Dampyr #172 (2014) pages 81-82: Mario’s mole

This story has portrayed Sergio in a surprisingly sympathetic manner for a hoodlum. We finally learn his deal as he talks privately to Harlan and Kurjak:

“I was part of Mario Leone's gang. I owed him everything. He got me off the streets and helped me earn my first money.”

“A benefactor!”

“I learned the trade from Mario. I met him even before his gang became the point of comparison for organized crime in Rome and the surrounding area.”

“Then what happened? How did you meet Olimpia Maidalchini?”

“Less than a year ago Leone decided that I should approach her and get her to trust me. Leone was always very worried about the competition, and Olimpia had already pulled off a few hits. Before long, I became her right-hand man.”

“You must be very good. You quickly gained her trust.”

“It wasn't thanks to my skills. Olimpia fell in love with me. She says I make her feel like a little girl.”

“Well! After all, even a 400 year-old woman likes to feel young.”

“So for some time you provided Mario Leone with information on the Maidalchini gang.”

“Exactly, but I never imagined it could end this way. The two gangs went to war, and my help was of little use. Mario and his men were swatted like flies.”

“You did nothing to prevent Leone's murder?”

“I didn't even have a chance to warn him.”

I confess not knowing much about the Italian Mafia, but I cannot imagine that the most famous gang in Rome would be Mario Leone and his half-dozen hoodlums. It’s Italy’s largest city, with over four million people. Olimpia taking on the Roman Mafia would have made an interesting multi-part story, but it’s not to be. Another Bonelli series, Legs Weaver, does contain a storyline that pits human Mafioso against vampires for control of a city.

When did Sergio realize that Olimpia was a vampire? In the opening firefight, he seems to know how powerful she is. But as he says, he didn’t warn Mario. So maybe he only learned just before that.