Later, Salvatore instructs Claude to deal with a minor problem, but his trophy wife Maria (Debi Mazar), who took a liking into Claude, reveals it to be a set-up. Claiming that Salvatore has become paranoid and wants to kill Claude because she lied to him that they were having an affair, Maria leaves with Claude for Staunton Island to avoid Salvatore's wrath. After assassinating Salvatore to cut his ties with the Leone family, Claude finds new employment for the Yakuza, led by Maria's friend Asuka Kasen (Lianna Pai) and her brother Kenji (Les J.N. Mau). Later, he also begins working for corrupt LCPD detective Ray Machowski (Robert Loggia), whom he eventually helps flee the city, and media mogul Donald Love (Kyle MacLachlan), who hires Claude to assassinate Kenji under the guise of a Cartel attack to start a gang war that will allow him to obtain real estate for his businesses. During another job for Love, Claude encounters Catalina, now the leader of the Cartel, at a construction site, but she escapes from him.