Vincent "Vinny" Costa is a supervisor and head of operations for the Blue Ridge Caravan Company in Appalachia, found at Big Bend Tunnel East in Fallout 76, introduced in the Wastelanders update.
Background[]
Vinny works as the head of operations of the Blue Ridge Caravan Company's operations in the Big Bend Tunnel and all around Appalachia, organizing caravans and hiring guns for hire to escort them throughout the territory. Vinny has known Joanna Mayfield since well before the Great War, during the company's heyday trucking goods through the Blue Ridge Parkway, and is, in fact, one of the few who can call her by the nickname Jo.[1] He will even compromise and do favors for her, like posting Vera Thornberg at the Middle Mountain Pitstop,[2] as she pulled him out of his old life and helped him find a way forward, abandoning the temptations of the mob lifestyle for a position as Blue Ridge's Head of Operations.[3]
Vinny has been involved in organized crime since before the bombs dropped, and brought some members of his former crew onboard after the apocalypse. Kieran Kennedy and Tommy Ten-Toes are two of these former associates, and Vinny has explicitly forbidden them from speaking about the past.[4] Additionally, he regards connecting Blue Ridge up north, near the coast, to be a waste of time, due to "too many burned bridges" there.[5] Vinny runs a tight ship in general and was selected by Joanna to lead the push into Appalachia, along with a hand-picked crew of guards and merchants, building on Joanna's impressive work east of Appalachian. There is some friction: Aside from morale issues that cropped up during the stay in Appalachia, he also has his nephew, Luca, to take care of. As much as he loves him, Luca doesn't get a free ride on account of blood ties,[6] but has issues pulling his weight. Vinny also has to deal with Aries, whom he considers a freak and does not enjoy dealing with him,[7][8] on account of his flippant attitude and constant mocking (not sparing Vinny's baldness,[9] which is a major source of embarrassment for him).[10]
However, Vinny does not pull rank, as he is first and foremost a businessman who looks out for the interests of his company. Appalachia turned out to be a gold mine for Blue Ridge. As they are one of the only outside sources of trade goons, the supplies they bring through Big Bend can reach Foundation, the Crater, and many more, smaller settlements, then sell for a high price. Even raiders give them safe passage,[11] with the noted exception of the Blood Eagles. While Blue Ridge has secured both sides of the Big Bend Tunnel, the tunnel itself is plagued by constant attacks and security posts established within are frequently taken down in the process. Vinny relies on his guard cadre to keep the merchants safe, which also makes him extremely concerned about their morale and well-being.[12] While he will hire people to fix the morale issues, due to his position as manager he will not think twice about exploiting the information provided for the benefit of the company, such as greatly increasing the commission for Eugenie, if informed that she is sourcing her stock independently, rather than the compound Joanna was hoping to establish a trade route to,[13] or punishing Libby Wen by posting her to a safe, boring trade route if told that she is sourcing her spare parts from non-Blue Ridge traders.[14] He does have a softer side: He has much more patience with Kieran, his former associate, even if he disapproves of his life choices (establishing and looking after his family), and is quite protective of Carver Timmerman. He sees the makings of a capable merchant in the young Timmerman, and would like to help him step into adulthood.[15] However, while Vinny will pay a contractor, he will not use company assets to solve the problem for him.[16]
Overally, Vinny balances personal sympathy with professional concerns. This includes rebuffing Luca's attempts to sell his homemade explosives as Blue Ridge merchandise.[17] Vinny dismissed them as "homemade cherrybombs,"[18] but Luca continues to sell them off the books as he hopes to have Vinny officially distribute his wares eventually - once he gets the recipe just right.[19] Vinny is not on great terms with everyone in his team, but it is not something that bothers him, as long as they do their job right.[18] His preference for short, to-the-point communication leads to some issues being ignored or misinterpreted: Rudy Fernandez believes that Vinny is not as focused on the good of the company as he declares to be, as while he pays a generous bonus for lost cargo recovered from Big Bend, the merchandise is not returned to the merchants. Rudy feels it suggests Vinny runs a business on the side, selling the loot himself.[20]
The latest problems for Vinny, beyond morale, is the future of Blue Ridge. He is starting to see wisdom in Joanna's decision to focus on strengthening their position and consolidating their power. The more Blue Ridge spreads out, the weaker it gets, and with the routes growing ever more dangerous, the future is very much in flux. With other settlements building up in Appalachia, Vinny is starting to realize that Blue Ridge similarly placing down roots in the area could be a smart move.[21]
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
This character ignores combat and cannot be damaged. | |
 |
This character starts quests. | |
 |
This character starts events. | |
Quests[]
- Event: Riding Shotgun: Speaking to Vinny provides the option of starting this promptable event, in which Vinny calls for a trader and a caravan guard to make their way through Big Bend Tunnel, accompanied by the player character.
- Costa Business: Vinny is the main quest giver for these seven non-repeatable daily side quests. Each deals with a different member of his crew and has the player resolving a major morale issue undercutting their performance at work, with a variety of outcomes, depending on how the player handles the situation and whether they inform Costa of what was truly happening. The crew involved in the quests are Kieran Kennedy, Eugenie, Rudy Fernandez, Libby Wen, Herschel Klein, Vera Thornberg, and finally Carver Timmerman.
Inventory[]
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items |
|---|---|---|
| Mobster suit |
Appearances[]
Vinny Costa appears only in Fallout 76, introduced in the Wastelanders update. His character was expanded upon in the Once in a Blue Moon update.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Vault Dweller: "Who is in charge of the Blue Ridge Caravan Company?"
