Before Paul Blofis treated Sally Jackson like the Queen, he saw her as there was Gabe Ugliano, her first husband. A real ass of a man who saw Sally and Percy Jackson as his property, Gabe got what was coming to him when Sally used Medusa’s head to turn him to stone and sell him as a piece of art to a museum under the name, “The Poker Player.”
Gabe was heavily implied to be physically violence towards Sally whenever she told him, “No.” Also, he and Percy despised each other. When he was younger, Jackson called his stepfather Smelly Gabe because he smelled of cigars and beer.
Who Plays Gabe?
In the Lightning Thief movie, Gabe Ugliano is played by Joe Pantoliano. Timm Sharp plays the character in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians television series.
Gabe is mentioned in other Percy Jackson books, including:
- The Mark of Athena
- House of Hades
- Chalice of the Gods
Gabe Ugliano: The Cheater
According to Percy, when he sees Gabe’s interview with Barbara Walters, he suspects that his stepfather was cheating on his mother with his “grief therapist”, Sugar.
Gabe’s characterisation is believed to be inspired by King Polydectes, a Greek mythological character who attempted to marry Danaë, the mother of Zeus’ son, Perseus. However, there is one difference: Sally married Gabe of her own free will. However, Gabe and Polydectes both were killed after being petrified by Medusa’s head.
Percy sees Paul as a massive upgrade to Gabe as he treats Sally with the respect and love she deserves.
