Beppe di Marco

Name: Beppe di Marco
First Appeared: 29th January 1998
Last Appeared: 4th June 2002
Played by: Michael Greco

Beppe Di Marco was a character who brought plenty of drama and a fair share of intrigue to Albert Square. He made his first appearance in January 1998, arriving just in time for his father Giuseppe’s funeral. Soon after, Beppe moved to the Square with his family, which included his mother, Rosa, brother Gianni, and sisters Teresa and Nicky. While the family came to Walford to open an Italian restaurant, Beppe had already carved out a career for himself as a police officer on the Vice squad.

It wasn’t long before the complexities of Beppe’s personal life started to unfold. He was revealed to be a single father to his son, Joe, after his ex-wife Sandra abandoned them, driven away by his meddling family who never forgave her for not being Italian. Things quickly got heated when Beppe clashed with local hardmen Phil and Grant Mitchell. As a police officer, Beppe saw them as troublemakers, which naturally didn’t sit well with the Mitchell brothers. While his interactions with Phil were more sporadic, his animosity towards Grant became a full-blown feud, especially after he grew close to Grant’s wife, Tiffany.

Beppe’s relationship with Tiffany further fuelled the fire between him and Grant. Beppe urged Tiffany to leave her abusive husband, and the situation escalated to a brawl in The Queen Vic. When Tiffany decided to leave Grant after discovering his affair with her mother, tragedy struck. She fell down the stairs, leading many to believe Grant had pushed her. Beppe had Grant arrested for attempted murder and pressured Tiffany to support the accusation, though she later wrote a letter exonerating Grant. However, Tiffany was killed in a car accident before leaving Walford, and Beppe, devastated, burned the letter in a futile attempt to see Grant punished. This backfired when Grant was cleared of charges, leading to Beppe’s dismissal from the force for evidence tampering.

Out of work, Beppe found employment as a cab driver for Barry Evans and entered a tumultuous relationship with Sam Mitchell, which ended once she learned about the burned letter. Beppe then formed a business partnership with Steve Owen, managing the E20 nightclub. This alliance came with its own set of issues, but Beppe’s police contacts proved useful when drugs were found at the club. His family, however, was less pleased when his sister Teresa dated Steve’s former employee, Matthew Rose. The Di Marco family drama continued with the arrival of Sandra, hoping to regain access to Joe. Though they briefly rekindled their romance, it was revealed Sandra had ulterior motives, leading to a bitter custody battle that had serious repercussions for Joe.

By 2002, Beppe had developed feelings for Lynne Slater, leading to a love triangle with her fiancé Garry Hobbs. Despite his efforts, Lynne ultimately chose Garry. Following the death of his mother, Beppe decided it was time to leave Walford to support his grieving family, selling his share of the nightclub to Sharon Watts.