Thomas Angelo was born on April 5, 1900, in the Sicilian town of San Celeste to Marco and Maria Angelo. He had an older brother, Marco, and a sister, Isabella. Until the age of four, he lived with his family in the lemon grove of Villari, near the harbor of Messina in Sicily. His father worked as an overseer on a plantation, but due to debts and the loss of their home, the Angelo family had to migrate to the United States. Arriving in Empire Bay and passing immigration inspection there, the Angelo family traveled by train to Lost Heaven. The head of the family began working at the port, until his death around 1919. It is known that Tommy himself worked for a long time as a road worker laying highways in the northern states. Having saved up money, Tom returned to Lost Heaven and got a job as a taxi driver in 1926.[2]

However, in September 1930, his life changes dramatically: he is forced and unexpectedly begins a career as a mafioso, subsequently working for the criminal clan of Don Salieri - one of the two largest mafia associations, at that time dominant in the city and feuding with each other. Tom becomes the main participant and performer in many key events of the group's activities, but in November 1938, Tommy, due to circumstances, becomes a traitor according to the mafia code. In order to protect himself and his family, Tommy meets with a detective and testifies against the entire Salieri criminal family. Based on Tom's story to Detective Norman, the narrative of the entire plot is consistently built.
Tommy joining the family
It all begins one late September evening in 1930. Stopping for a smoke, Tom suddenly hears the rumble of a crashed car, when suddenly two respectable men run out from around the corner and, at gunpoint, force him to take them anywhere, just to escape the pursuit of Don Morello's armed men. Tom has to save them in his slow-speed taxi. These two turn out to be Salieri's men - Paulie and Sam. Later, they become Tom's partners.

After escaping the chase, Sam, on behalf of Don Salieri, rewards Tom well, and "there is much more money in the envelope than is needed to repair the taxi car." Tom is offered to become a gangster in the Salieri criminal clan, but he categorically did not even intend to think about it and decided to continue working as a taxi driver. But three days later, Morello's men track down the hero and try to kill him for helping Salieri's men. However, Thomas only by a lucky chance manages to escape in time, running to Salieri's bar, which, fortunately for Tom, was not far from the scene of the attack. He turns to Salieri for help and, having no other choice, is forced to join the clan. After all, not only was Tom fired by the owner of the taxi company where he worked for all the troubles with the gangsters, but Morello was also clearly ready to take revenge on Tom to the end. Tom now simply had no other choice but to become a criminal.

A short time later, on the same day, Don Salieri initiates Tom into his clan and introduces him to its key figures. Tom's first test of loyalty to the boss and professional suitability as a gangster is damaging the cars of Morello's people at his bar. Having successfully completed the task, Tommy becomes a member of the clan, and without any Ritual (at least it is not shown in the game). And a little over a month later, on October 29, during an unsuccessful collection of protection money at a country motel, he saves Paulie and Sam from death and saves the family's money, while killing all the enemy gangsters in the motel, including its owner.

Over time, Angelo gets used to the family and understands the difference between Salieri and Morello: the first is a businessman who attacks only in response to an attack, and the second is "just a mean bastard," as Tommy himself describes him.