Rafe has the peculiar air of a Purgatorial hobo. His coat is worn, torn, and far too small; he has a perpetual tuberculous cough, and his hands are stained to the wrist with his own blood; despite the motherly care provided by Francie, and the shy attentions of Dolly, he remains rakishly thin. Thus, the gray fox mingles effortlessly with his homeless brethren, most of whom know nothing of his membership in Heaven's Mafia.
While he is very polite and decent to everyone, Rafe does have a slight victim complex. He enjoys the sympathy which is lavished upon him, and rather pointedly seeks the company of those who give it to him. However, his concern for Old Man and Iris, his best friends among the homeless, is motivated more by honest love than by selfishness.
Who would have guessed that his best friend among the Mafiosi is Tony? Though the fox initially was frightened of the taciturn cat, the two have developed an incredibly strong friendship. It's kinda cute.