David Rossi
Encyclopedia
David Rossi is a fictional character
from the CBS
crime drama Criminal Minds
, portrayed by Joe Mantegna
. The character first appeared in the sixth episode of the third season, replacing Jason Gideon
.
, rising to the rank of Sergeant Major
. After being discharged, he was recruited by the FBI. He subsequently cut most ties with his former life, not even returning to Commack for Emma's funeral in early 2009. Rossi has had an apparently illustrious FBI career and sterling reputation, even outside the BAU confines. He claims to have "written the book" on hostage negotiation, and stepped in as a negotiator in when his fellow agents Reid and Prentiss were held hostage. He takes an annual leave to do cross-country lecture and book-signing tours, which apparently attract a lot of female fans, "if Barry Manilow
isn't in town." He worked with Aaron Hotchner
(Thomas Gibson
) prior to his retirement from the Bureau. Rossi has been married 3 times, but has said the only people he knew how to make happy were "divorce lawyers".
Despite growing up on Long Island, Rossi is a Chicago Cubs
fan, as indicated by the Cubs gear in his Quantico
office.
. Nevertheless, he, Reid, and Gideon are the only characters who are known for being prolific writers.
Rossi was known for being something of a playboy, as mentioned by Agent Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau
when she says to Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia
: "From what I hear, Rossi is the reason most of these fraternization
rules even exist."
It is implied that Rossi is quite wealthy. At times, he has flaunted his financial security to his superiors - for example, mentioning to Section Chief Erin Strauss during an interrogation session his grievances about how gold is going up, and having to figure out when to sell. His wealth is also indicated by Rossi's favorite type of shoe: Italian suede. In one episode, he also gives a young Catholic girl a check for $500 when she takes her First Holy Communion
.
. Rossi had retired in order to write books and go on lecture tours, but returned to "settle some unfinished business". As he had served in an early form of the BAU, it was initially hard for Rossi to acclimatize to the current team structure, but he eventually adjusted.
Rossi revealed to a local sheriff his reason for returning to the BAU, holding out a charm bracelet with the names of three children from one of his first cases. The children had found their parents stabbed to death in the family home with an axe. Rossi had promised the children he would find out who killed their parents, but the BAU was unable to solve the case. Each year on Christmas Eve, Rossi called the children to let them know he hadn't forgotten them and hadn't given up on solving their parents' murders. He kept with this tradition through his return to the BAU, though none of the children had replied to his most recent calls. After going unsolved for 20 years, the case was finally solved when the BAU found that a mentally handicapped
carny
clown
had committed the murders accidentally when he broke into the house to play with the oldest daughter. The father had surprised the man in the parents' bedroom and triggered the resulting attacks. After the murders, Rossi had purchased the family's home to assist the children's grandmother, who was raising them following their parents' death. Rossi returned the house to the children, with the request that they use the proceeds to better their lives. After finally solving the case, Rossi also attempted to return the charm bracelet to the children, but they requested that he keep it. Although he had identified the need to solve this case as his reason for returning to the BAU, Rossi continued to work after it was solved.
In the episode "Hanley Waters", as he is being interviewed about Prentiss' "apparent death" by Hotch instead of Strauss, he reveals that he feels more married to his job than to his three ex-wives. He even proposes a toast with Hotch about Prentiss and Hotch's wife Haley.
In the Season 6 finale, he is almost shot in the face by an unsub pretending to be a victim of human trafficking; luckily Morgan's quick reaction saves his life. Later he meets JJ in his office after solving the case. She meets him to let him know that she is returning to the team.
In Season 7 Rossi is just as surprised as the others to learn that Prentiss is alive. However, in episode "Proof" he mentions to Hotch that he had an inkling that Prentiss wasn't dead. As he has no children from his previous marriage, Rossi has adopted the BAU team as his own family and invites them to his house for dinner.
In From Childhood's Hour, Rossi was having breakfast with his first ex-wife, Carolyn, but before she can tell him something, the BAU calls. Before Rossi leaves he invites her to dinner at his place when he gets back.She agrees. At the end of the episode, Carolyn is at Rossi's house for dinner. After, Carolyn reminds David that the promise that they made to each other after their divorce, saying that they'd be there for one another. She tells him that she has ALS for about a year and its getting worse (she has 18 months to live) then asked Rossi to end her life when the symptoms grow too unbearable. Without saying anything,he sitting, holding both of her hands ( with both of his hands), and begins to cry.