Vinny Costa: "That would be Ms. Joanna Mayfield. Or Jo. But newcomers don't get to call her "Jo." So don't. She's been in charge of things since before the war, when we was running trucks up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway. She's running things from our headquarters, well away from here, but she's been planning a visit. We'll see."
(Vinny Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "What can you tell me about Vera?"
Vinny Costa: "She's our rookie. Set her up with an easy gig up at the Middle Mountain Pitstop as a favour to Joanna. Hearin' she has her head in the clouds lately, makin' all sorts of silly mistakes. Need someone to go snap her out of it."
(Vera Thornberg's dialogue) - ↑ Big Bend Tunnel terminal entries; Blue Ridge terminal, Staff and Clients for Appalachia
- ↑ Tommy Ten-Toes: "Workin' for Blue Ridge is a lot easier than running jobs for... Wait a minute, Vinny said no talkin' bout that."
(Tommy Ten-Toes' dialogue) - ↑ Big Bend Tunnel terminal entries; Vinny Costa's terminal, Northern Routes
- ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "What's it like being related to Vinny?"
Luca Costa: "It's got its perks, no-one wants to start shit with the boss' nephew, y'know? But Vinny's not the coddling type either, I don't get a free pass."
(Luca Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Really? The other members don't need help?"
Vinny Costa: "Eh, everyone else is fine. Only thing that'll fix my nephew Luca's problems is my boot up his ass. Love the kid and all, but there's no talkin' sense to him. As for Minerva and the big lug? She's our top performer, no troubles there-- and Tommy's a pro. I guess there's Aries, but, uh... I wouldn't ask my worst enemy to talk to that freak longer than they have to. You could always ask him what he's got going on, but, uh... Good luck with that."
(Vinny Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "How about the other members?"
Vinny Costa: "Eh, everybody else is doin' all right. With Jo at the helm, we're normally runnin' pretty smooth. We're about back to that now, thanks to you. Granted, my nephew Luca will always be a pain, and Aries will always be a creep, but, uh... Let's see. Ah, right. There's Minerva and Tommy. Hard to pin down, but when I see 'em, they always seem chipper. She's got good deals, too. Make sure you peruse if you bump into her. Oh, and if ya see Tommy Ten-Toes... While I know he can't count that high, tell him he still owes me 50 caps."
(Vinny Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Have any leads on work around here?"
Aries: "If you look carefully, you can see a shiny glint from the top of Vinny Costa's dome. It's like a distress flare that says: help me. He's right there, so... If there's something that needs doing, Vinny will pay you for it."
- ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Okay, I'll get out of your hair."
Vinny Costa: "You got real smart fuckin' mouth, you know that?"
(Vinny Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Where is the caravan headed?"
Vinny Costa: "All over Appalachia. We ship to Foundation, Crater, a few smaller settlements here or there. Once we're west of Big Bend, the routes open up. Since we're one of the few sources of outside cargo coming in, even the folks up in Crater give us a pass."
(Vinny Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Events of Costa Business.
- ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "She's fine-- hey, did you know she moved out from that ghoul compound? I read all about it."
Vinny Costa: "She what? She moved outta that place? Shit, kid, you shoulda said that sooner. Ain't no way I can overlook it: her being a free agent changes some, uh... pricing options. You don't know it but you just made my day, pal. Probably ruined ol' Eugenie's year but eh, she'll be fine."
(Vinny Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Is Libby shooting straight again?"
Vinny Costa: "Couldn't get much concrete info, but you were on to somethin' all right. I've moved Libby to a, uh, lower energy post for now. Maybe teach her a thing or two about keepin' contacts outside the network. Well, her dead-eye is back, that's for sure. Still totting that goofy old gun, though."
(Vinny Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "I'm not really looking for a baby sitting gig."
Vinny Costa: "Well you're in luck, ya joker, because this ain't that. Carver's a big boy. Just needs help steppin' into those shoes. You don't want to help, walk."
(Vinny Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "So, take a stroll over to Lewisburg. It's close."
Carver Timmerman: "Oh, I have... I've even gotten as close as my old house-- or at least what I think is my old house. But it's just too dangerous... Especially alone. Vinny would never let me borrow a guard for something personal, either."
(Carver Timmerman's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Why doesn't Vinny want to sell them?"
Luca Costa: "He's worried about them not being up to par, but they're good quality. Uncle Vinny just doesn't want any, uh, mishaps. Accidental detonations and such. Says it'd look bad on the business. They're as safe as any other explosives. Mostly. Once it's foolproof I'll convince him."
(Luca Costa's dialogue) - ↑ 18.0 18.1 Big Bend Tunnel terminal entries; Vinny Costa's terminal, Employee Complaints
- ↑ Luca Costa: "Once I get the recipe sorted I'm gonna convince Uncle Vinny to start distributing my explosives. Who doesn't need a bomb every now and then."
(Luca Costa's dialogue) - ↑ Rudy Fernandez: "Everyone says the same thing: "guard the Brahmin." Sure, that's important, but me? I'd aim for those caches. Vinny pays a mean bonus for those things. Between you and me, I think he sells it himself. I sure as hell haven't gotten any missing pepperoni rolls sent back my way, if you know what I mean."
(Rudy's dialogue) - ↑ Big Bend Tunnel terminal entries; Vinny Costa's terminal, Western Routes
