Eddie Carbone
A middle-aged working-class longshoreman living in Red Hook, Brooklyn, with his wife Beatrice and her niece Catherine. Eddie has romantic feelings for Catherine, though he cannot admit them to himself or anyone else, and does not want her to get involved with Rodolpho, one of Beatrice's newly-arrived immigrant cousins. He is unable to control his rage and jealousy and turns in the illegal immigrants. When Marco, Rodolpho's brother, insults his name, he provokes a fight and is stabbed by Marco with his own knife.
Beatrice Carbone
Eddie's long-suffering wife and aunt to Catherine, Beatrice has grown frustrated with her husband's obvious feelings for his niece. She tries to advise Catherine to grow up and move on with Rodolpho, but ultimately has to stand by Eddie.
Catherine
The seventeen-year-old niece of Beatrice and Eddie, Catherine is pretty, sweet, and a little naive. She loves her uncle but is only barely starting to grasp how his treatment of her and the childlike, guileless way she acts around him may be inappropriate. She falls for Rodolpho and wants to marry him and move away to escape her uncle's hurtful behavior.
Alfieri
A lawyer in Red Hook and the narrator of the play. Eddie visits Alfieri to figure out what he can do about preventing Catherine from marrying Rodolpho, but the keen-witted Alfieri senses what is really going on and counsels him to forget about her and move on; he does feel powerless, however, to stop the tragic events that he can foresee. He later advises the brothers after they are arrested by Immigration.
Louis
A longshoreman and friend of Eddie's until Eddie snitches on the cousins.
Mike
A longshoreman and friend of Eddie until Eddie snitches on the cousins.
Marco
Beatrice's cousin and brother to Rodolpho, Marco is married and has children back in Italy. He wants to work in America for a few years to raise money to send back to them. His pride is insulted by Eddie's treatment of his brother, and as he is being arrested he spits on Eddie and curses his name. After he makes bail but before he is deported, he returns to Eddie's house and fights with him, turning Eddie's own knife on its owner and killing him.
Rodolpho
Beatrice's cousin and Marco's brother, Rodolpho has come to America to be a citizen and make money. He is young, single, and has bright blonde hair. Eddie suspects he is a homosexual because he can sing, cook, sew, and because the other men find him "funny"; he believes Rodolpho is courting Catherine in order to acquire citizenship. Rodolpho seems to love her, though, and tries to marry her.
Tony
A longshoreman.
First Immigration Officer
One of the men who arrests Marco and Rodolpho.
Second Immigration Officer
One of the men who arrests Marco and Rodolpho.
Mr. Lipari
A neighbor of Eddie's and a butcher, two of his immigrant relatives plan on staying in the apartment but are arrested due to Eddie's snitching on Marco and Rodolpho.
