Serge was named after his grandfather Sergio, a con artist who shared some of his grandson's passion for historical trivia. Sergio also seemed to share Serge's sense of ethics, as one of his last major cons involved swindling money from investors who themselves swindled the residents of a farming community in Alabama. Sergio was thought to have committed suicide when Serge was a child, but during the novel "Cadillac Beach" it's discovered that he is still alive. The elder Storms had a heart attack a few months before his grandson's 44th birthday, and died after a short stay in hospital.