Al Giordino
Encyclopedia
Albert Cassius Giordino is a fictional character in a series of adventure novels by Clive Cussler
; he first appears in The Mediterranean Caper
(published in 1973). He is described as being of Italian
ancestry, 5'4" in height, 175 lb, with dark curly hair, swarthy skin, dark Etruscan eyes, and a Roman nose. He does not have an ounce of fat on his body and is stocky and strong. Cussler often describes him as the 'burly Italian'. One noticeable disfigurement on Giordino is the missing pinky finger on his right hand. This was lost during the book Pacific Vortex!
, when Giordino jammed his finger into the barrel of a gun held by Delphi Moran.
, and the two have been friends ever since the two opposed each other in a kindergarten fight. Giordino played tackle on his high school
football
team quarterback
ed by Pitt. Giordino and Pitt both attended the United States Air Force Academy
and served in the last days of the Vietnam War
together. After Vietnam, he joined NUMA
with Pitt at the request of its founder and Director, Admiral James Sandecker, on a temporary loan from the Air Force, but this has lasted over the full course of the books. His current title is "Assistant Special Projects Director," yet he retains his rank of Captain from the Air Force.
His only enduring hobby is teasing Sandecker by stealing (in earlier books) and buying (in later books) his custom made cigars. In earlier books it is mentioned that no matter how cleverly the admiral hides his cigars two are always missing every time he counts them, in what Giordino called Operation Stogie. In the later books, Sandecker is always confused as to how Giordino can have identical custom cigars, yet none of the Admiral's cigars are ever missing. Giordino began buying them from the same person.
Giordino never married, only once considering it with a woman named Pat O'Connell, at the end of the Atlantis Found
novel. He realized that he travels most of the year and cannot expect a woman to put up with his busy workload. O'Connell was far too similar to Giordino, as she too became devoted to her study and cataloguing of the Amenes artifacts found in Antarctica. Giordino lives in a condominium in Alexandria, Virginia
where none of the decor or furniture in the residence actually matches. In one book it is mentioned that he drives a split-window 1963 Corvette.
In The Mediterranean Caper
, one of the first Dirk Pitt books, the circumstances of Giordino's death are foreshadowed
. An evil double-agent is discovered, and given a gun to commit suicide. While Giordino is observing the double-agent walk into the distance to carry out this task, it is stated that until the time of Giordino's death he could not understand how someone could give up their life so unquestioningly. In Trojan Odyssey
Giordino reveals the epitaph
he wishes inscribed on his tombstone: "It was a great party while it lasted. I trust it will continue elsewhere."
, Giordino is portrayed by actor Steve Zahn
. In Raise the Titanic!
, his character (renamed Vinnie) is a cameo role.
Clive Cussler
Clive Eric Cussler is an American adventure novelist and marine archaeologist. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than seventeen times...
; he first appears in The Mediterranean Caper
The Mediterranean Caper
The Mediterranean Caper is an action-adventure novel by Clive Cussler published in the United States in 1973. This is the 1st published book featuring the author’s primary protagonist, Dirk Pitt...
(published in 1973). He is described as being of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
ancestry, 5'4" in height, 175 lb, with dark curly hair, swarthy skin, dark Etruscan eyes, and a Roman nose. He does not have an ounce of fat on his body and is stocky and strong. Cussler often describes him as the 'burly Italian'. One noticeable disfigurement on Giordino is the missing pinky finger on his right hand. This was lost during the book Pacific Vortex!
Pacific Vortex!
Pacific Vortex! is an adventure novel by Clive Cussler. This is the sixth book released featuring the author's primary protagonist, Dirk Pitt, though the author states that this was the first story that he wrote featuring the popular action hero. It was published after much internal debate, and a...
, when Giordino jammed his finger into the barrel of a gun held by Delphi Moran.
