David Rossi
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David Stephen Rossi is a fictional character in the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
crime drama ''
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. It follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral ...
'', portrayed by
Joe Mantegna Joseph Anthony Mantegna (, ; born November 13, 1947) is an American actor best known for starring on CBS's ''Criminal Minds'' since 2007 as FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi. He has voiced the recurring role of mob boss Fat Tony on th ...
. He is a Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and has appeared from the episode "About Face", which was originally broadcast on October 31, 2007, during the show's third season. He is also portrayed as a younger man by Robert Dunne, in flashbacks as a Marine infantry private in
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
in 1969 and in his earlier years with the BAU in 1978. Rossi begins the series returning to the FBI after a lengthy period of being semi-retired, with his return due to "unfinished business". He is shown to be a close friend and colleague of
Aaron Hotchner This is a list of characters in the television series ''Criminal Minds'', an American police procedural drama which premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS and concluded its original run on February 19, 2020. It is also shown on A&E and Ion Televis ...
(
Thomas Gibson Thomas Ellis Gibson (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and director best known for his roles as Aaron Hotchner on ''Criminal Minds'' (2005–16), Greg Montgomery on '' Dharma & Greg'' (1997–2002) and Daniel Nyland on '' Chicago Hope'' ...
), as they worked together during the early days of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Rossi is also a writer and one of the team's senior and most decorated
profilers Offender profiling, also known as criminal profiling, is an investigative strategy used by law enforcement agencies to identify likely suspects and has been used by investigators to link cases that may have been committed by the same perpetrato ...
. He replaced
Jason Gideon This is a list of characters in the television series ''Criminal Minds'', an American police procedural drama which premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS and concluded its original run on February 19, 2020. It is also shown on A&E and Ion Televis ...
, who was written out following
Mandy Patinkin Mandel "Mandy" Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway (theatre), Broadway performer he has collaborated with Step ...
's abrupt departure from the series. Mantegna has stated in an interview that the character was named after one of the policemen who had testified at the O. J. Simpson trial. Rossi's middle name, Stephen, is revealed in a flashback near the end of the tenth season episode, "Nelson's Sparrow".


