Who is Count Lippe from Thunderball and what is their importance?

Count Lippe is a sub-operative working for SPECTRE and a former member of a criminal organization called The Red Lightning Tong. Bond sees Lippe's Tong tattoo while at Shrublands, and with his identity compromised, Lippe tries to kill Bond. In revenge, Bond turns up the heat on Lippe's steam bath, putting him out of commission for a week with severe burns. This means SPECTRE's international blackmail plan is delayed by a week, and because of Lippe's behavior, SPECTRE marks him for death. SPECTRE kills Lippe just as Lippe is about to kill Bond in retaliation.