Lindsay Lohan.

...You're so vain, you probably think this game is about you...
Can't be better said. She's either fucking stupid and seriously thinks this way or is trying for a cash grab.

Good luck you fucking moron. You're not getting a red cent out of Rockstar and you're pretty stupid for thinking you will for whatever reasons you're claiming. This inability to understand parody is baffling sometimes...
 

JoJo

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I don't know whether to be amused or depressed that a reality show called Mob Wives exists, presumably based in the States which is why I've never heard of it. But yeah, I'm pretty sure parody is protected under copyright law, this suit isn't going anywhere.
 

omega 616

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May 1, 2009
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JoJo said:
I don't know whether to be amused or depressed that a reality show called Mob Wives exists, presumably based in the States which is why I've never heard of it. But yeah, I'm pretty sure parody is protected under copyright law, this suit isn't going anywhere.
I'm more amazed at "wise bitches" ...

Come on, that is so clichƩ it kind of hurts. "A high profile mob guy turns snitch" is played out to a serious degree ... I haven't played a Mafia game but I bet that story line pops up.

This is just another attempt to cash grab, looks like hubbies money has dried up.
 

RaikuFA

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JoJo said:
I don't know whether to be amused or depressed that a reality show called Mob Wives exists, presumably based in the States which is why I've never heard of it. But yeah, I'm pretty sure parody is protected under copyright law, this suit isn't going anywhere.
That's not the half of it.

We've got a reality show about trust fund babies shopping and bitching about what shoes to wear. Another one about some whore who becomes famous through... fucking a rapper. Then she got married for 72 days for publicity(and they say gays are ruining the sanctity of marriage). Then we've got one where women live in a house and beat each other for money or some shit.

Thank every deity ever worshiped for the Soup, who tears these assholes a... well... new asshole.
 

Seneschal

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Jun 27, 2009
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There's, like, fifty Italian TV-shows about women in the Mafia, featuring all the imaginable permutations of the aforementioned story. This will get so smacked down by Rockstar's lawyers it won't even be funny.

Reality-TV fauxelebrities seem to be really keen on petty litigiousness for the sole purpose of ending up in the papers. Why should society indulge (an pay taxes for) their desperate attempts to remain in the spotlight? Seriously, is there no such thing as a "frivolous lawsuit"?
 

Roofstone

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IanDavis said:
Grand Theft Auto V is arguably satire, meaning it can do what it wants.
This is a fair point, Rockstar can pretty much do whatever they want. Since GTA V is an extreme flanderization of the real world.
 

Tanis

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Aug 30, 2010
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Her 10 minutes were up 10 years ago.

This is a cash grab, and it's going to fail.
She'll end up LOSING money, and nothing more.
 

Slycne

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Tanis said:
Her 10 minutes were up 10 years ago.

This is a cash grab, and it's going to fail.
She'll end up LOSING money, and nothing more.
I actually wouldn't put this past being simply an attempt to circulate her book a bit more. Granted I don't know how much it actually costs, but for the mere cost of filing a court proceeding she gets to plaster her name around a bit.
 

2xDouble

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Here's the $40million question: if these supposed stolen details of her life are "lesser known", or in fact "not known at all", as she claims... how could Rockstar have plagiarized it?

I fully expect Rockstar to countersue by claiming her "autobiography" is in fact a "Grand Theft Auto-biography". Copyright, 2xDouble Iindustries 2014.
 

ClanCrusher

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Mar 11, 2010
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Didn't we have this exact same lawsuit crop up for San Andreas? Oh wait, yes, we totally did. How exactly did that turn out again?

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.392880-Rapper-Loses-Suit-Claiming-He-Was-CJ-in-GTA-San-Andreas
 

Dr. Octogonopus

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Aug 31, 2010
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Im all for lawsuits, but only if the cause is just and the compensation is appropriate but come on 40 million? How do you come up with numbers like this? If GTA V was based entirely on her life then I would understand, but the character in question is a part of a small optional side quest and has plus/minus 10 lines of generic mafia story dialogue.

Im not completely versed in legal terms, but as far as know sueing for compensation is when you ask for money owed for services delivered (goods sold, work hours performed, use of intellectual property, etc) while sueing for punitive damages involves you asking for compensation for injury caused whether it's physical or emotional. So as far as I see it Gravno thinks that Rockstar has a) made 20 million from the use of "her likeness and life story" and b) has caused another 20 million dollars worth of humiliation or defamation. Those numbers dont add up
 

008Zulu_v1legacy

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Sep 6, 2009
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How long has the game been out now?

She's just using this to promote her dime store book that isn't going to sell very well.
 

Strazdas

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May 28, 2011
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omega 616 said:
Come on, that is so clichƩ it kind of hurts. "A high profile mob guy turns snitch" is played out to a serious degree ... I haven't played a Mafia game but I bet that story line pops up.
yes and your job is too shoot him before he can testify. spoilers for over 10 year old game ahead: you dont shoot him and it comes biting you in the ass.
 

rasta111

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Came across that spot right around the time the internet bug kicked in... Have to say Rockstar aren't exactly in my good books right now anyway, but... I so don't even care, kind of thought about it, where they come up with this stuff, as I was driving away.

Was playing at my mates house the other week, came across a hitchhiker, I was in a helicopter. Stupid bugger wouldn't get in the helicopter for some reason so no new cult members for the Altruists that day... What were we discussing again?

Oh right, the internet bug... That must be it.