Torino, nicknamed "Tori", was a Romani Spaniard and petty grifter who was a friend of Indiana Jones.
Biography[]
Torino first met Indiana Jones when he used his wagon to smuggle the archaeologist across the Spanish border during a dispute in which Jones was trying to recover an artifact that had been stolen from the National Museum.[2] Around 1933, the pair were reunited in Barcelona where they tricked a disreputable importer into releasing their hold on a collection of illegal statuary.[1]
Jones sought Torino out in the city in 1936, following up hearsay on the existence the Fourth Nail, a relic in the possession of a local Romani presence in northern Spain. As Tori was Roma himself, a traditionally nomadic people, Jones wasn't sure the Spaniard would still be in Barcelona when the man literally ran into the archaeologist. After they had embraced, Jones retrieved his wallet then quickly learned that his friend was in the midst of fleeing gang of locals who hadn't taken kindly to losing their money to Torino's shell game hustle.[1]
Torino and Jones looked for a shortcut through the cathedral, undergoing renovations, but the mob anticipated it and cut them off, leading to a brawl breaking out. The friends were briefly separated during the fight as Jones lured the gang's burliest and most capable combatant away to the roof. Although Tori was more lover than fighter, he was able to hold his own against the rest of the gang long enough that by the time Jones's opponent suddenly fell into the cathedral through a rotted section of the ceiling, the Spaniard was able to leave the angry mob in the care of the policia and he and Jones slipped away into the sewer.[1]
When Torino learned that Jones was after the Fourth Nail, he didn't want to be involved, fearing the repercussions from the Phuri Dai. However, when the Spaniard tried to see if the coast was clear, he was suddenly abducted by the Ismaili forces of Ben Ali Ayoob, the wealthy artifact collector who had put Indiana Jones on the trail of the relic in the first place. Unaware of Tori's capture, Jones assumed the man had just been scared off by the Fourth Nail.[1]
Fortunately for Torino, his abduction had been witnessed by Marion Ravenwood, newly arrived the city in the position of public relations agent for the National Museum, who informed Jones and the pair rescued the Spaniard from a warehouse. Torino took them west of Barcelona to his encampment to speak with his leader, Maximilian, who gave the archaeologist permission to view the Fourth Nail after he helped the camp defend itself against the gang of angry gamblers swindled by Torino.[1]
Jones, Marion and Torino then visited a "Gypsy Temple", hidden in a nearby mine,[2] where they met with the Phuri Dai, a shaman. Although she gave the impression that she knew that Jones was looking to do more than simply look at the Fourth Nail, the Phuri Dai took Jones and his partner to it anyway while Torino was entrusted to stand watch. While the archaeologist was disappointed to discover that the relic was just some rusted old railroad spike of little interest to him, the Ismailis once again took Torino as a hostage. While Jones and Marion worked to rescue Torino from being dropped to his death inside a well in the mine, Ayoob's forces went to capture the Fouth Nail and the shaman gave no resistance.[1]
When Jones and his friends caught up, they found each of the Ismailis struck dead by a mysterious wound through the chest. After the Phuri Dai wondered if the archaeologist wanted to take the artifact after all, Jones privately concluded that he was better of ending the adventure with the injuries he had already collected and he and Torino eventually went their separate ways.[1]
Appearances[]
The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones – "The Fourth Nail" (First appearance)
