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Crime & The Neighborhood
Topic Started: Jul 19 2011, 09:58 AM (472 Views)
storyspoiler
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If you press Story’s worldbuilding button again, you get “crime”. Unlike the paper, I don’t care if any of this becomes real--it’s just some ideas.

The most powerful crime boss in the city is Geoffrey “Duke” Ferrara, though anyone who actually knows anything knows that his empire is actually run by his canny wife, Helena Ferrara. He (and she) are opposed by one of Geoffrey’s former lieutenants, the pale and ruthless Lloyd Jenkins, who’s carving out his own swath of the city and is, if anything, feared more than his former mentor. Neither of them, however, can quite get a handle on the healthy prostitution business, which is currently kept fiercely independent by the young and mysterious Madame Mai and run mostly out of the East End.

Random neighborhood ideas:

East End: Red and pink light district, where much of the sex trade is based. Run by Madame Mai.

The Drains: The worst neighborhood in the city, where everything...drains. Unclaimed by either Jenkins or Ferrara, because really, who wants it? But any criminal worth his salt runs a business down here.

Oyster Hook: The docks, run by the fiercely unionized Oyster Hook dockworkers, who so far have managed to keep both Jenkins and Ferrara out, largely by striking deals with both. Also has a large population of unwashed homeless people.

Outer Brewster, Scargo Hill, Lightside: Three lower-middle-class neighborhoods run by the Ferraras, who are headquartered cozily in Lightside. Mostly fall victim to the usual mafiosi-style tricks, protection rackets, drug runs and the like.

Fierch Signal, Key's Point: Two slightly-more-lower-class neighborhoods controlled by Lloyd Jenkins. Tend to fall victim to slightly more “modern” types of crime then the Ferrara neighborhoods.

Mashnee Island, Knife Works: A couple of lower-class neighborhoods that are run by various smaller criminal franchises. May be quietly, or violently being fought over by Ferrara or Jenkins people.

Norman’s Woe: A slip of a neighborhood stuck between Scargo Hill, Key's Point, and The Drains, Norman’s Woe bears the distinction of not being controlled by any criminals largely because if any large-scale organization were to take it over, it would cause instant, violent war between Jenkins and the Ferraras. The City Sun is headquartered here.

Indigo Hollow, Starling’s Walk: Two fairly upper-class neighborhoods, uncontrolled by crime because when you’re rich enough, you can do that. Home of many lovely brownstones.

Christ Church: THE richest neighborhood in the city, home of a lot of gracious imitation southern mansions, plus many parties, etc. A wonderful place, really, if you can afford it.
Edited by storyspoiler, Jul 19 2011, 10:05 AM.
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Doghouse Reilly
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Somebody's always giving me guns.
The neighborhood names are great.

It does seem good to know where the crime is, because many characters will be involved in it to some degree, I imagine. I like all of this, and would be excited to see it canonized, especially because I am thinking of doing a PI right now.
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Arscapi
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I like the sections of the city. It's a great idea that will allow us to create specific threads to keep track of our characters. Plus, as we flesh out certain neighborhoods in more detail, it will help add a richness to our characters as we claim a home turf. However, I'm a little concerned about the amount and types of organized crime in our city. It it historically accurate to have a mob presence, but there are a few things in particular that I am thinking we need to look at.

I’m not so sure that there should be a whole section of the city dedicated to the sex trade. It would be illegal, and if it was in a known area like a red-light district, the upstanding citizens of the city would not stand for it. The police wouldn’t be able to look the other way. They would be forced to intervene or risk not having jobs.

Also, since most illicit sex-trade activities were either directly under the control of organized crime, and most organized crime was run by the criminal elements of an ethnic group, if there was someone like mysterious Mai, she would have a brothel full of Asian women. It is historically inaccurate and highly unlikely that she would have women of other ethnicities working for her. And it seems a little odd that a young woman would have a position of that kind of power and authority.

As for the organized crime and Mafioso element…I think you are misconstruing the role the Mafia played in a community. At this point in history, the relationship between the mob and a neighborhood and community was still mostly symbiotic. Mobsters were not people who were feared. They were who the people of an ethnic community turned to for assistance and protection. Made men were men to be respected, who looked out for the community and helped solve problems, especially in immigrant communities where there is some fear and distrust of authority figures like the police. Yes, there was crime like paying protection, but it was a common as the car insurance we pay today. It was your safeguard against undue competition and was more like your own security guards more than a total shakedown. And while the mob is usually pictured as purely Italian, almost all immigrant groups had their own mob groups in their neighborhoods.