Storylines


Backstory

Rossi was born and raised on
Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, in the town of Commack. As a child, he was friends with a young Emma Taylor, whom he refers to as the "one who got away". He was also close with Ray Finnegan ( William Sadler), who eventually grew up to be a prominent local mobster. Rossi, however, avoided the lure of
organized crime Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...
, and enlisted in the
Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...
. He also admits in season 9, while interrogating a suspect, that when he was a teenager, he stuffed a Black teammate on his baseball team into a locker and urinated on him because of
peer pressure Peer pressure is a direct or indirect influence on peers, i.e., members of social groups with similar interests and experiences, or social statuses. Members of a peer group are more likely to influence a person's beliefs, values, religion and beh ...
from his other, white teammates. He says he has felt ashamed of it ever since, and that he considers it the worst thing he ever did. Details of his military service are sketchy, as Rossi rarely talks about it. He served in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
and rose to the rank of
sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...
before retiring from the
Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...
; based on the backstory timelines, specifically the time in service required to rise to the rank of sergeant major and retire, he presumably served in the Marine Corps Reserve after joining the FBI. In the Season 8 episode " The Fallen", Rossi encounters his old unit commander, Sgt. Harrison Scott (
Meshach Taylor Meshach Taylor (; April 11, 1947 – June 28, 2014) was an American actor, widely known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom '' Designing Women'' (1986–93), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstandin ...
), who has since become a
homeless Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...
living on the streets of
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
. Through flashbacks, it is shown that Scott had saved Rossi's life in Vietnam when Rossi froze at an oncoming
Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...
soldier. It is implied that they both served in the
1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
. After being discharged from active duty, 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 illustrious FBI career and enjoys a sterling reputation, even outside the BAU confines. He claims to have "written the book" on
hostage negotiation Crisis negotiation is a law enforcement technique used to communicate with people who are threatening violenceStrentz, Thomas (2006). ''Psychological aspects of crisis negotiation.'' CRC Press, (workplace violence, domestic violence, suicide, or ...
, and in one episode steps in as a negotiator when his fellow agents
Spencer Reid This is a list of characters in the television series ''Criminal Minds'', an American police procedural drama which premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS and concluded its original run on February 19, 2020. It is also shown on A&E (TV network), A& ...
(
Matthew Gray Gubler Matthew Gray Gubler (, ; born March 9, 1980) is an American actor, best known for his role as criminal profiler Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show ''Criminal Minds'', for which he also directed several episodes. Gubler has appeared in ...
) and
Emily Prentiss Emily Elizabeth Prentiss is a fictional character in the CBS crime drama ''Criminal Minds'', portrayed by Paget Brewster. A longtime member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), Prentiss is characterized by her intelligence, linguistic abilities, ...
(
Paget Brewster Paget Valerie Brewster ( ; born March 10, 1969) is an American actress. She first received recognition for her recurring role as Kathy on the fourth season of ''Friends''. She gained wider recognition as FBI Supervisory Special Agent Emily Pre ...
) are being 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 ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...
isn't in town." He had worked with Hotchner prior to his initial retirement from the Bureau. To date Rossi has been married three times, but he has said the only people he knows how to make happy are "divorce lawyers". In season seven, he reconnects with his first wife, Carolyn (
Isabella Hofmann Isabella Hofmann (born December 11, 1958) is an American actress known for her portrayal of Kate in '' Dear John'' (1988–1992), Megan Russert in '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (1994–1997), and Dr. Renee Dunseith in '' Providence'' (2001†...
), who tells him she is dying of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...
and asks him to help her end her suffering. After some deliberation, he tells her he cannot bring himself to help her commit suicide, only to find that she has already taken an overdose of her medication. As she dies in his arms, she asks, "Do you think he'll be there?" Rossi replies, "I know he will." At the end of the episode, the "he" in question is revealed to be their son James, who died moments after being born, and whom Rossi buries her next to. In season 9, it is revealed that his second wife, Hayden Montgomery (
Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph (born December 30, 1956) is an American actress and singer. Known for her performances on stage and screen, she earned acclaim for her role as Deena Jones in the Broadway musical ''Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she was nomi ...
), is African American, and later in season 10 he discovers she was pregnant when they divorced, and that he has a daughter, Joy (
Amber Stevens Amber Dawn Stevens West (born ) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Ashleigh Howard in the ABC Family series ''Greek'' (2007–2011)'','' Maxine in the NBC sitcom ''The Carmichael Show'' (2015–2017), and Claire Davis in t ...
), and a grandson. Rossi has a romantic relationship with BAU Bureau Chief Erin Strauss (
Jayne Atkinson Jayne Atkinson (born 18 February 1959) is a British-American actress. She is best known for the role of Karen Hayes on '' 24'', as well as her Tony Award–nominated roles in '' The Rainmaker'' and '' Enchanted April''. She has also appeared in ...
), hinted at throughout the series starting late in season 7. The full details of the affair are never disclosed, but he reveals his feelings for her when she is murdered by serial killer John Curtis (
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and the Joker (character), Joker in various animated DC Comics projects, starting with ''Batm ...
), aka "The Replicator"; upon learning of her death, the usually unflappable Rossi becomes deeply emotional. At the end of the season, he kills Curtis to save his fellow agents' lives, thus avenging Strauss' murder. Despite growing up on Long Island, Rossi is apparently a
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
fan, judging by the Cubs gear in his Quantico office. It is hinted that he plays
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
s, as BAU Technical Analyst
Penelope Garcia This is a list of characters in the television series ''Criminal Minds'', an American police procedural drama which premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS and concluded its original run on February 19, 2020. It is also shown on A&E and Ion Televis ...
(
Kirsten Vangsness Kirsten Vangsness (born July 7, 1972) is an American actress and writer best known for her role as FBI Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia on CBS's ''Criminal Minds'', as well as the spin-off, '' Suspect Behavior'' and '' Beyond Borders''. Early ...
) mentions a report of an abducted child named "
Niko Bellic Niko Bellic () is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of Rockstar North's 2008 video game ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', the sixth main entry in Rockstar Games' ''Grand Theft Auto'' series. He also makes non-playable appearances i ...
", who Rossi points out to be a character from ''
Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's ''Grand Theft Auto: San And ...
''. Also, in a season 8 episode, Rossi shows familiarity with the game "Gods of Combat", a fictionalized PC game which corrupts the minds of several young murder suspects.


Personality

In contrast to Hotchner and Gideon, Rossi is decisively extroverted, abrasive, and much less cerebral, though still highly intelligent and disciplined. In one episode, Prentiss describes him as a "fussy, anal-retentive neat-freak who never leaves anything out of place", even color-coding his notes (blue pen for evidentiary items, red pen for supposition and theory). He seems to favor less polished, more traditional police methods in profiling and
interrogation Interrogation (also called questioning) is interviewing as commonly employed by law enforcement officers, military personnel, intelligence agencies, organized crime syndicates, and terrorist organizations with the goal of eliciting useful informa ...
- for example, he has no idea what a PDA is. Nevertheless, he, Reid, and Gideon are the only characters who are known for being prolific writers. In later episodes, it is implied that he is more technically savvy than he was when first seen - in "Epilogue", he attributes his tiredness to a long session of ''
Rock Band ''Rock Band'' is a series of rhythm games first released in 2007 and developed by Harmonix. Based on their previous development work from the Guitar Hero, ''Guitar Hero'' series, the main ''Rock Band'' games have players use game controllers mod ...
'' and not enough coffee the night before, but he also claims to have "wiped the floor" with
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
in the process, apparently on a high difficulty level. Rossi is apparently something of a playboy, judging by what Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau ( A.J. Cook) says to Garcia: "From what I hear, Rossi is the reason most of these
fraternization Fraternization (from Latin ''frater'' meaning "brother") is the act of establishing intimate relations between people or groups. It is generally used to refer to establishing relations that are considered unethical, controversial, problematic, or i ...
rules even exist." On one occasion he has come into a team meeting late and with an undone tie, leading colleague Derek Morgan (
Shemar Moore Shemar Franklin Moore (born April 20, 1970) is an American actor. His notable roles include Malcolm Winters on ''The Young and the Restless'' (1994–2002, 2004–05, 2014, 2019, 2023), Derek Morgan on ''Criminal Minds'' (2005–17), and the l ...
) to ask if he is "working on wife number four". It is implied that Rossi is quite wealthy. At times, he has deliberately flaunted his financial security to his superiors - for example, mentioning to Strauss during an interrogation session his grievances about how the price of 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), and an
Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...
artwork he has in his office. In one episode, he also gives a young Catholic girl a check for $500 when she takes her
First Holy Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...
. In "Zoe's Reprise", he secretly pays for a young girl's funeral who was a fan of his books and was murdered the night she met Rossi. Also in season seven, Rossi makes his wealth apparent when the team coerces him to bankroll a sting at a poker tournament rather than going through FBI channels for funding. In another episode, Rossi believes that a suspect's monogrammed shirt is a clue to his real name; he states that such shirts are expensive, adding "trust me." At the end of season 7, Rossi hosts a lavish party at his house, where he later hosts Jareau and William LaMontagne, Jr.'s (
Josh Stewart Joshua Regnall Stewart (born February 6, 1977) is an American actor. He had his breakout with a main role as Officer Brendan Finney on the sixth and final season of the NBC crime drama television series ''Third Watch'' (2004–2005). Following ...
) wedding.


