All the safe houses that you pay for have ammo caches. When low on ammunition or health, you can go into these houses and restock. They are the orange houses on the map, and most are in hotels.
Assaulting warehouses
Before going on a warehouse assault have these items: pistol (full ammunition), Tommy gun (full ammunition), shotgun (full ammunition), magnum (full ammunition), molotovs (6), and about $25,000. When going to a warehouse, try to blow up the roadblocks. After that, stand there and shoot at oncoming gangsters with your pistol (headshots are essential). Then, go in to the warehouse area. Stand behind boxes and shoot the enemies with the pistol or magnum (again with headshots). Once you enter the warehouse, have either your shotgun or Tommy gun ready. Most enemies will have shotguns and Tommy guns. When you kill them, search for the owner. He will have puppeteer hands. Buy him out. Do not hit or injure him or you will not be able to buy him out and will have to use pressure. More than likely you will have also started a mob war. Do not bother looking for bombing business. Instead, check the map for the nearest FBI agent and bribe him. You may lose $3,000, but it is less risky. You will now have a warehouse and won a mob war at the same time.
Avoid getting shot
When you are getting shot by another family or cop, grab someone nearby and use them as a shield. By doing this, you will not get hurt while being shot.
Cheat Codes
While playing the game, type one of the following codes to activate the corresponding cheat function:
Effect - Code
$5,000 - cuneo
All movies - tattaglia
Full health - corleone
Maximum ammunition - stracci
Easier car chases
When you are being chased by enemies in a car, let them drive up on your side. Usually they will come up near your rear on your left or right. Then, look ahead and lure them into an accident. Usually they will smash into something like oncoming traffic or a wall if timed correctly. They will eventually come back and catch up to you, but if you keep doing this they will eventually blow themselves up (because you cannot shoot out your car at them).
Easier driving
While driving, honk your horn constantly to send other cars to the side of the road. Additionally, go to a police station and bribe the police chief. You can then steal the police car without any trouble. Turn on the siren and cars will now move out of your way.
Easier special kills
In missions where you have to kill an important figure in a certain way (such as pushing them off a roof or into a furnace), you can do this easier by luring the enemy over to the hazard you must use to kill them before fighting with them. Just avoid them and run over to the hazard. They will come over to you. Beat them up a little, but do not kill them completely. Then, grab them and swing them so they have their back to the hazard. Then, shove them to their death.
Extorting businesses
If you are having trouble extorting business owners, try destroying some of their property and/or hold a gun to their face. For example, when you are trying to take over Good Eats in Brooklyn, you can hold a gun to the man's face then reholster the gun and extort. If he refuses, simply draw your gun again, lock on, and hold it. Keep doing this until he caves in. Do not forget to reholster your gun to avoid accidentally shooting him. In another example, when you are trying to extort money from the hotel owner in Brooklyn, hold a gun to him twice, break the downstairs cupboard, then finally blow his safe before you beat him into submission. Always buy available rackets first. Take a trip around to either buy another racket or go around the block. Do not attack until you visit again, and instead of enemy soldiers you will find all your soldiers. By doing this you do not have to fight a bunch of enemies and get your vendetta up.
If you have not taken over all the businesses and rackets, wait until you have reached the Don Of New York City rank. You will be able to take over anything without having to smash anything up or convince the person that it is a good idea; they will just say Yes immediately.
Extra money
To get more money, take over as many businesses, warehouses, and rackets as possible before completing missions. By doing this you will get much more on payday, and money for important weapon upgrades.
To stop your money from going into some racket that will not pay off later, get the pressure up on the person you would normally buy out and he will instead pay you.
In missions where you raid an enemy gang's operation (like a supplier or storefront racket), search the interior after completing the main objective for hidden stashes of money and ammunition. Most back rooms, closets, and rooftops contain hidden moneybags or weapon stashes.
To get easy money and respect, go to the Molotov Cocktail seller in Midtown. Look for hobos walking around, then shoot them. You will receive no heat, but either +750 Respect and $3000 or +900 Respect and $100.
