Given the high-profile nature of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto franchise, it is not surprising to find that there are many who are attempting to sue the developers. In the past we have heard claims of how some of the characters in the game are based on real people, like in the case of Lindsay Lohan who believed that the bikini-clad girl in Grand Theft Auto V was based on her likeness (it is not true, a different model was used for the likeness).
Well the latest lawsuit to land on the doorsteps of Rockstar comes from a daughter of the mobster responsible for bringing down John Gotti. Karen Gravano asserts that the character, Antonia Bottino, is based on her and her life story and she is suing Rockstar for using it without her permission. She is demanding $40 million in damages.
For those who haven’t played the game or who might have forgotten, Antonia Bottino is a minor character in the game that the player rescues in a random encouter called Burial. The encounter’s backstory is where an underboss by the name of Sammy Bottino becomes a government informer after a string of mishaps.
In a way this is almost similar to Gravano’s story where her father, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, cooperated with federal prosecutors in bringing down the infamous John Gotti. While there are similarities, we’re pretty sure this is not the first time a gangster has turned into a witness for the government.
In the lawsuit, Gravano states that she will be releasing a new book that will reveal the details of certain parts of the story the Rockstar used. Rockstar has since said that the company does not comment on legal matters, but what do you guys think? Could this finally be one of the lawsuits that sticks?