After some personal deliberation, Rossi comes to the conclusion that he cannot assist Carolyn in ending her life. He goes to her to tell her this, and she reveals that she always knew that he would refuse, saying she is just glad that he could be with her tonight. Rossi then asks, horrified, "what have you done?" and looks to the bedside table to see a bottle of pills. Carolyn begs him not to call 911 and to let her die as she lived, not in a hospital. Tearfully, Rossi holds her as she slips away. Just before falling asleep, Carolyn asks "Do you think he'll be there?" to which Rossi replies, "I'm sure he will."
Later, he is seen sipping a glass of wine at her grave, and next to her grave is shown a gravestone reading "James David Rossi," with the same birth date and death date, implying he and Carolyn had a stillborn son in 1979.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
crime drama Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
, portrayed by Joe Mantegna
Joe Mantegna
Joseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
. The character first appeared in the sixth episode of the third season, replacing Jason Gideon
Jason Gideon
Jason Gideon is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by Mandy Patinkin. Along with Agents Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss, he seemed to be the traditionally academic of the group...
.
Backstory
Rossi was born and raised on Long Island, New York, in the town of Commack. As a child, he was friends with a young Emma Taylor, who he refers to as the "one who got away." He was also close with Ray Finnegan, who eventually grew up to be a prominent local mobster. Rossi, however, avoided the lure of organized crime, and joined the Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, rising to the rank of Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
. After being discharged, he was recruited by the FBI. He subsequently cut most ties with his former life, not even returning to Commack for Emma's funeral in early 2009. Rossi has had an apparently illustrious FBI career and sterling reputation, even outside the BAU confines. He claims to have "written the book" on hostage negotiation, and stepped in as a negotiator in when his fellow agents Reid and Prentiss were held hostage. He takes an annual leave to do cross-country lecture and book-signing tours, which apparently attract a lot of female fans, "if Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
isn't in town." He worked with Aaron Hotchner
Aaron Hotchner
Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by Thomas Gibson. He is a Supervisory Special Agent within the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and has appeared from the series' first episode, originally broadcast on September 22, 2005. Hotch begins...
(Thomas Gibson
Thomas Gibson
Thomas Ellis Gibson is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Daniel Nyland in the Medical drama series Chicago Hope, as Greg Montgomery in the comedy series Dharma & Greg, and as Supervisory Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner in the highly-popular CBS drama, Criminal...
) prior to his retirement from the Bureau. Rossi has been married 3 times, but has said the only people he knew how to make happy were "divorce lawyers".
Despite growing up on Long Island, Rossi is a Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
fan, as indicated by the Cubs gear in his Quantico
Quantico
Quantico may refer to:* Quantico , a 2005 science fiction/thriller novel by Greg Bear* Quantico, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Wicomico County, Maryland, United States...
office.
Personality
In contrast to Hotchner and Gideon, Rossi is decisively extroverted, abrasive, and much less cerebral, though still highly disciplined and focused. In one episode, Emily Prentiss describes him as a "fussy, anal-retentive neat-freak." While intelligent and quick-witted, he seems to favor less polished, more traditional police methods in profiling and interrogationInterrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
. Nevertheless, he, Reid, and Gideon are the only characters who are known for being prolific writers.
Rossi was known for being something of a playboy, as mentioned by Agent Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau
Jennifer Jareau
Jennifer "JJ" Jareau is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by AJ Cook.- Back Story :During various episodes, JJ has described growing up in a very small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She collected butterflies as a child, and also lost her sister to...
when she says to Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia
Penelope Garcia
Penelope Garcia is a fictional character on the CBS crime dramas Criminal Minds and its short-lived spin-off Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, portrayed by Kirsten Vangsness...
: "From what I hear, Rossi is the reason most of these fraternization
Fraternization
Fraternization is "turning people into brothers"—conducting social relations with people who are actually unrelated and/or of a different class as though they were siblings, family members, personal friends or lovers....
rules even exist."
