Prosciutto

"We don't need to say "I'll kill you"... because by the moment those words come into our minds... our target's already dead and the deed's done!"

- Prosciutto, VA Chapter 52

Prosciutto (プロシュート) is a minor antagonist featured in Vento Aureo.

Prosciutto is an assassin from La Squadra di Esecuzione, and alongside Pesci, battle Bucciarati's Gang inside a high-speed train to Florence.

Appearance
Prosciutto is a man of slim build, having short blond hair and keeping them braided into three short mats at the back of the head. His lower eyelashes are thicker than average, and his upper teeth are somewhat pronounced, being depicted with slight emphasis whenever he opens his mouth.

Prosciutto wears a dark two piece suit with a spiderweb-like motif running along it, under which he wears a bright shirt. Prosciutto keeps a dark collar and a large stylized pendant around his neck.

Personality
Prosciutto is a fairly serious man. He is shown to always be focused on his mission and adhering to La Squadra's motto of holding one's ground even mortally wounded to the letter, which he puts it into practice and expects his underlings(s) to also do the same. He doesn't tolerate any deviance of that attitude, especially when it's from his comrades and subordinates, and failing to adhere to the ideal such as in the case of Pesci on one occasion, a brief beating would be handed out as a reminder. Prosciutto is usually very composed, meeting any obstacle with cold efficiency, and carrying out his objectives without hesitation.

Despite his serious and cold demeanor, he is also shown to have a somewhat caring side towards his comrades. As the superior of the assassin duo, Prosciutto frequently points out his fellow assassin Pesci's lack of confidence in his own abilities, and on multiple occasions tries to comfort and convince him of his own capabilities. This reliance is not unfounded, however, as Bruno Bucciarati determines from his battle with Pesci that Pesci's abilities are actually more dangerous than Prosciutto's.

He also possesses a strong will, as shown when he suffers near-fatal wounds from being caught in the train's wheels and uses the last of his determination to keep his Stand's ability in effect for as long as possible.

Abilities
Prosciutto uses his Stand The Grateful Dead to age people in a large area, discriminating between individuals via their body temperature.

Synopsis
Prosciutto and Pesci, are sent after Bucciarati and his gang to capture Trish Una in order to find out the boss' identity. Although they manage to catch up to the gang at the train heading to Florence, they soon lose sight of them due to a newly found turtle's Stand.

In order to flush the gang out, Prosciutto decides to use his Stand, The Grateful Dead, to age everyone onboard the train. This forces Guido Mista to come out from hiding to try and stop the aging. After Mista has a confrontation with Pesci, Prosciutto is able to take down Mista from behind and use his own gun to shoot him in the head, supposedly killing him. Soon after, Prosciutto and Pesci are able to find the turtle holding the gang, forcing Bucciarati to come out and fight. After a short scuffle, Bucciarati manages to use his Sticky Fingers to make Prosciutto fall out of the train. Out of sheer luck, Prosciutto manages to get himself caught in the train's wheels and barely survive with fatal wounds. Knowing he would die, he determined that he would use his Stand and hold out long enough to give Pesci the chance to kill the gang, and steal Trish away. When Pesci died at the hands of Bucciarati, Prosciutto lost his will to live and soon died along with him.

Vento Aureo (PS2)
Prosciutto appears as the enemy faced in Chapter 8 of Super Story Mode, and as a support enemy in Chapter 9. All of his attacks involve having The Grateful Dead attacking Bucciarati with its large hands. Throughout the fight, if Bucciarati comes in contact with the mist let off by The Grateful Dead, he will begin to age as his health slowly drains. The effect will cease if Bucciarati Stand Breaks Prosciutto, or if The Grateful Dead is manually turned off. His most powerful attack involves The Grateful Dead grabbing Bucciarati and delivering a heavy, powerful punch. Secret Factors during this level have a notably greater impact on the fight than just restoring and increasing Bucciarati's health.

Chapter 8
Prosciutto's near-dead body will appear on the ground in Chapter 9, during the fight against Pesci. After some time has passed, he will begin speaking and shortly afterward reactivate The Grateful Dead's ability, causing Bucciarati to continuously lose health once again. A Secret Factor will trigger if Bucciarati Stand Shoots him once he does so, disabling the ability for the last time.
 * 1) Bucciarati must Stand Shoot Pesci, who is unconscious on the ground in the front of the train car near the bar. This Secret Factor will be lost if not done first. (Value of 2)
 * 2) Bucciarati must hit the ice machine in the front of the car, causing ice cubes to come out. This will activate a cutscene of Bucciarati picking up one of the ice cubes and realizing The Grateful Dead's weakness. Once this is done, The Grateful Dead's aging effect is nullified for the rest of the fight. The ice machine can be hit multiple times afterwards, though to no real effect other than generating ice. (Value of 2)
 * 3) Bucciarati must Stand Shoot the wall next to the front-most window of the train car, left of the bar and Pesci, and infront of the door. This will create a large zipper opening and activate a cutscene of an intimidated Prosciutto questioning Bucciarati's sanity. Regardless of where Prosciutto was standing beforehand, the fight will resume with him standing in front of the open zipper (Value of 3)
 * 4) Bucciarati must knock Prosciutto down through the aforementioned opening. Doing so will instantly win the fight, regardless of Prosciutto's health level. (Value of 3)

Eyes of Heaven (PS4)
Prosciutto and The Grateful Dead appear as the first stage hazard in the "Naples Train Station" stage, wandering around the center area. When he appears, all fighters will be slowed to a walk due to his aging ability. Both him and his Stand have a health bar, and will disappear from the battlefield if beaten. The only way for players to undo the aging effect is by either defeating Prosciutto or grabbing ice tray pick-ups scattered around the stage.

After Prosciutto is defeated, Pesci will take his place.

Trivia

 * He is called "aniki" ("big bro" in Japanese) by his partner-in-crime Pesci.