Mafia
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Overview[edit]
Perhaps the best known criminal organization ever, the Mafia of the thirty-first century traces its roots back to the original crime families from twentieth-century Terra and the island of Sicily. Found throughout human-occupied space, with higher concentrations within the Free Worlds League, Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns, the Mafia is no longer restricted to men of Italian heritage but accepts all into its ranks who are willing to protect "the Family." The criminal activities it engages in are just as varied, from drug trafficking and prostitution to racketeering and smuggling. Some even run themselves in a manner similar to corporations, including selling stocks, such as the infamous Bertoli family of Solaris VII.[1]
Each Mafia family varies in size and territory controlled, from portions of a single city to entire worlds, with some families exerting control over others in a hierarchical system. When two families come into conflict over territory, they will generally try to settle the matter through peaceful negotiations so as to avoid unwanted attention; only when one side or the other refuses to budge will more violent measures be called upon. If an outsider starts snooping around the family's business, an eloquent representative is usually sent to dissuade from any further investigation, after which additional pressure is usually applied and, if necessary, the problem "disappears."[1]
Organization[edit]
The head of every Mafia family is the Il Capo de Capo, the Godfather or patriarch of the family. Below him are the capos, his chiefs and captains, each responsible for a different aspect of the family's business. Each cappo is assisted by lieutenants, who carry out their orders by assigning them to different lower-ranking members: runners who deliver messages and material, enforcers to take care of problems, and hitmen for dealing with grave threats to the family. Various other members of society - software engineers, accountants, even local law enforcement - also help with the day-to-day operations of the family, whether they know it or not.[1]