It is implied that Rossi is quite wealthy. At times, he has flaunted his financial security to his superiors - for example, mentioning to Section Chief Erin Strauss during an interrogation session his grievances about how gold is going up, and having to figure out when to sell. His wealth is also indicated by Rossi's favorite type of shoe: Italian suede. In one episode, he also gives a young Catholic girl a check for $500 when she takes her First Holy Communion
First Communion
The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Catholic Church ceremony. It is the colloquial name for a person's first reception of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist is one of the central focuses of the Catholic Church...
.
On the job
Rossi was in early retirement until his voluntary return to the BAU in 2007, replacing Jason GideonJason Gideon
Jason Gideon is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by Mandy Patinkin. Along with Agents Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss, he seemed to be the traditionally academic of the group...
. Rossi had retired in order to write books and go on lecture tours, but returned to "settle some unfinished business". As he had served in an early form of the BAU, it was initially hard for Rossi to acclimatize to the current team structure, but he eventually adjusted.
Rossi revealed to a local sheriff his reason for returning to the BAU, holding out a charm bracelet with the names of three children from one of his first cases. The children had found their parents stabbed to death in the family home with an axe. Rossi had promised the children he would find out who killed their parents, but the BAU was unable to solve the case. Each year on Christmas Eve, Rossi called the children to let them know he hadn't forgotten them and hadn't given up on solving their parents' murders. He kept with this tradition through his return to the BAU, though none of the children had replied to his most recent calls. After going unsolved for 20 years, the case was finally solved when the BAU found that a mentally handicapped
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
carny
Carny
Carny or carnie is a slang term used in North America and, along with showie, in Australia for a carnival employee, as well as the language they employ...
clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
had committed the murders accidentally when he broke into the house to play with the oldest daughter. The father had surprised the man in the parents' bedroom and triggered the resulting attacks. After the murders, Rossi had purchased the family's home to assist the children's grandmother, who was raising them following their parents' death. Rossi returned the house to the children, with the request that they use the proceeds to better their lives. After finally solving the case, Rossi also attempted to return the charm bracelet to the children, but they requested that he keep it. Although he had identified the need to solve this case as his reason for returning to the BAU, Rossi continued to work after it was solved.
In the episode "Hanley Waters", as he is being interviewed about Prentiss' "apparent death" by Hotch instead of Strauss, he reveals that he feels more married to his job than to his three ex-wives. He even proposes a toast with Hotch about Prentiss and Hotch's wife Haley.
In the Season 6 finale, he is almost shot in the face by an unsub pretending to be a victim of human trafficking; luckily Morgan's quick reaction saves his life. Later he meets JJ in his office after solving the case. She meets him to let him know that she is returning to the team.
In Season 7 Rossi is just as surprised as the others to learn that Prentiss is alive. However, in episode "Proof" he mentions to Hotch that he had an inkling that Prentiss wasn't dead. As he has no children from his previous marriage, Rossi has adopted the BAU team as his own family and invites them to his house for dinner.
In From Childhood's Hour, Rossi was having breakfast with his first ex-wife, Carolyn, but before she can tell him something, the BAU calls. Before Rossi leaves he invites her to dinner at his place when he gets back.She agrees. At the end of the episode, Carolyn is at Rossi's house for dinner. After, Carolyn reminds David that the promise that they made to each other after their divorce, saying that they'd be there for one another. She tells him that she has ALS for about a year and its getting worse (she has 18 months to live) then asked Rossi to end her life when the symptoms grow too unbearable. Without saying anything,he sitting, holding both of her hands ( with both of his hands), and begins to cry.
After some personal deliberation, Rossi comes to the conclusion that he cannot assist Carolyn in ending her life. He goes to her to tell her this, and she reveals that she always knew that he would refuse, saying she is just glad that he could be with her tonight. Rossi then asks, horrified, "what have you done?" and looks to the bedside table to see a bottle of pills. Carolyn begs him not to call 911 and to let her die as she lived, not in a hospital. Tearfully, Rossi holds her as she slips away. Just before falling asleep, Carolyn asks "Do you think he'll be there?" to which Rossi replies, "I'm sure he will."
Later, he is seen sipping a glass of wine at her grave, and next to her grave is shown a gravestone reading "James David Rossi," with the same birth date and death date, implying he and Carolyn had a stillborn son in 1979.