Successful organized crimes reaches into every neighborhood, not just the poor ones. It is subtle and blends in. So while prostitution occurs all over the city, it would manifest as street walkers in the poorest of neighborhoods and as an upscale “gentlemens’ club” in the wealthiest. It often has interests in politics, especially when dealing with labor unions. In part because labor union leaders are “guys from the neighborhood” and so are the movers and shakers in a mafia, they often know each other. There is an understanding of a sort that both sides are working for the good of the neighborhood and “our people” so there is some sort of quid pro quo deal worked out. The union does not shut out the mafia, just as the mafia does not disrespect the union.
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storyspoiler
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'Scapi, you want a more realistic noir-land, don't just critique mine--write up an alternative. I surely am not the only one with the power to make up neighborhoods in this forum ;)
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Outfoxd
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I actually feel looking to history to help with and discuss the neighborhood will help us all reach an accord on the ideas. As we'd be considering ethnic mobs, it might be favorable to include ethnic neighborhoods.

I kind of like the idea of organized crime being pervasive and subtle. I could see Ferrara a culminating some family-friendly persona. Maybe he grew up tough, and the only way he could provide was through this particular "career" and he has a soft spot for certain underprivileged people.

Let's get some discussion/collaboration goin', folks. I like where this is going.
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VinnyMcQ

You know what the brothel reminds me of: Sin City

That's not a bad thing at all in my book.

Also I hope this comes canon since I'm well doing a unionised dockie
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Outfoxd
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I could see the unionized dock being canonized, because the city is vaguely based on Detroit/Chicago, and at the very least I know Flint/Detroit both had strong worker's protests.

Granted I think those were in the 60s, but we might be able to get away with it for The City.
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CaseyNuge
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Chicago had the Haymarket Riot, which pretty much destroyed the credibility of the Knights of Labor. However, it was also a huge deal in unions and how they were dealt with. I don't know anything about Chicago or the docks, but we did have the meatpacking district, as well as the stockyards, both of which tried to organize, so the union angle is entirely plausible. I'm not sure what the date would be, but since it's not actually Chicago or Detroit, I think it's okay to assume we can just make one up.

As for the brothel thing, I like the idea, but it should probably be more spread out and discreet. Instead of just one specific area, there could be several pockets all around the city. A person like Madame Mai could exist, but she'd probably have to be working under someone else. We could have the Red Light District be the area where the operation is set up, I suppose, but there'd have to be someone in the police force getting paid to turn away, or something along those lines.

Then again, there's also the fact that this is a noir story, so we could probably take a few liberties with historical realism for the sake of the style.

I really like the base Story's set up, though. I think if everyone throws in some ideas and tweaks, it could be both realistic and stylistic, and fit the game quite well.
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Arscapi
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I don’t think we need an alternative to the neighborhoods you created. I was just trying to make them more realistic. Since you asked for my neighborhoods, here’s what I’ve come up with.

Chinatown:

Chinatown would be a maze of back alleys and dead ends. The majority of the Chinese people would work within the community, most likely in the family business. The people would traditionally live above their stores or in other buildings that had been converted into cramped tenement-style housing. Families would live together with several generations in the same house.

The main street would boast primarily small shops like laundries, grocers, and restaurants. Nearly all of the stores would display their names in large Mandarin or Cantonese characters, with any English translations written in much smaller text, if at all.

On the back streets there would be apothecaries, a few scattered Buddhist temples, a few Chinese schools to ensure the “proper” education of the youngest generation, some social clubs for the aging to hang out in, neighborhood drinking establishments, and probably at least one gambling establishment, as well as a few floating games.

During Chinese New Year and any other celebration banners and flags would be strung from building to building.



Italian neighborhoods:

The Italian enclave would be among one of the more established and entrenched blue-collar neighborhoods. Bakeries, butchers, delis, groceries, and tailors would be in abundance. The brownstone and duplex houses are well maintained, and neighbors watch out for each other. Which means that everyone is aware and involved in everyone else’s business. Information and gossip travels quickly and freely.

The neighborhood would boast a large Catholic church which is likely the center of the community. The priests would be held in high respect.
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Doghouse Reilly
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Somebody's always giving me guns.
Having ethnic neighborhoods is great. It also gives chances to vary the environment more than you could in a normal city. I quite like these suggestions.
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