Dominic Santini
Encyclopedia
Dominic Santini is a fictional character on the U.S. television series Airwolf
, which ran from 1984 to 1987. Veteran actor Ernest Borgnine
portrayed the character during the series' first three seasons.
Santini is of Italian-American descent, and was born and raised on the fictional Caribbean
Island nation of San Remo. His wife Lila, from whom Santini had been long estranged, was murdered by San Remo's criminal element during the Season Two Airwolf episode "Sins of the Past." Dominic and Lila had a daughter, Sally Ann, but Sally Ann died of a drug overdose shortly before the beginning of the same episode. Santini's other known relatives include his younger brother Tony Santini and Tony's daughter (Dominic's niece) Jo Santini, who becomes an important supporting character on the series during its fourth and final season. Dominic also has another niece, Holly Mathews, who suffers from a delusional emotional illness and nearly causes a disaster for her uncle and his friends during the episode "The Truth About Holly."
Santini is a veteran of World War II
and the Korean War
, serving as a combat aviator for the U.S. Army in both conflicts. During his wartime experiences, Santini becomes a good friend of fellow American military aviator Alan B. Hawke. After Hawke and his wife are killed in a boating accident, Santini takes it upon himself to raise the Hawkes' two young sons, Saint John Hawke and Stringfellow Hawke
, to manhood. A gruff, but loving father figure, Santini teaches both Hawke brothers the art of flying, and both grow up to become excellent aviators under his tutelage.
After Saint John goes missing in action
during the Vietnam War
, Santini and Stringfellow dedicate themselves to the operation of Santini Air, a Van Nuys, California
-based air charter service founded and owned by Santini that specializes in performing aerial stunts for Hollywood film productions. As Santini Air's chief proprietor, Dominic was known for his willingness to take on even the most difficult flying stunts and for being very budget-minded.
In 1984, Santini helps Stringfellow to recover the high-tech espionage helicopter
Airwolf from Libya
, where the sophisticated aircraft had been taken by its insane creator Doctor Charles Henry Moffet. Over the next two and a half years, Santini would serve as flight engineer on Airwolf, with Stringfellow as pilot and aircraft commander. When necessary, Santini would also occasionally take Hawke's place as Airwolf's pilot and aircraft commander. On such occasions, the flight engineer's duties would be transferred to Caitlin O'Shannessy, a former Texas Highway Patrol
officer whom Santini and Stringfellow had befriended and whom Santini had hired as an employee for Santini Air.
Santini and Hawke would fly Airwolf on a number of national security missions in cooperation with the government intelligence agency known as the Firm, which had supplied funding for Airwolf's construction. Santini and Hawke would also periodically use Airwolf to help friends and innocent people in dire peril, to conduct humanitarian missions, to aid in scientific research, and to correct injustices. Santini has great admiration and fondness for the elegant and sleek espionage aircraft, which he affectionately dubs "the Lady" and to which he often speaks as if the machine were alive.
In 1987, Dominic is killed in a helicopter explosion that also severely injures Stringfellow Hawke. This explosion was caused not by an accident, but by an act of sabotage by Santini and Hawke's enemies.
After Dominic's death, his niece Jo becomes the new chief proprietor of Santini Air. Following the rescue of Saint John Hawke from Southeast Asia
, Jo also takes her late uncle's place as an Airwolf crew member, as does Saint John for his wounded brother Stringfellow.
Airwolf
Airwolf is an American television series that ran from 1984 until 1987. The program centers on a high-tech military helicopter, code named Airwolf, and its crew as they undertake various missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War theme....
, which ran from 1984 to 1987. Veteran actor Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine is an American actor of television and film. His career has spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty...
portrayed the character during the series' first three seasons.
Santini is of Italian-American descent, and was born and raised on the fictional Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
Island nation of San Remo. His wife Lila, from whom Santini had been long estranged, was murdered by San Remo's criminal element during the Season Two Airwolf episode "Sins of the Past." Dominic and Lila had a daughter, Sally Ann, but Sally Ann died of a drug overdose shortly before the beginning of the same episode. Santini's other known relatives include his younger brother Tony Santini and Tony's daughter (Dominic's niece) Jo Santini, who becomes an important supporting character on the series during its fourth and final season. Dominic also has another niece, Holly Mathews, who suffers from a delusional emotional illness and nearly causes a disaster for her uncle and his friends during the episode "The Truth About Holly."
Santini is a veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, serving as a combat aviator for the U.S. Army in both conflicts. During his wartime experiences, Santini becomes a good friend of fellow American military aviator Alan B. Hawke. After Hawke and his wife are killed in a boating accident, Santini takes it upon himself to raise the Hawkes' two young sons, Saint John Hawke and Stringfellow Hawke
Stringfellow Hawke
Stringfellow Hawke is a fictional character on the American action-adventure television series Airwolf . During the series' first three seasons, Hawke is its central character...
, to manhood. A gruff, but loving father figure, Santini teaches both Hawke brothers the art of flying, and both grow up to become excellent aviators under his tutelage.
After Saint John goes missing in action
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, Santini and Stringfellow dedicate themselves to the operation of Santini Air, a Van Nuys, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based air charter service founded and owned by Santini that specializes in performing aerial stunts for Hollywood film productions. As Santini Air's chief proprietor, Dominic was known for his willingness to take on even the most difficult flying stunts and for being very budget-minded.
In 1984, Santini helps Stringfellow to recover the high-tech espionage helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
Airwolf from Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, where the sophisticated aircraft had been taken by its insane creator Doctor Charles Henry Moffet. Over the next two and a half years, Santini would serve as flight engineer on Airwolf, with Stringfellow as pilot and aircraft commander. When necessary, Santini would also occasionally take Hawke's place as Airwolf's pilot and aircraft commander. On such occasions, the flight engineer's duties would be transferred to Caitlin O'Shannessy, a former Texas Highway Patrol
Texas Highway Patrol
The Texas Highway Patrol is a division of the Texas Department of Public Safety and has the responsibility for general police traffic supervision, traffic, and criminal law enforcement on the rural highways of Texas...
officer whom Santini and Stringfellow had befriended and whom Santini had hired as an employee for Santini Air.
Santini and Hawke would fly Airwolf on a number of national security missions in cooperation with the government intelligence agency known as the Firm, which had supplied funding for Airwolf's construction. Santini and Hawke would also periodically use Airwolf to help friends and innocent people in dire peril, to conduct humanitarian missions, to aid in scientific research, and to correct injustices. Santini has great admiration and fondness for the elegant and sleek espionage aircraft, which he affectionately dubs "the Lady" and to which he often speaks as if the machine were alive.
In 1987, Dominic is killed in a helicopter explosion that also severely injures Stringfellow Hawke. This explosion was caused not by an accident, but by an act of sabotage by Santini and Hawke's enemies.
After Dominic's death, his niece Jo becomes the new chief proprietor of Santini Air. Following the rescue of Saint John Hawke from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Jo also takes her late uncle's place as an Airwolf crew member, as does Saint John for his wounded brother Stringfellow.