Is Joe Dead in Mafia 3?

Is Joe Barbaro dead and does he appear in Mafia 3? Playing through the game hasn’t really made it any more clear. Fans are speculating about his fate in communities all over the internet, and this is already shaping up to be one of the biggest mysteries of the game. In this guide, we’re going to try to answer the question is Joe dead in Mafia 3 and what happened to him after the events of the last game.


Note: Now that the game is out, we’ve got more information, but the article is also peppered with spoilers. Proceed at your own caution.

Is Joe Barbaro Alive?

He was Vito’s best friend and he played a huge role in the previous game. At the end of it, Carlo Falcone was killed by Vito Scaletta because of a deal he made with Leo Galante. In the last scene, we see Joe’s car going in the other direction, and Leo saying that Joe wasn’t part of the deal. Apparently Vito went into New Bordeaux after that, and Joe was presumed dead. 

Working with Vito Scaletta in Mafia 3 gives us more info about Joe’s fate. His side mission, I Need A Favor, makes you go through a hit list and kill the people responsible for the death of Vito’s “close friend”. When you’re finished, it turns out that friend was Joe. After the events of the second game, he fled to Chicago. A group that should’ve helped him actually betrayed him. Here’s a video with the cutscenes related to his story:


But here’s the interesting part. Joe couldn’t be identified. His face was so smashed they couldn’t be really certain it was him. So there’s a chance, however small, that’s he’s actually alive. If you take a look at the Ending video (spoilers, obv), you’ll notice that Leo’s driver looks a hell of a lot like Joe.
Joe’s fate is still a real mystery, but we will keep you updated with any new information we can find.