RPG Mafia Family | Dinner

The Prohibition (Classic) Alcohol smuggling during the dry era, and now high-margin illegal substances: fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamines, or synthetic pills arriving in containers disguised as fruit or auto parts. It's dirty money, plentiful and never-ending as long as there are people willing to pay any price.

White Collar Businesses Bank fraud, stock manipulation (pump and dump in crypto or penny stocks), Ponzi schemes disguised as "safe investments," and above all, legal casinos or online betting sites that serve as money laundering operations for millions. The money comes in as chips and leaves as "legitimate" winnings from tourists or gamblers.

Control of Unions Collecting "protection money" (the infamous pizzo) from dockworkers, construction workers, transporters, sanitation companies, and even catering firms for large events. It's a stable, predictable, and almost impossible-to-trace source of income.

Blood Inheritance A fortune amassed in the Old Country—Sicily, Calabria, Naples, Russia, or Japan—and discreetly transferred through generations. Gold, properties, accounts in tax havens, and shell companies that continue to generate dividends decades later.

Usurious loans Quick cash at exorbitant interest rates (20-50% weekly). Bankrupt businesses, desperate gamblers, and entrepreneurs without access to regular banks end up paying with blood or their property. When they don't pay, the family takes everything.

Extortion and control of entire sectors Construction (rigged bids), waste management, agriculture (control of orchards and exports), hotels, and tourist restaurants. The modern mafia doesn't just extort protection money: it buys or infiltrates companies and takes a percentage of the profits.

Money laundering through legitimate businesses Expensive restaurants, luxury car dealerships, real estate agencies, motels, barbershops, and even gyms.

Legal Facades The family invests in businesses that seem innocent, but serve as a base of operations, money laundering, and a perfect alibi. Family-run restaurants or trattorias: A steady flow of cash coming in through the front door and leaving clean through the back. Ideal for discreet meetings and for moving bundles disguised as tips. Environmental services company: Trucks entering and leaving industrial zones, access to landfills. One of the most profitable and least monitored businesses. Port of cargo, logistics or transport of goods: Containers that go through customs, secure warehouses and contacts on docks to import or export whatever is necessary. Funeral homes or mortuary services: Coffins, crematoriums. Nobody asks why there is so much "traffic" in the death business. Other classics: car dealerships, bars and nightclubs.

Illegal Activities Not all members kill, but all contribute to keeping the machine running. Each one has their specialty. Extortion of local businesses ("protection money"): Weekly visits to shops, restaurants, bars, and workshops. If they don't pay, the business suffers "accidents": broken windows, suppliers who don't arrive. Stable and predictable income. Loans with usurious interest rates: Quick cash for those who don't qualify for a bank loan. Interest rates of 5-10% weekly. If you don't pay, you start by losing a finger, then your business, then your family. The mafia always ends up taking everything. Illegal gambling: Poker games, illegal betting, parallel lotteries, or casinos in motels. The big loser ends up in debt, and the debt is paid with blood or favors. Trafficking in stolen goods: Cars, electronics, designer clothing, or alcohol. Targeted thefts or low-priced purchases of stolen trucks. Resold on the black market or used to pay off debts.

Online fraud: phishing or ransomware. Control of prostitution and escort services. Smuggling: Counterfeit weapons, organs, or products.

Size determines power, the territory they control, and the risks they face. Most families operate on a medium or small scale to survive raids and cartel competition.

The Core (Small Family – 3-5 key people + 10-30 total) The Don (absolute leader, the one who has the final say in everything). The Consigliere (counselor/lawyer). The Sottocapo (sub-boss, the one who executes and replaces the Don if he falls). A couple of Capos (captains, each one manages a "crew" or team). The Soldiers: A group of 10 to 20 loyal men who carry out orders (collections, intimidation, dirty work). The Associates: External people (corrupt police officers, informants, local politicians, accountants, straw men) who help the family but are not "real" (they did not swear an oath of blood, they cannot vote on internal decisions). Approximate total size: 20-50 people (including associates). Territory: A neighborhood or small industrial area. Stable but limited income.

