[2] Portrayed as a temperamental Italian-American mobster, Tommy is a made man or ex-soldato of the Forelli crime family, a fictional Italian Mafia organisation.

Tommy was well received by critics, who found him to be more fleshed-out and likeable than previous protagonists in the series, and praised his characterization, comparing it to that of Tony Montana from the 1983 film Scarface.

[4] The interplay between Tommy and Lance Vance was crafted to be similar to the relationship of Miami Vice's Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs.

[7] The team ensured that the player felt "real affinity" for Tommy, making the narrative a key development interest.

"[13] Tommy Vercetti, born in Liberty City to an Italian American family, helped his father at a printing press as a child.

During his investigation, he formed alliances with figures like Ken Rosenberg, Colonel Cortez, Kent Paul, Lance Vance, and Avery Carrington.

At some point before 1992, when Ken's cocaine addiction became a serious nuisance for Tommy, he sent him to a rehabilitation center in Fort Carson, San Andreas, and abandoned him there.

In The Introduction, a short prologue film to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Ken gets out of rehab after completing his treatment and tries to contact Tommy, but is unsuccessful, as the latter has cut all ties with him.

[25] Andy Kelly of TheGamer described Tommy as the "Greatest GTA Protagonist", highlighting his role as the first fully developed character in the Grand Theft Auto series.

Unlike the eight interchangeable protagonists in the earlier 2D games—whose differences were limited to superficial traits like clothing and skin tone—Tommy featured a well-defined personality.

While Claude from Grand Theft Auto III introduced some character depth, his silence left him lacking in overall personality.