After stealing the wrong necklace from the wrong woman, petty thief Cristian Inzaghi (also known as Asso - Ace) found himself cursed by a priestess of the Black Skull. He did the right thing and ditched the necklace but the curse seemed to stick. He was cursed never to dream again and Cristian found it impossible to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. Over time this dwindled further so that he can now only sleep a handful of hours every year.

He continued his nocturnal thieving but moved to Venice at the other end of the country. He came across Adrian Jakmanni and Hat Bowler during his night-time partying and they seemed to bump into each other on a fairly regular basis, although he never really became friends with them.

When the Dawnstars brought the Miranda to Venice, Cristian found himself ferrying Adrian to and from the vessel to Adrian's palazzo, and through a series of coincidences he was offered the position of water taxi driver for the Miranda. He agreed to join up as it didn't really impact on his life anyway. He can work during the day and still manage to cause trouble at night, although it has been made clear that he must now avoid breaking the law.

Internally he is still debating his situation and what is best for him.

Asso is a man who is out for himself and always has since he was very young. Since joining the Dawnstars he has questioned such an existence but he is far from changing it at this time. He cares a lot about himself and a little about his 'friends'. One thing that he insists upon is regular partying, and he fulfils this on a nightly basis, enjoying the variety of Venice nightlife.

He has taken a fancy to Gabriella Rossiello, although she is far from being impressed.

"I'm always happy to be your Ace In A Hole, Gabriella."

Cristian has been cursed by a mystic which prohibits him from sleeping more than a few hours every year. He also appears to have the ability to escape from sticky situations and a general slipperiness which has served him well in his role as night time thief and scoundrel.

Cristian is very thin and slippery. His hair is shoulder-length and wavy, although it quickly becomes oily. He always smells of the water and people joke that he is a River Rat. On duty he wears the Dawnstars uniform but when he is on his own and on the town, he wears dark coats and clothes which help him fade into the shadows. He always wears sunglasses and avoids people scrutinising him.