Luca Changretta

Among crosses and other religious symbols, he has a black hand tattoo on his right wrist symbolizing the “black hand letter” he delivers to the Peaky Blinders. The tattoos not only reflect Luca’s Catholic devotion but also his pride in his Italian criminal syndicate and his role as an instrument of vengeance. He is depicted as the eldest son of Vicente Changretta, a New York crime boss, and leads the Changretta mob in a vendetta against the Shelby family after his father and brother are killed. The character is Italian-American, with a Sicilian-New York accent, and his portrayal includes detailed research into period-accurate clothing, mannerisms, and superstitions. Luca is a typical Italian-American mafia leader. He loves his mother and often tells people the advice she gave him in how to wage his vendetta against the Peaky Blinders. He also clearly loves and respects his father Vicente, and his brother, Angel, as their death causes Luca to begin his vendetta against the entire Shelby family. Luca at least draws the line at harming children. He also values the lives of the men who follow him, making sure their loved ones are notified of their passing, giving them last respects, and calling Tommy "an animal" for killing one of his men after the man was already severely wounded. Luca admits that the smarter move would have been for him to assassinate the Shelbys right away before they had time to prepare. However, he intends to honor his father by following the traditions of the Sicilian Vendetta, which requires that he first informs his targets that he is coming to kill them. Luca is very concerned with his appearance, always making sure to wear the sharpest, finest suits. Despite his pretensions of culture, style, and connections, in the end, Luca is just another arrogant criminal. When he thinks he's beaten the Shelbys, he drops his veneer of professionalism and manners and shows his true loathsome qualities. He gropes and insults Polly, takes great obvious relish in destroying the Shelbys' lives, gloats about murdering John and Arthur, and demands Tommy sign the contracts on his knees simply to humiliate him. Luca Changretta is the new boss of the Changretta Mob and the new patriarch of the Changretta Family, after his father's death. He is the eldest son of Vicente and Audrey Changretta, and older brother of Angel Changretta. Luca is an Italian-American mobster from New York City thatcomes to Birmingham seeking revenge against the Shelby family for the deaths of his father and brother. Luca Changretta was born in 1880, in America, to the Italian-American mobster Vicente Changretta and his wife Audrey. Luca and his family moved to England, where Luca became an older brother when his parents had Angel. As eldest son, Luca was considered the heir of the Changretta mob. Consequently, as an adult, he joined in the family's illegal business. At one point, Luca murdered a bank employee during a robbery, which led to his eventual execution for the crime. His father saved his life by getting him deported to New York, taking advantage of Luca's American citizenship. In New York, Changretta became a soldier for the Spinietta family, a crime family that has a heavy rivalry with Chicago's Al Capone, as New York is an important trading port for transporting alcohol from Europe. In approximate 1919-1920 Luca Changretta came from New York to Birmingham to be best man at his cousin's wedding. At some point, Luca became took over full management of his family's business in America while his parents and brother remained in England.

Updated September 23, 2026