I sit in a speakeasy operated by a minor Mafia family out of New York, waiting for an undercover source to meet me here. I feel fortunate to have some 'pull' and some respect in these parts because of the protection I have given to Buzz sources in the past, but I can't deny that I'm going to be much happier once this is over.
After a brief wait my source walks in. At the time of writing he's a Boss now, having put some work in alongside his peers and fought his way up the criminal ladder. He's of Upper Class wealth after scrimping and saving the proceeds from various bank jobs, booze runs and illicit rackets throughout the city. In many ways he could be considered 'Made' having become a Boss in his own family, of which there are dozens now operating in every major city. However he can also be considered up and coming still by the State Dons, Big Hitters and Crime Families that handle Mafia operations at the very top. As a Boss our man is in the middle, no longer a 'Nobody' but a way off being a Don.
The premise behind my own article, and the reason for this article was simple. With the changes made in the Bootleggers landscape over the last two months, Bosses were now more prolific than ever, with dozens of mobsters of this status reported to be active from the California coast to the dockyards of New Jersey. There had been reports of lower ranking, up and coming criminals increasingly struggling to climb the ladder as a result of this, and I asked my source if he has experienced this first hand.
"I have. I returned to the game [in late June] as a Thug, and I had a monumentally more difficult time persuading people to allow me to join their OCs. Even if I ask as nicely as possible -- being certain to include my please's and thank you's -- people still seem unwilling to allow such a low ranking groundling into their jobs.
Does it really make that much of a difference?"
And therein lies the question. Does rank at such a relatively low level really make that much of a difference?
The rumours have been flying around as long as people have been robbing banks. It is accepted wisdom in Mafia circles that hitting a bank with a seasoned Godfather, or a prolific interstate bank robber who has made his way to Don is a quicker route to becoming a high ranking criminal oneself; but is there much difference to a lower ranked Boss when having a skilled Thug as a driver, or a skilled gunman who just so happens to be a Gangster?
Arguments within the criminal fraternity have varied. Many argue that at the lower end of the ladder, rank does matter so long as the job is done. Many lower level bank robbers report that if a crew member is relatively inexperienced, then they may take four guns rather than one or two, or ensure that a top of the line Duesenberg is their getaway vehicle of choice. Arguments in some circles (as well as my own personal belief) focus on the possibility that rank does not necessarily matter until you start really climbing the ladder. Once criminals become a Godfather and start having Legendary status placed upon them, then a focus on only working with their peers may start to make more sense; but are Mafia enterprises ever going to be able to sustain growth if the current generation of Bosses and 'Respectable' Bosses are unwilling to give their more inexperienced peers a 'leg-up'?
On the other side of the coin however, many criminals argue that it is the responsibility of the upstart to take improvement upon themselves and start their own jobs. It is undeniably much easier to get a spot on a bank job these days now that criminal enterprises and networks are well established, but some older heads are arguing that this luxury certainly did not exist for them when starting out. The Mafia landscape is a cutthroat, never-ending race to the top and the reluctance of some of the bigger hitters to merely give their experience, time and (if a job fails) money may be understandable.
My meeting with our source came to an end over a cold beer, which I noticed my interviewee did not finish. He advised me that a job has just opened up with a local Godfather, and he was going to politely and ambitiously lobby for a spot in his crew. We both left the speakeasy and walked into the dark city streets in opposing directions. The fate that awaits him, the big hitters in the penthouse suites around the city and the local Thugs and racketeers in the alleyways; all remain to be seen.
YOUR VIEW: Does rank matter in OCs when everyone involved is Boss or lower? Is it just enough to have the best equipment? What is your policy when speaking to lower ranks now that everyone comes back as Boss upon death?/
