Mercedes Cortez

Short Biography

Birth-1986Mercedes Cortez was born and raised by her parents, Juan Cortez and Mrs. Cortez, who later died, in an unknown country. She and her father later moved to Vice City, establishing themselves with the rich and powerful in the city, often inviting their friends to parties including drug baron Ricardo Diaz, who Mercedes dislikes.Mercedes informs Tommy Vercetti in "The Party" that she dislikes her name, telling him, "You try living with it."Cortez is shown as a possible love interest for Vercetti throughout Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, although this potential romance is never explored outside of a few teasing conversations; several phone calls between both of them were cut from the final game. She is presented as a very promiscuous woman; sleeping with Love Fist, starring in a porn film, possibly working at the Pole Position Club, and apparently working as a prostitute in Little Havana if Kent Paul is to be believed. This licentiousness is used as a joke in the end of the game, where her father calls Vercetti concerned about her behavior, only to reveal that he believed she was becoming a lawyer.1986Mercedes first meets Tommy Vercetti at one of her father's parties, where she is introduced to Vercetti by her father. She introduces several of the party's other guests to Vercetti, and afterwards has him drive her to the Pole Position Club.When Kent Paul calls Vercetti telling him that the Love Fist members want some "company", Vercetti takes Mercedes to Love Fist members Jezz Torrent, Percy and Dick.After her father flees the city, she agrees to work in Tommy's porn studios. She appears alongside Candy Suxxx in a porn film directed by Steve Scott. When Vercetti requests an update from Scott on production of the film, Scott explains that Candy is a natural and describes new girl Cortez as "insatiable", claiming "she went through half the cast and crew before [he] even took a light reading."While helping out Kaufman Cabs, Vercetti is lured to a trap in Viceport by Vice City Cabs when they claim that Mercedes Cortez is requesting a pickup specifically from him.Upon killing Lance Vance and Sonny Forelli and claiming Vice City for himself, Vercetti receives two phone calls regarding Cortez; the first involves Kent Paul describing his encounter with a "street walker [...] down in Little Havana" named Mercedes who "could strip the lead out of a pencil" and apparently said that Kent "was the best she ever had", while the second has her father concerned about her behavior – believing that she is shaming the family – only to reveal that he had heard that she was becoming a lawyer, to which Vercetti laughs and assures him that she is not.