Medium Family (50-150 total) The core expands: Don + Sottocapo + Consigliere + 4-7 Capos (each capo manages 8-15 soldiers). Soldiers: 40-80. Associates: 50-100+ (broader: lawyers, mid-level police officers, business owners, drug suppliers). Approximate total size: 100-200 people (including network of associates). Territory: Several neighborhoods, control of entire sectors (construction, garbage, medium-sized ports). High income, but with constant rivalries.

Large Family / Empire (150-400+ total) Don + Sottocapo + Consigliere + 8-15 Capos (each with large crews). Soldiers: 100-250. Associates: Hundreds (200-500+), including transnational networks: high-level politicians, bought judges, customs contacts, partners in other countries for import/export, even alliances with foreign cartels or mafias. Approximate total size: 300-1,000+ if you count the entire network. Territory: The entire city, national/international influence. Massive revenue.

The family is not just a business; it is a blood brotherhood governed by an unwritten code that stretches back centuries in Sicily. To break it is not just betrayal: it is suicide. These rules maintain order, prevent internal wars, and protect the organization from the law and from itself. The Don recites them at initiation, and each member carries them tattooed on their soul. To violate them means only one thing: death, often preceded by torture as a warning.

Fundamental Rules: Omertà: The Code of Silence If you talk to the police, the prosecutor's office, any authority... you die. It doesn't matter if they torture you, offer you immunity, or if your own life hangs by a thread: you keep quiet. Omertà is the foundation of everything. Breaking it turns a family member into a rat (informer).

Respect: Never touch another member's family Wives, children, mothers, siblings—they are untouchable. They are not to be harmed. Touching the family of a "friend" is a blood insult that justifies war or immediate execution. Even in acts of revenge, the rule is clear: the target is the man, not his innocent blood. Breaking this unleashes internal chaos and destroys trust.

The Tribute Each member must hand over a percentage of their earnings to the next higher rank (soldier to the capo, capo to the sottocapo, or to the Don). This tribute ensures everyone eats from the same table and that the Don has the resources to protect them all. It's loyalty in cash.

Absolute loyalty to family above all else The Cosa Nostra comes first, blood ties second. If your real brother betrays you, you turn him in. If your wife knows too much and talks, you handle her, or the family does. Betraying a "friend" (another mobster) is betraying everyone.

No fighting or stealing among members No internal fights (no fists, no knives, no bullets) without the Don's permission. No appropriating money, merchandise, or businesses belonging to another member or family. Everything is resolved at the table, not in the street.

Respect for wives and family morals Treat your wife with respect (no public or scandalous infidelity). Don't look at a friend's wife inappropriately. Family values ​​"honor" in domestic matters: a man who can't control his home can't control the street.

Punctuality Appointments must be kept to the second: arriving late is disrespectful.

Truth before superiors When a boss or the Don asks a question, you answer with the absolute truth. Lying is treason.

Do not associate with the police or with traitors Never befriend a police officer (unless they're corrupt). No one with close relatives in law enforcement can be "made."

Immoral behavior (excessive drug use, unnecessary abuse) may exclude you.

The Don (Representative / Boss) He's at the top of the pyramid. He doesn't get his hands dirty; he just gives general orders. Function: Makes decisions regarding war, peace, and major investments. Approves alliances with other families and the movement of millions of dollars. He's practically untouchable. He's seen at ceremonies, weddings, or funerals. He lives in fortified mansions or luxury apartments. If the Don falls (by bullet, imprisonment, or betrayal), the family descends into a war over succession. And external enemies take advantage of the chaos.

The Consigliere (Counselor) He is the right-hand man, but he doesn't have direct command over the soldiers. He is usually an older man or a lawyer. Role: He is the mediator. His voice is that of reason. He prevents unnecessary wars and handles diplomacy with other families or politicians. He gives the best advice and is the one who detects betrayals before anyone else. He doesn't collect direct tribute, but his word carries more weight than that of many bosses. He's the only one who can contradict the Don.

The Underboss (Deputy Chief) He is the "Field Captain". He is the link between the Don and the middle management. Function: Oversees all daily operations. Collects money from the Capos and delivers it to the Don. Handles issues the Don prefers not to address directly. He's the most dangerous direct superior. If the Sottocapo hates you, you'll never become the Don: he'll block your promotion, assign you suicide missions, or brand you a traitor. Many Sottocapos dream of becoming Don, and some achieve it... by stepping on corpses.

