Spotlight #2: Mariano

Mariano Mario, age 42. Born in an Italian-American neighborhood in Brooklyn, he's lived in New York City his entire life. He's made a living as a cab driver. Frequently finding himself at Union Square, he dabbled in chess, and though he wasn't the greatest, he was good enough to be scouted by Maestro Frisch for the New York City SPCM spot. Generally, he doesn't mind getting beaten, unless it's via a humiliating method or his opponent has successfully managed to piss him off somehow. Tying him to a video game character that bares many similarities to him is his biggest pet peeve, and should one knowingly provoke him with it, they'll instantly go on his shit list. 

Many dub him the chess cab, due to the fact that he runs a secret test of sorts. If anyone is able to beat the best chess hustler in the area when he's around, he'll offer a free ride to the hotel in Times Square where the secret puzzle cafe is located. 

Speaking of which, said secret puzzle cafe is on the unique side as it doesn't contain the same exact layout the others do.This was due to the location of the cafe previously being the site of an actual restaurant. Though it had holes that could allow a DESPER to be activated within it, Raymond has personally attended to and fixed the issue, in the process, standardizing the look of the cafe more. The cafe's city-viewing window is still intact though, allowing patrons to get a scenic view of the city.