AIZUKOTETSU-KAI: Yakuza organization centered in Kyoto, Japan

VINNIE AMENDOLA: mortuary technician at OCME

LOUIE BARBERA: temporary capo for Vaccarro crime family

DR. HAROLD BINGHAM: chief medical examiner, NYC

CLAIR BOURSE: receptionist at iPS USA

MICHAEL CALABRESE: private placement agent

PAULIE CERINO: capo for Vaccarro crime family, currently in prison

GROVER COLLINS: a kidnap expert and one of the founders of CRT Risk Management

DR. BENJAMIN (BEN) COREY: founder and CEO of iPS USA LLC

CRT RISK MANAGEMENT: stands for Collins, Rupert, and Thomas, a team of mostly previous Special Forces agents who have teamed up to help victims of kidnapping in particular

TOMMASO DELUCA: young enforcer for Vaccarro crime family, hired by Louie Barbera

JOHN DEVRIES: head of toxicology at OCME

VINNIE DOMINICK: capo for the Lucia crime famiy

YOSHIAKI ETO: enforcer for Aizukotetsu-kai in New York City

KENICHI FUJIWARA: senior vice minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry for the Japanese government

HIROSHI FUKAZAWA: oyabun, or head, of Yamaguchi-gumi

SABORU FUKUDA: saiko-komon of Yamaguchi-gumi in New York City

KANIJI GOTO: Yamaguchi-gumi enforcer in Japan

CARL HARRIS: chief financial officer of iPS USA LLC

INAGAWA-KAI: Yakuza organization centered in Tokyo, Japan

IPS PATENT JAPAN: fictitious Japanese corporation dealing specifically with Japanese patents

IPS USA: fictitious U.S. corporation dealing with induced pluripotent stem cell patents and associated intellectual property

HISAYUKI ISHII: oyabun, or head, of Aizukotetsu-kai

TOM JANOW: detective lieutenant of the Bergen County police

KENJI: name Laurie gave to Satoshi Machita’s corpse before it was identified

TOKUTARO KUDO: saiko-komon of Yamaguchi-gumi in Japan

LUCIA CRIME FAMILY: Long Island Mafia family run by capo Vinnie Dominick

ARTHUR MACEWAN: enforcer for Vaccarro crime family

SATOSHI MACHITA: researcher with wife, Yunie-chan, and son, Shigeru

DUANE MACKENZIE: young enforcer for Vaccarro crime family, hired by Louie Barbera

REBECCA MARSHALL: identification clerk at OCME

MLI: medical legal investigator at OCME; they have forensic training but are not MDs; MLIs go out in the field to investigate deaths

BRENNAN MONAGHAN: enforcer for the Vaccarro Mafia family

HANK MONROE: director of identification at OCME

MITSUHIRO NARUMI: saiko-komon of Inagawa-kai

OCME: Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York City

CARLO PAPARO: enforcer for the Vaccarro Mafia family

MAUREEN O’CONNOR: supervisor of histology laboratory at OCME

OYABUN: head of a Yakuza organization, or Mob boss

TED POLOWSKI: enforcer for the Vaccarro crime family

TWYLA ROBINSON: chief of staff at OCME

SAIKO-KOMON: head adviser of Yakuza organization just below the oyabun in the particular Yakuza’s hometown, or the boss of a splinter group in a different town

HIDEKI SHIMODA: saiko-komon for Aizukotetsu-kai in New York City

LOU SOLDANO: detective captain, NYPD

JACK STAPLETON: medical examiner, OCME, NYC

LAURIE MONTGOMERY-STAPLETON: medical examiner, OCME, NYC

RON STEADMAN: NYPD detective at Midtown North Precinct

JACQUELINE ROSTEAU: Ben Corey’s assistant

NAOKI TAJIRI: manager of The Paradise club in Tokyo

COLT THOMAS: a kidnap expert and one of the founders of CRT Risk Management

TADAMASA TSUJI: saiko-komon of Aizukotetsu-kai

VACCARRO CRIME FAMILY: Long Island Mafia family run by capo Louie Barbera

DR. CALVIN WASHINGTON: deputy chief medical examiner, NYC

RIKI WATANABE: enforcer for Hisayuki Ishii

LETICA WILSON: nanny for Laurie and Jack’s son, JJ

MARLENE WILSON: receptionist at OCME

WARREN WILSON: basketball buddy of Jack’s who is the neighborhood gang leader

YAKUZA: organized crime organization in Japan

YAMAGUCHI-GUMI: Yakuza organization centered in Kobe, Japan

CHONG YONG: enforcer for Hisayuki Ishii