Different families have different incomes; the richest family is the Barzini (green) family followed by the Cuneo (red) family. The businesses that you take from these families pay out a lot more than the other two. Also, when you are taking over their business, do not forget to pick up the money they drop. When a Barzini (green) family member is killed, you can pick up at least $200 per person. However, when you take money from a Tattaglia (brown) family member, you will only get $15.
Enter the sewer system and find a crate containing money, which is guarded by a group of heavily armed bell-boys. The entrance to the sewer system is directly south of the westernmost Tattaglia warehouse on the Hell's Kitchen Loop.
Free pistol in The Alley mission
After you beat up the men and are told to locate your safehouse, follow the Don's enforcer out of the alley and turn left. Walk down a short distance to the next alley on your left. There will be a thug standing there, staring at you. He will not attack, but if you beat him up he will drop a pistol, which is good for a first gun. You can use the pistol to get through the next few missions easier (before you are given a more powerfu gun by the mob).
Funny dance
When you press Square, you will squat and make a grunt. When you repeatedly press Square it appears as if you are humping or dancing. Try going outside to a person on the street and keep pressing Square next to them. Go somewhere with music and do it to dance. Take a gun out hold Square and fire away.
Getting past barricades easily
When you go to a hub, warehouse, or compound with people and cars blocking your way, get a truck and run into the cars and people until it catches on fire. Then, finish off the other people that are still alive.
When you go to a hub, warehouse, or compound with people and cars blocking your way, stand close enough that you can lock-on to a person. Take either dynamite or a Molotov Cocktail and throw it. It will blow up the cars next to the people. Continue doing this until you have reached the hub, warehouse, or compound.
Hidden money in A Grave Situation mission
After beating up the first guy, instead of going straight after the second guy, go left instead behind the low wall into the other section of the graveyard. Go to the right of the small building and look behind the row of tombstones to find a hidden bag of case worth $2,000. Now complete the mission as usual.
Hidden money in A Recipe for Revenge mission
After the cutscene where Michael shoots Sollozzo and McCluskey, instead of heading straight out to the car, shoot your way to the side door and to the first floor of Louis' restaurant. There are five hidden bags of cash here each worth $1,000.
Hidden money in Baptism by Fire mission
After killing Don Barzini, head back and up the courthouse stairs to find three hidden bags of cash totalling $50,000.
Hidden money in Change of Plans mission
After Sonny is gunned down at the toll booths and the assassins drive off, quickly go to the rightmost booth. Inside there are three hidden bags of cash each worth $5,000.
Hidden money in Death To The Traitor mission
After placing the bomb in the upstairs of the bar, an enemy will suddenly open up the previously locked door at the top of the stairs. Quickly run into the hallway to find a massive stash of money bags. Do this quickly by sprinting, as you will not have much time to run downstairs and leave before the bomb explodes. Do not bother trying to open the second door in the hallway, because it is locked.
Hidden money in Fireworks mission
Before throwing the police sergeant off the roof, have a look around for four crates which contain hidden hags of cash each worth $1,000. Once you find them, break open the crate with your fists, melee weapon or a gun to get the cash. During this time, the sergeant may try to attack you - but if you have a gun equipped and revealed he will hide from you.
Hidden money in Horseplay mission
After killing the guard in the corridor leading to Woltz's bedroom, carefully follow the maid into the room to the right and then through the right hand door. This leads to balcony where there is a hidden bag of cash worth $20,000. You can either sneak past the maid and the guard here or stealthly kill them.
Hidden money in Intensive Care mission
After you have cleaned the entire hospital of enemies and Michael comes downstairs to meet you, don't talk to him just yet. Instead, go upstairs into the room where the Don is being treated (Room 6) to find a hidden bag of cash worth $2,000 in the back corner.
Hidden money in Now It's Personal mission
Before going into the church where Frankie is being held, go right and enter the graveyard. Go inside the small building near the entrance of the graveyard to find three hidden bags of cash totalling $5,000.
Hidden money in Order to Kill mission
After Tessio attempts to flee in the club and you have followed him to the basement, head into the side room and smash up the crate to reveal a hidden bag of cash worth $10,000.
Hidden money in Order to Kill mission
After reaching the hotel where the informant is supposedly staying, instead of going straight in, head further down to road and look to the left to find five hidden bags of cash, each worth $1,000.
