Jackie Estacado is the current human host of the Darkness, which awakened within him on the night of his 21st birthday. Jackie is an Italian-American ex-contract killer of the Franchetti crime family led by his "uncle" Paulie Franchetti. After killing both Paulie and Eddie Shrote in revenge for the murder of his girlfriend, Jenny Romano, Jackie became the don of the Franchetti family after he was offered the position by Jimmy "The Grape".