Fictional biography
He attended elementary school with series protagonist Dirk PittDirk Pitt
Dirk Pitt is a fictional character, the protagonist of a series of bestselling adventure novels written by Clive Cussler. The name Dirk Pitt is a registered trademark of Clive Cussler.-Character information and the supporting cast:...
, and the two have been friends ever since the two opposed each other in a kindergarten fight. Giordino played tackle on his high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
ed by Pitt. Giordino and Pitt both attended the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
and served in the last days of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
together. After Vietnam, he joined NUMA
Numa
Numa may refer to:* Numa Pompilius, legendary second king of Rome* Numa Morikazu, Meiji era Japanese politician* Numa, Iowa, U.S. town* The Numa Numa Internet meme* The Northern Paiute people...
with Pitt at the request of its founder and Director, Admiral James Sandecker, on a temporary loan from the Air Force, but this has lasted over the full course of the books. His current title is "Assistant Special Projects Director," yet he retains his rank of Captain from the Air Force.
His only enduring hobby is teasing Sandecker by stealing (in earlier books) and buying (in later books) his custom made cigars. In earlier books it is mentioned that no matter how cleverly the admiral hides his cigars two are always missing every time he counts them, in what Giordino called Operation Stogie. In the later books, Sandecker is always confused as to how Giordino can have identical custom cigars, yet none of the Admiral's cigars are ever missing. Giordino began buying them from the same person.
Giordino never married, only once considering it with a woman named Pat O'Connell, at the end of the Atlantis Found
Atlantis Found
-Plot summary:In 7120 BC, a comet slams into North America, creating Hudson Bay, abruptly ending the last Ice Age and causing global geological and environmental upheaval. In 1858 AD, a whaling vessel discovers a 1770s merchant ship frozen in Antarctic ice. As with most of the novels in this...
novel. He realized that he travels most of the year and cannot expect a woman to put up with his busy workload. O'Connell was far too similar to Giordino, as she too became devoted to her study and cataloguing of the Amenes artifacts found in Antarctica. Giordino lives in a condominium in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
where none of the decor or furniture in the residence actually matches. In one book it is mentioned that he drives a split-window 1963 Corvette.
In The Mediterranean Caper
The Mediterranean Caper
The Mediterranean Caper is an action-adventure novel by Clive Cussler published in the United States in 1973. This is the 1st published book featuring the author’s primary protagonist, Dirk Pitt...
, one of the first Dirk Pitt books, the circumstances of Giordino's death are foreshadowed
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing or adumbrating is a literary device in which an author indistinctly suggests certain plot developments that might come later in the story.-Repetitive designation and Chekhov's gun:...
. An evil double-agent is discovered, and given a gun to commit suicide. While Giordino is observing the double-agent walk into the distance to carry out this task, it is stated that until the time of Giordino's death he could not understand how someone could give up their life so unquestioningly. In Trojan Odyssey
Trojan Odyssey
Trojan Odyssey is a Dirk Pitt novel by Clive Cussler, published first in 2003.-Plot summary:The book opens with a fictional historical overview/flashback to events of Homer's famous Odyssey, but alters the original plot...
Giordino reveals the epitaph
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
he wishes inscribed on his tombstone: "It was a great party while it lasted. I trust it will continue elsewhere."
Films
In the 2005 film SaharaSahara (2005 film)
Sahara is a 2005 action-comedy adventure film directed by Breck Eisner and based on the best-selling book of the same name by Clive Cussler...
, Giordino is portrayed by actor Steve Zahn
Steve Zahn
-Early life:Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota, the son of Zelda, who worked for the YMCA, and Carleton E. Zahn, a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. Zahn spent part of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota, attending Kennedy Elementary School...
. In Raise the Titanic!
Raise the Titanic!
Raise the Titanic! is a 1976 adventure novel by Clive Cussler, published in the United States by the Viking Press. It tells the story of efforts to bring the remains of the ill-fated oceanliner RMS Titanic to the surface of the Atlantic Ocean....
, his character (renamed Vinnie) is a cameo role.