Hidden money in Sleeping with the Fishes mission
After shooting the first practice dummy in the shoulder and knee, it should fall onto and break open a cardboard box. Walk over to it to find a hidden bag of cash worth $2,500.
Hidden money in Sonny's War mission
After interrogating the arms dealer, instead of going straight to the warehouse at the docks, head to the roof of the building. There you should find ten hidden bags of cash totalling $10,000.
Hidden money in The Don is Dead mission
After you have finished interrogating the Tattaglia Capo on Manhattan Bridge, look for a tan coloured car to the left of the ambulance. Shoot at it until it explodes and the burnt out chassis disappears from the game. A hidden bag of cash worth $3,000 which was underneath the car is now revealed.
Hidden money in The Silent Witness mission
After reaching the funeral home, instead of going in, turn around and head right down the road. Soon you will come to flower bed with a nook on the left side of road, just after a warning that you are leaving the mission area. Quickly head into this nook and grab the hidden bag of cash worth $7,500 behind the barrel before you are timed out.
Infinite ammunition and $1 million
Reach the Don Of New York City rank at a 91.5% game completion to get one million dollars and unlimited ammunition for all of your guns only. Bombs, dynamite, and Molotov Cocktails are not unlimited, and melee weapons can still wear out. To become the Don, you must take over all businesses and rackets, then complete the contracts on the other families top Bosses.
Infinite money and Respect
Successfully complete the first mission, then save the game and quit before answering the phone downstairs. Reload your saved game to get $500 and 500 Respect points again from the previous mission. Save the game, quit, then reload again as many times as desired to get $500 and 500 Respect points each time.
Invisibility
Type holiday inn while playing the game.
Losing police quickly
If you commit a lot of damage and/or kill a lot of people, you will get wanted stars. Once you get enough stars, the police will chase and shoot you. To lose them, just move to a different area and all of your stars will immediately go away.
Marlon Brando's last appearance
Play the mission when you go to the hospital to protect the Don. After you kill the first assassin and Michael Corleone tells you to go to the basement, go foward and make a left. You should see a door with Michael Corleone talking to Vito Corleone while he is in the hospital bed. Listen to the conversation carefully. This is the real Marlon Brando talking, recorded while he was hospitalized.
Movie and television references
There is a man with red hair, a mustache, and a fedora hat who is named Edward Rooney (from Ferris Buellers Day Off) in Little Italy. There is a man with black-gray hair named Mike Brady (from The Brady Bunch) in Midtown. There is a blonde woman walking around in a black dress named Pamela Anderson in Midtown.
Movies
Complete the indicated mission or collect the indicated number of film reels:
Are You Ready To Do Me This Favor?: Change Of Plans mission
Carlo Learns A Lesson: Sonny's War mission
Carlo Goes For A Ride: It's Only Business mission
Good Morning Mr. Woltz: Collect 70 film reels
Five Shots: The Don Is Dead mission
Mr. Woltz: Death To The Traitor mission
Mattresses Montage: A Recipe For Revenge mission
Spoiled Guinea Brat: The Silent Witness mission
Don Sends Luca On An Errand: Collect 20 film reels
Johnny Fontane: Collect 10 film reels
Luca's Demise: Collect 30 film reels
Mr. Bonasera: The Enforcer mission
Meeting With Sollozzo: A Grave Situation mission
Regarding Sollozzo: The Alley mission
Sicilian Sign: Sleeping With The Fishes mission
Sonny At The Tollbooth: Collect 85 film reels
Sorry Sally: Collect 100 film reels
Sonny And Tom Disagree: Intensive Care mission
Sonny And Tom Argue Again: Fireworks mission
The Baptism: Baptism By Fire mission
The Don Is Dead: Collect 40 film reels
The Don's Demise: Order To Kill mission
Trigger Too Tight: Horseplay mission
Whack Paulie: Collect 55 film reels
Where's Michael?: Now it's Personal mission
No heat when stealing cars
Reach the Underboss rank to have no heat when stealing a parked car.
