   Unfortunately for her, Viviana had been born a Luciano and, in her mother's opinion, that entailed a great deal of responsibility – even for a little girl. With the 1945 marriage of her paternal grandparents came the unity of two powerful Northern New Jersey families. Not simply the union of bride and groom it, more importantly, signified the coupling of the Falcone business empire with influential Luciano connections both stateside and in the old country. In the eyes of all watchful social climbers, it was an enviable, seamless merger of money and power – one which, according to Antonella, was worthy of the effort to keep up the appearances of. Opulence and excess penetrated every inch of the Luciano family estate, and life was unsurprisingly handed to their firstborn son, Salvatore, on a silver platter. And yet it would be a luxury he would initially accept with resentful hesitance, finding little fulfillment in blindly following in his father's footsteps out of familial responsibility alone. But, as was expected of him, Sal would ultimately fall in line, his feigned interest eventually lessening to make way for an impressive graduation through the ranks of the crime syndicate he had been born into. Salvatore would come to build upon his family's wealth through real estate development and investment in the tri-state area. Love and marriage followed in tandem, but it would be the birth of his daughter that Sal considered his most precious blessing. Cherished from the moment of her birth, she was doted upon with near obsession – but Antonella's was a sort of maternal love devoid of the satisfying warmth Viviana so longed for. While her brothers were allowed to roam wild and free, Viviana was swept up in the whirlwind of training for grace and poise. Her mother operated under a strict policy of separation between the little girl and her brothers, believing that all things rough and tumble were better left to little boys and a gentler, more demure existence was best suited for her daughter. The rift between mother and daughter would only deepen as Viviana's resentment at being treated differently grew. Her only relief was the understanding she found in her father, a firm believer that a little girl was equally capable and deserving of anything a little boy was. In her rebellious spirit and head full of dreams, Salvatore recognized a once vibrant part of himself – an independence that yearned to grow outside the demands of duty and responsibility. Much to her mother’s chagrin, Viviana was spared any professional, intensive training in style and charm by her father’s strict order to leave the child to pursue her own interests. However, Antonella’s attempts to mold Viviana into a picture of perfection remained steadfast even if they were required to operate on a more subtle level. Throughout her childhood and teenage years the differences between her and her mother continued to grow as she fought against her expectations. The need for an understanding female figure was instead filled by her paternal grandmother (and namesake), Ana Maria. Her firm yet encouraging hand served as a guide through the trials and tribulations of adolescence, and her ‘take no shit’ approach to Viviana's behavioral problems helped to curb her development into a young tyrant at least for a time. But the mixture of bitterness and rebelliousness was difficult to extinguish entirely, and throughout high school Viviana lashed out at the world around her. Alcohol, drugs, and violence served as misguided coping mechanisms as she desperately fell through varying layers of depression and anger that had formed beneath the surface for years. College was a blow off, with more time spent partying than in pursuit of higher education. At last, frustrated and fed up, her parents threatened to cut her off. But it would be a threat Viviana refused to give them the satisfaction of following through on. Bags packed and cash heavy, Viviana fled toward freedom - her eye on the city skyline she had admired since childhood. Just twenty miles from home, yet seemingly a world away, she melted into the crowded chaos of New York's streets. Though lessons in hard work and struggle abound, she is ever comforted by the bliss of ownership over her direction in life at long last. |
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☆ grew up lavishly spoiled, and is just now learning the true value, and responsible management, of money. admittedly suffers from the effects of frequent financial reality checks. ☆ has a ruby cavalier king charles spaniel named janie. ☆ keeps a pair of vintage rosary beads (a gift from her grandmother) close at all times. ☆ took horseback riding lessons throughout her childhood, and placed well in various riding competitions. ☆ collects sheet music, skeleton keys, and brooches. swears by estate sales for the best of the best finds. ☆ has an interest in astrology, numerology, and tarot. her tarot card deck is among her most prized possessions. ☆ speaks fluent italian and passable french, but wishes she could master russian. ☆ likes: early mornings, coke zero, french manicures, the color teal, buttered banana bread, beeswax candles, ghost hunts, fireball, the shore ☆ dislikes: circus peanuts, pastel colored christmas trees, freezer foods, pet stores, socks, dating apps STORYLINES
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