To all friends of the Family, salutamu.
Welcome to the latest installment of Mafia Family Business, a semi-regular spotlight on the Mafia community and the impressive talents of our fans.
We're always pleased to see players showcase the beauty and grit of every Mafia setting, whether via shots taken in Mafia: The Old Country's Photo Mode, captures from other Mafia titles, or eye-catching pieces of fan art. Here are a few of our recent favorites:
Lacrimosa | Mafia: The Old Country
Just Tomul1s | Mafia: Definitive Edition
Fans of the Mafia franchise hail from all over the globe, and everyone's got a unique story of how they first fell in love with the series and what it means to them personally. With the Mafia Origin Stories segment, we're shining a spotlight on different Mafia players to learn more about their initiation into the Family.
For this first installment, we spoke with Fidan Ahmedzade, aka fidanaart, an artist from Azerbaijan who recreated the striking still life from Mafia: The Old Country's main menu as a gorgeous canvas painting:
Can you tell us a bit about what the Mafia series means to you? Have you been a longtime fan, or did your journey with Mafia begin with Mafia: The Old Country?
Fidan Ahmedzade (fidanaart): Yes, I am a longtime fan of the Mafia series. I have played all the games, and I've played Mafia II about 15-20 times. The different cars, stories, and songs on the radio are all amazing. Even now, when I listen to those songs, it takes me back in time. The design of each car attracts me and is very beautiful. My favorite characters are Vito Scaletta and Joe Barbaro. Mafia: The Old Country was also amazing. The courage of the main character Enzo impressed me, and I found the story really gripping.
What inspired you most when creating this painting?
At first, I didn't understand what the items on the main menu meant. But as I played the game, I eventually realized that each of the items in this still life scene has a story, and I started to like it more. Even the detail of the candle melting down as I progressed through the game was very beautiful. My goal in painting this picture was to gather all the elements related to the events and scenes in the game in one place. And even when you look at the main menu through the eyes of an artist, it can be understood as a meaningful still life.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while creating this piece?
Personally, I like to do difficult and detailed work. I like to experience the feeling of overcoming a challenge. To be honest, the chess element on the table was the most detailed. It took me a while to draw it. But it was worth the effort, and I'm happy with it. When I think about the chess details, Leo comes to mind. I was shocked to find out that Leo Galante from Mafia II is in Mafia: The Old Country; the way its story linked to other games in the series was great.
What part of the painting are you most proud of?
I am proud of having painted this picture, giving me that feeling of "I did it." This was my first work with acrylic paint; it was very detailed and I worked on it for a long time. After this work, my motivation really increased. I have been playing games for so long, and I have plans to paint more scenes from games in the future. I want to paint a scene from Mafia II the most, because I play it a lot and just love it. I don't know many other Mafia players in Azerbaijan, so the purpose of my painting was to attract people to the game and introduce them to it.
In case you missed it, we recently shared a new Director's Commentary episode. Hangar 13 developers Alex Cox (Franchise Game Director) and Josh Zammit (Associate Design Director) discuss how the team crafted Enzo's introduction to the Torrisi lifestyle in Chapter 1 of Mafia: The Old Country - "Famiglia."
Enjoy the show above, and fair warning: this video contains MAJOR SPOILERS from the story of Mafia: The Old Country.
Think you know Mafia? Put your expertise to the test and answer this trivia question in the comments below:
What short question-and-answer exchange did Tommy and Paulie say to each other during their first meeting?
You have our gratitude for being part of the Mafia Family. We look forward to sharing more in future Family Business sitdowns, so be sure to stay connected and continue sharing your creations and appreciation for the series. We'll be seeing you soon, Mafiosi.
The Mafia Community Team