Who is Ricciotti from The Case of Comrade Tulayev and what is their importance?

Ricciotti is in charge of the foreign department. He is an old friend of Erchov, who shared in his sudden rise to power. He grew up on the shores of a beautiful bay and still has a Neapolitan-fisherboy beauty, with a fleck of gold in his eyes and a warm guitar player's voice. He has a wild imagination and is very loyal to the Party. Ricciotti is a unique man. He is arrested ten days after Erchov, and he confesses to crimes he did not commit in order to remain loyal to the Party. He also convinces Erchov to confess. One suspects that he made a deal to save his life.