The Caporegime (Capo/Captain) Each Capo leads a "Decina" (a group of about 10 soldiers, sometimes more). Role: Controls a specific territory (a neighborhood, a district) or a specific business (gambling, ports, extortion). A mini-boss with autonomy: decides how to collect payments, whom to intimidate, and which jobs to accept. He's the one who assigns the daily tasks. The bosses are the ones who generate most of the money that goes up the pyramid. They have real power on the street, but they answer to the Underboss or directly to the Don.

The Soldier (Soldier / Man Made) To get here, the person must have committed a murder for the family ("doing the bones"). Function: They are the enforcers. They have the official protection of the family: touching a Soldier without permission is cause for death (even for another family). They handle collections, intimidation, and the transport of goods. It's the first major rank an associate aspires to achieve. A Soldier eats well, commands respect on the street, and can have their own small crew. But they remain expendable if they make serious mistakes.

The Associate (The Applicant) He's not an official member. He could be a talented thief, a corrupt cop, an outside hitman, a hacker, or a front man. Role: They work for the family but have no protection. They are expendable. They do the initial dirty work: surveillance, theft, package deliveries, and bribery. This is where new recruits begin. They must demonstrate absolute loyalty (years of service, favors, silence) to be recommended as a Capo. Many associates die without ever rising; they are cannon fodder and the breeding ground for the family.

Family is not a haven of eternal loyalty; it's a viper's nest where money, power, and fear constantly clash. Conflicts are inevitable.

Internal Conflicts These are the bloodiest and most personal.

Wars of Succession When the Don falls (by bullet, imprisonment, or old age), the throne is left vacant. The Sottocapo, ambitious capos, or even a shrewd consigliere vie for control. Secret alliances are formed, betrayals occur, and bodies turn up in car trunks. A classic example: a capo kills the Don to rise in the hierarchy, but other capos see it as treason and respond with a purge. If not resolved quickly, the family fractures into factions that kill each other.

Betrayals and violations of omertà Someone talks to the police, the FBI, or a prosecutor. Breaking the silence is a cardinal sin: the family grants permission to kill the traitor and their family. But before they can be caught, the traitor might betray operations, names, or hiding places, triggering massive raids. Betrayals motivated by jealousy or fear are common.

Disputes over territory or business Two drug lords claim the same neighborhood, the same casino, or the same drug supplier. One collects protection money without sharing, the other steals merchandise.

Unbridled ambition and internal conflicts A sotto capo or capo plots to overthrow the Don. Or a young soldier wants to rise quickly. Respect is broken, and personal vengeance becomes intertwined with official duties.

External Conflicts These threaten the entire family, forcing internal alliances.

Wars with other families Bordering territories, shared businesses, or insults (touching a member without permission) ignite wars.

Pressure of the law Raids, informants, electronic wiretaps, or protected witnesses.

Disputes with corrupt politicians or police officers A corrupt contact demands more money or betrays them out of fear of the law. The family responds with intimidation, bribery, or targeted killings, but if it goes wrong, it attracts more federal attention.

Main Control Areas: The Port and Docks (High Value) Containers, trucks crossing north, warehouses. The family controls corrupt customs officials, dockworkers, and private security. The bulk of the trafficking (substances, weapons, etc.) is handled here. A hotspot for wars: rival cartels are constantly trying to infiltrate.

The Financial District and Downtown (Money Laundering and Power) Office towers, casinos, and hotels. Perfect fronts for money laundering: expensive restaurants, real estate agencies, shell companies. Discreet meetings with politicians and businesspeople.

The Slums (Extortion) Narrow streets, family-run trattorias, churches, and old apartments. Extortion of local businesses (shops, bakeries, workshops), illegal gambling, protection rackets for bars.

Suburbs and Industrial Zones (Daily Operations) Abandoned factories, landfills, garbage and construction companies. Ideal for loan sharks targeting business owners and union control. Expansion zone: the family is pushing here to gain ground against local gangs.