Who is Mason Verger in the novel, Hannibal?

The most horrible character in Hannibal is Mason Verger. Verger has no redeeming qualities. In his youth he was a rapist of children whose inherited wealth kept him out of prison. Verger was nearly killed by Dr. Lecter who, as his psychotherapist, gave him acid and methamphetamine and convinced him to slice off parts of his own face, then broke his neck. Verger now lies paralyzed except for his head and neck and one crab-like hand. His body shrunken and his breathing dependent on a respirator, he is able to speak only through a set of electronic pipes. He is noseless, lipless, cheekless, and without an eyelid on his one eye. The grafted-on blood vessels of his face pulsate over his skull-like countenance. He is a monster in his physical appearance and in his utterly evil mind. He entertains himself by verbally tormenting small foster-care children and then drinking their tears in his martinis. He must rely on others to carry out his dirty work and is assisted by his majordomo, Cordell, a felon who helps Verger procure his child victims. Verger also relies on his bodybuilding lesbian sister, Margot, whom he sexually abused when they were children. He has inherited the family meatpacking business as well as his father's Maryland estate with its Stanford White-designed house and horse barns. He uses his wealth to buy privileged information and political favors. His consuming passion is revenge, the symbol of which is a huge mindless and voracious eel that swims endlessly in figure eights in a large tank.