Massimo Volpe

Background

Massimo Volpe was born into a formerly wealthy family, filled with aunts and uncles with no blood relation to him due to many selling their own titles to bourgeois merchants for large sums of money. His father treated these people with deference in public, but contemptuously dismissed them as new money in private.↗↗

His elder brother, Antonio Volpe, was to inherit all the money acquired, but he suddenly left to become a chef, now leaving Volpe with the inheritance. The brothers' father greatly disapproved of Antonio's decision, clinging onto traditional values of the wealthy and hating the thought of having a nobleman of his blood partake in a trade like cooking. When Antonio couldn't be dissuaded from pursuing his career, his father disowned him.↗↗

Volpe doesn't see why his surname would matter, but Antonio clarifies that it would matter to their father. Volpe points out that Antonio hated their father enough to leave, so he doesn't understand why he should bother caring what their father thinks. Antonio counters by saying that this affects Volpe as well, as he carries Volpe's surname and the burdens with it as long as he cares to. Smiling thinly, Volpe says that what happens happens, but that he knows nothing will happen.↗

Tonio tells Volpe that he needs to look after himself. Volpe dismisses him, saying he gets it, but Tonio insists that neither he nor their father understands where Tonio comes from. The former laments at the world's events, but Volpe ignores them altogether. This is the last thing Tonio says to Volpe before leaving. Just a few years later, the Volpe family's debt accumulated significantly, and Volpe joined Passione.↗

Volpe later enters college where he meets Pannacotta Fugo, his future enemy. Volpe takes an instant dislike to Fugo, who pretended to be somewhat of a model student, whereas Volpe's apathy followed him into college, leading him to rarely show himself in class. The contrast annoyed Volpe, who knew Fugo's model behavior was nothing but a sham, and that he gave as little care to being there as Volpe did.↗↗

Purple Haze Feedback

After Giorno Giovanna takes over Passione, the Sezione Droghe flees south to Sicily. This causes them to become wanted persons in the gang, prompting Giorno to send Fugo, Sheila E., and Cannolo Murolo after them while serving as a mission to redeem themselves.↗

In a warehouse at Villa San Giovanni, Strait of Messina, the masochistic Vittorio Cataldi calls out for Volpe after mistakenly forgetting the damage he would receive after attacking Sale, who had been sent by Passione to ambush them. Volpe reminds him that his Dolly Dagger can only reflect seventy percent of damage. He slams his fist on Vittorio's chest which heals him, but the impact knocks him down.↗

Later on, Volpe interrogates Zucchero, who can only make whining noises to answer him, about Fugo. It is revealed that back when he ambushed Team Bucciarati on the boat, he had taken down Narancia Ghirga and Fugo's Stands first because he saw them as the greatest threats, catching Volpe's attention. Kocaqi mentions that Giorno made a donation in Narancia's name to a church in Naples where his funeral was held, but there were no funerals for Fugo.↗

Soon, learning of Kocaqi's death, the three do not waste time grieving and decide to avenge the old man by finding a Stone Mask in a Nazi bunker, which was advised to empower Volpe by Kocaqi. Before exiting the hideout, Volpe leaves behind a carnage of the corpses of Sicilian gangsters covering every corner of the room.↗

Volpe's hand is cut off by Fugo, who finally appears to confront him. Having finally found a common point with Sheila E., Fugo understands the empathy his old companions felt for each other. The two begin to battle, but with the use of Nightbird Flying's remaining powers which Volpe had kept alive albeit at the brink of death, he narrowly avoids Purple Haze's fists with the virus capsules seemingly gone from its knuckles.↗

Personality

After witnessing her death, Volpe loses emotional control of himself, going to significantly violent lengths to draw Fugo out in order to kill him and avenge both of his teammates' murders.↗↗↗

Profile details

Status Status based on their final appearance in the part(s) they are featured in: Deceased (PHF)↗

Date of Death: October 2001↗↗

Cause of Death: Dissolved into pulp via Purple Haze Distortion↗↗