Mafia II - The Buzzsaw

Lore & Background

He's got a chestful of medals and a head full of nightmares, but the city doesn't care. His father is dead, his mother is drowning in debt, and the only hand reaching out belongs to Joe Barbaro—a childhood friend who's already deep with the Falcone family. This mission is Vito's first direct involvement with the organization: a simple debt collection that goes sour fast, forcing him to pull a trigger and cross a line he can't uncross. The mission's name comes from the weapon Joe hands him—a stolen Thompson submachine gun that Joe has nicknamed the 'Buzzsaw' for the tearing sound it makes when it fires. That gun becomes a symbol of Vito's new life: the power it offers, the danger it brings, and the noise it makes when everything goes wrong. The mission also introduces Empire Bay as a living, breathing character: the snow falling on cracked asphalt, the glow of neon signs on wet streets, the rumble of flathead V8s. It's a city that looks like a postcard but smells like gasoline and blood.

In Their Own Story

The snow falls heavy on Empire Bay, muffling the city into a quiet that feels wrong. Vito Scaletta climbs into Joe's car—a rust-eaten sedan with a heater that blows cold air—and Joe grins like a kid with a firecracker. He hands over a heavy cloth bundle. 'This is your new best friend,' he says. Inside is a Thompson submachine gun, cold and oiled, its wooden stock smooth against Vito's palm. He hefts it, feeling the weight of what he's about to do. They drive through streets that look empty but aren't—past closed shops, dim streetlights, and the shadow of a man watching from a doorway. Joe's voice drops low: 'Just follow my lead. Don't think, just shoot.'

Reader's Guide

In The Buzzsaw, Vito Scaletta accompanies his friend Joe Barbaro to collect a debt from a small-time crook named Derek. The mission kicks off with a driving sequence through Empire Bay's snow-slicked streets—your first chance to feel out the city's layout and the heavy, deliberate handling of a 1940s sedan. When you reach the warehouse, the job goes sideways: Derek bolts, and you chase him through a maze of crates and catwalks until the bullets start flying. This is where you break out the Thompson for the first time. The mission doubles as a combat tutorial, teaching you how to snap into cover, aim down the sights, and reload under fire. After you put Derek and his buddies down, you and Joe peel out of there, leaving the bodies for the snow to cover. This chapter is crucial because it forges the bond between Vito and Joe and locks you into the game's core loop: drive, shoot, survive. It also sets up the central conflict—Vito's hunger for a straight life versus the pull of easy money and loyalty to the only friend who ever showed up.

Did You Know?

• The Thompson submachine gun in this mission is nicknamed the 'Buzzsaw' by Joe Barbaro, a reference to its distinctive sound when fired—a high-pitched, tearing roar that cuts through the silence of a snowy night.
• This mission is the first time the player can freely drive around Empire Bay, introducing the game's open-world environment—and the first chance to learn that the city's cops don't take kindly to speeding through a red l
• The warehouse location in The Buzzsaw is not revisited later in the game's story in a different context.
• The mission's tutorial elements were designed to teach players the cover system, which is essential for survival in later chapters—and a harsh reminder that standing still in a firefight is a quick way to meet the reaper