Real gun names
All the guns in the game are based on actual firearms. The following is a list of the guns in the game and their closest real-life equivalents:
.38 Snub-Nose: Colt Detective .38 Special / Smith & Wesson M & P 2 in revolver
Pistol: Colt M1911A1 semi-auto .45 pistol
Magnum: Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver in .357
Long-barrel Shotgun: Remington 870 pump-action shotgun
Tommy Gun: Thompson M1921 / 1928 sub-machine gun in .45
Recommended upgrade priority
Health: The more health, the better.
Streetsmarts: Prolong the victims breaking point (and by doing so, increasing your weekly income earnings). Remember to always try to buy them out first.
Fighting: Increase you negotiation pressure by 10% for each upgrade.
Speed: Not so essential. Only faster reloading is interesting here.
Shooting: For better aiming speed and precision but not essential for taking over businesses.
Recommended weapons
Do not waste money on safe houses. You can make it just fine with the ones you get in the story. Instead, use your money for clothing and weapons. All the best weapons cost a lot but are well worth it. The Saturday Night Special is a better revolver and costs $75,000. The Assassin's Pistol is better gun and costs about $200,000. The Python is a better magnum and costs $250,000. The Dillinger is a machine gun and costs $450,000. Finally, the Street Sweeper, which works like a shotgun, costs $500,000 and will kill most people in one shot.
The pistol at level 3 works like a semi-automatic gun. It carries fourteen bullets and has more firepower. It is great for taking over businesses. The shotgun at level 3 has more ammunition, more firepower, and is great for taking over warehouses, etc. Prioritize weapons upgrades before safehouse buying. One house in each city is fine at the start. However, you will have to buy them all in the end.
Robbing banks
Depending on the type of bank will determine the easiest way it can be robbed. The type with the three guards and one room is by far the easiest, and should be robbed as often as possible. Use the following trick to rob it without being chased or even getting past two shields. First, bribe the cop outside. Then, go into the bank and choke the first guard by the door. Next, go into the vault area and start strangling the guard on the left. The other guard will come and attack you, but he will not shoot. He will only hit you with his billy club. Remember to strangle the man on the left first because he tends to start shooting with his shotgun if you attack the other guard. If you are robbing the big bank, start the same way by bribing the cop outside. Then, go in and immediately strangle the guards in the main room. Hurry down to the vault and strangle the two guards there. Open the door and blow the vault. Three or four guards will attack you as you flee the vault. Get close to them and shoot them with your Tommy gun to perform an instant execution. After you shoot them, run up the stairs and move to the right. Then, take an immediate right to leave the building where the car is always parked. Get in the car quickly because you will be shot at when outside. Take off and you should not be chased once you hit the streets. After any bank robbery you must go to your hangout to get the money. The best bank to rob is the midtown bank, close to the apartment that the Corleone's give you after you save Michael. You wll get $50,000 there.
Safes
You must blow up all safes to become Don Of New York City. Blow up all the safes when you are taking over businesses that have one. By doing this you will not have to search for safes after you completed most of the missions. Also, you will get an money, 1,000 Respect, and dynamite by blowing them up.
Shooting enemies behind cover easier
When you are locked onto an enemy who is hiding behind a crate or low object, keep locking on and put the crosshair on a part of their body that is sometimes sticking out, like their head or arm. This will help you kill them easier.
Taking over compounds
To take over a compound, equip all of your guns with ammunition, or use a powerful gun to kill other gangsters and take their gun. You should have cover at all times. Note: When behind the bushes to the left of the entrance they can shoot you through the bushes. Once inside, do the same thing and always have cover. Then, run downstairs. In the back house there are two men. One is behind a box and there is another behind a pillar. After those two are dead, set the time bomb (not dynamite). If needed, stay in the basement and die, then drive back and repeat on the other house.
When you are ready to take over a compound, the Tattaglias in northeast Brooklyn is recommended because they may be the weakest family in New York, but that does not mean they are going to be very simple to defeat either. Bring some bombs along and blow up the support pillars in the basements. You may start a mob war, but if you are successful you will have a new safe house with a group of guards.
The Don Is Dead mission
Before starting this mission, break the windows in the barber shop. This will allow for easy shooting once the Don is shot. The recommended gun for this and any other close range shooting mission is the magnum.