On the job

Rossi was in early retirement until his voluntary return to the BAU in 2007, replacing
Jason Gideon This is a list of characters in the television series ''Criminal Minds'', an American police procedural drama which premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS and concluded its original run on February 19, 2020. It is also shown on A&E and Ion Televis ...
(
Mandy Patinkin Mandel "Mandy" Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway (theatre), Broadway performer he has collaborated with Step ...
). Rossi had retired in order to write books and go on lecture tours, but he returned to "settle some unfinished business". As he had served in an early form of the BAU, it was initially hard for Rossi to acclimate 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 bludgeoned to death in the family home with an axe. After going unsolved for 20 years, the case found that a
mentally disabled Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
carny Carny, also spelled carnie, is an informal term used in North America for a traveling carnival employee, and the language they use, particularly when the employee operates a game ("joint"), food stand ("grab", "popper", or "floss wagon"), or rid ...
clown A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an Improvisational theatre#Comedy, open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct cosmetics, makeup or costume, costuming and reversing social norm, folkway-norms. The art of ...
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. In "Hanley Waters", as he is being interviewed about Prentiss' "apparent death" by Hotchner 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 Hotchner, to commemorate Prentiss and Hotchner's deceased wife Haley (
Meredith Monroe Meredith Leigh Monroe (born December 30, 1969) is an American actress best known for portraying Andie McPhee on ''Dawson's Creek'' from 1998 to 2003, her recurring role as Haley Hotchner on ''Criminal Minds'' and Carolyn Standall on ''13 Reasons ...
). In the season six finale, he is almost shot in the face by a suspect pretending to be a victim of
human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
; however, Morgan's quick reaction saves his life. Later he meets Jareau in his office after solving the case. She meets him to let him know that she is returning to the team. In season seven, Rossi is just as surprised as the others to learn that Prentiss is alive. However, in "Proof", he mentions to Hotchner that he had an inkling that Prentiss wasn't dead. As he has no children from his previous marriages, Rossi has adopted the BAU team as his own family and invites them to his house for dinner. In "Profiling 101", convicted serial killer Tommy Yates (
Adam Nelson Adam McCright Nelson (born July 7, 1975) is an American shot putter and Olympic gold medalist. Nelson competed in three consecutive Olympic Games in 2000, 2004 and 2008. In addition to his gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, Nelson won a silver m ...
) boasts to Rossi about killing and mutilating a total of 101 women and gives him a list of 40 victims' names. Yates makes a deal with Rossi and the FBI to avoid the
death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
in exchange for revealing one additional name per year on a "special day", which proves to be Rossi's birthday. In "Annihilator" he is forced into retirement when assistant director of National Security Linda Barnes (
Kim Rhodes Kim Rhodes (born June 7, 1969) is an American actress who is known for portraying Cindy Harrison on the soap operas '' Another World'' (1996–1999) and ''As the World Turns'' (2000–2001), Carey Martin on the Disney Channel sitcoms ''The Suite ...
) reassigns the BAU. However, he is reinstated by the end of the next episode. Rossi carries a Springfield Professional Model 1911-A1 .45 ACP pistol as his duty sidearm. Only active or former members of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team and Regional SWAT teams are authorized to carry that pistol. Although never mentioned this would seem to indicate that Rossi served on one or both of these elite FBI tactical units at one time during his FBI career.


Awards and decorations

In "Anonymous", Rossi's military awards and decorations can be clearly seen in a shadowbox hanging on his office wall. The following are the medals and service awards fictionally worn by Sgt. Maj. Rossi.


References

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rossi, David Criminal Minds characters Fictional Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Fictional characters from New York (state) Fictional United States Marine Corps personnel Fictional Vietnam War veterans Fictional writers Television characters introduced in 2007 American male characters in television