History of Jack Dianopoli

Character sheet available here, .por file available here

Ko-Fi subscribers can get a copy of young Jack’s character sheet and .por file here!

Jackson Franklin Dianopoli Jr. was born in 1959 in Riverside Connecticut.

The son of Gabriella and Jack Dianopoli Sr., he was raised in the poorer Kenway neighborhood. Jack Sr. often came home tired, drunk, and violent from his work at the Knots Rife Company factory. Gabriella worked at the nearby Parlor Sewing Machine factory and tried her best to defend her son from his father’s wrath.

While he enjoyed school, excelling in reading and writing, Jack started working from an early age. He delivered  packages on his bike as a way of getting away from home. He also enjoyed going to watch the monster truck and motocross events on the outskirts of town.

At the age of 16, Jack stole his first motorcycle, learning to fix and repair it himself and taking part in local street races. He soon caught the attention of the Golden Riders motorcycle club who invited him to join. The gang involved itself in a lot of local theft and robberies. Around the time Jack joined they began a drug distribution network as well. He gained the nickname Boulder due to his large stature and ability to hold his own in a fight.

Arrested in 1981 as part of a drug bust (along with possessing an illegal firearm), Jack was sentenced to 10 years in Striker Prison. His father never spoke with him again, even to let him know when his mother passed away during his incarceration. Jack was eventually released for good behavior five years into his sentence.

Jack soon fell back into his old ways, helping the Golden Riders make new contacts from his time in prison. The android superhero Vincent Musashi, aka Viperr, intercepted a major drug deal with another gang in 1988. When Jack stopped one of his crew from pulling a gun on the hero, Viperr decided to give him a chance to escape before the police arrived. Dianopoli took this as a wakeup call, choosing to leave what little remained of the Golden Riders behind.

Remaining members hounded him to help rebuild the group, but Jack decided to stay on the straight and narrow, working as a bouncer for local bars and a dishwasher on his off nights. His hard work and dedication didn’t go unnoticed as he slowly rose up to become manager. 

When Jack heard the last of the Golden Riders had either left town or been arrested, he took this as a sign to start another chapter in his life.

In 2004, Jack decided to go into business for himself and opened Jack’s Pub in the North End not far from the Kenway neighborhood where he grew up. Some couldn’t believe the former delinquent known as Boulder was really out to maintain a legitimate business. But when Jack forcibly removed some of the recently formed Blue Cross Gang from the premises, it became clear he was looking to keep his establishment clean.

The budget didn’t always allow him to hire many employees, but Jack had a soft spot for those who seemed to be starting a new chapter in life. A few former gang members filtered in and out over the years. Jack had only one rule – if they worked for him, they didn’t work for the gangs or let them in. 

Austin Yates had grown up around the neighborhood surrounding the pub, and Jack saw he was a good kid. When Austin’s parents both overdosed on drugs, he helped the young man start over by giving him a place to stay and a job as a bartender. Jack always suspected there was something that Austin wasn’t telling him, which was true, as Austin had discovered post-human abilities and had chosen to take to the streets as a rumored superhero known as the Hornet.

Jack’s Pub became a source of refuge for many in the North End as a place they could trust. It didn’t hurt that Jack knew how to make good food and a quality drink, too.