Character Profile - Frank Rozzani

This is the first in a series of posts that I decided to put together to introduce the main characters from some of my work. I hope you enjoy this feature and that it gives you some insight into the process of coming up with characters that I’ve used.

The first character I’d like to profile is Frank Rozzani. Frank is the protagonist from my very first novel, Frankly Speaking, the first in a series of five books and one short story (so far) featuring this character. Here are some of Frank’s vital statistics.

Full Name – Francis Rozzani

Age – Late 30s to early 40s

Appearance – About 6 foot with black hair and blue eyes. Frank is in shape without being overly athletic. He has the best features of his Sicilian mother and northern Italian father.

Occupation – Frank is a retired police officer who is now a private detective.

Friends/Associates – There is a core of recurring characters in each of the Frank Rozzani novels. They include:

Clifford ‘Jonesy’ Jones – Business partner
Anita Velasquez – Friend, police officer
‘Fat’ Sam Monreaux – Frank’s landlord, local restaurant owner and community philanthropist
Nancy Rafferty – Frank’s love interest and local veterinarian
Lucy – Frank’s loyal canine companion.

Frank’s Backstory – Frank was a police officer in Syracuse, New York. A terrible tragedy caused him to leave the police force and leave his children behind to ensure their safety. He left Syracuse and settled in Jacksonville, Florida where he began his career as a private detective.

Frank’s Flaws – Frank is haunted by his past and is still pursued by those who caused the tragedy in his life. He is painfully shy around the opposite sex.

Interesting Traits – Frank is a competent jazz pianist and plays in a trio in the local restaurant owned by ‘Fat’ Sam.

Autobiographical Elements – I am also from Syracuse, New York and moved to Jacksonville. The tragedy that caused me to move, however, was massive snowfall causing a need to move to a warmer climate. My family background is very similar. I have no background in police/ investigative work.

Books in which Frank appears:

Who would I choose to play Frank in a movie?

Bradley Cooper would be my first choice

Matt Passmore – Star of The Glades – A show about a PI in Florida

This was fun to put together and it also gave me an opportunity to think about my characters.

I’ve been asked to address the Italian-American club in Syracuse, New York in November regarding my books and the Italian elements within them. This is a start on that material.