My bloodline has just returned to these streets after a long absence and I have to say 'skipping through the meadows' was never a term I thought I'd use to describe the daily routine in this great land after hearing many stories from my forefathers about bloodshed, revenge, murder, backstabbing, greed, power and war. Stories that had me transfixed on my elders as they painted a picture of a world I hoped I could, one day, be a part of.

Why did I want to partake in such a violent, crazy, power-driven world? The reasons were plentiful. All those guys I looked up to when I was just a kid, they had it all. Respect, money, the ladies, the best tailored suits you ever seen in your life, the cock-sure walk and the dontgiveafuck attitude. But what was it that had drew me in most to the gangster way of life? It was the excitement. The unpredictability of it all. I didn't want to be stuck in some dead-end job like the rest of the schmucks with some bastard bustin' my balls every day. No, I was enticed by tales such as taking valuables other mobs had by brute force, finding a rat in the ranks and beating his corpse to a pulp, taking out a crew on the other side of town who had shown the boss disrespect or painting the streets red on Valentine's Day to clear out those deemed 'surplus to requirements'. From what I was told, these guys acted first, talked later. Nobody knew what would happen one day to the next, nobody was safe, and everybody had to keep peering over their shoulders. As a boy I loved the idea of becoming a part of that way of life. Sure if I made it I might not have lasted five minutes, but it didn't matter. The great stories told had made my mind up.

So after leaving my hometown as a kid after my Father's death, I returned a grown man, eager to grasp an opportunity to enter the way of life I had always dreamed of. A few old friends got me the start I needed and I was very grateful to be accepted. The anticipation as I found my feet was overwhelming, I couldn't wait for the exciting times to start. After a while earning some keep for my boss through petty crime and making new acquaintances I started to explore the streets in our cities where I was sure the excitement would pick up.

Except it hasn't. The excitement didn't arrive. Sure I'm earning money and in the way of life, maybe holding up a bank or two if I'm lucky. But there's no sign of the madness told in those stories I heard when I was a kid. It seems to be all sunshine and lollipops. All the leaders are happy with their lot and everybody is getting a slice of the pie. That's fair enough, maybe things have evolved from the past stories I heard, maybe I'm set in old ways that don't exist anymore. Perhaps we're all here now to make as much money as we can, and have our crews' earnings blossom like never before. Yes money makes the world go round and it's true that most come into this thing of ours for money. But when I dreamed of leading this life it was all about the action and uncertainty, the chance of danger, the thrills and the spills. Will I enthrall my kids with stories of my time here so far? Probably not. To be honest, it feels like I never left the playground.

Joga stands near the speaker and pats his pockets and looks down at the ground.

Yep, I have money in my pocket and my shoes are fine Italian leather not cement.

Joga turns to look behind him.

Yep, no one sneaking behind me lurking in the shadows with a snub noes.

Joga looks up to think.

Hmm no worries, no sleepless nights.

Joga then talks to the speaker.

Sorry what are you complaining about? A sense of danger, i'm better off without that worry. Excitement, usually only goes to the people firing and not that exciting for the people of the other end.

There are opportunities here for every young mafioso to fulfil his or her dream of becoming a Don or a top Earner or getting a seat next to their boss. And not be gunned down in the night.

Hell I even heard soon the Gods will open new districts which we will fight for, the excitement levels will go through the roof.

As they say, you do need a war every now and then to get rid of the bad blood but I, myself, am making fields and fields of hay whilst the preverbial sun is shining.

Joga runs off to get the next go on the swing set.

Sam walks over and waves the hand

Im not here to mock the world we live in at the moment but in response joga, is there really an exciting time for new mafioso's? Yes we can all do petties, jailbreak, drug deal and so on but in regards to one day having a crew is this really possible?

I started way back in the .org days and yes it was exciting and there was always things going on in the background. Since returning i look at the crews in charge and feel like its the same people running crews. Having their friends as rhm/lhm. The same people over and over. Obviously this is just my opinion and find it really difficult to comprehend how the likes of myself and other young mafioso new to the world could have a chance of ever running a crew.

We can all do our bit, become trustworthy, fulfill our needs within a crew - but to get to the next level and actually run a crew... Really??

For that to happen it all depends on who is in charge STJB. Although all people in positions of power will have a large portion of their nearest and dearest alongside them in positions of power there are some out there who will also try to spring the unexpected when it comes to authing more often. There have been quite a few down the generations that have taken this route.

It's your job to find these people out or become a more vital cog in the wheel (of which there are a few ways of achieving). Otherwise you are destined to die in obscurity.

Or maybe a city or district will be opened up in the future like we've had in the past where auths are not chosen and we have a 'king of the hill' type situation.

I like to think of myself as proof that anybody can become a Crewleader with the proper drive and motivation. Now I will by no means claim that I didn't have a good reputation with my city prior to me joining, but I also can't say I've had everything handed to me either.

When I first joined Sammy back in NY I wasn't given a special title or any sort of advantages. I had to prove myself worthy of being given the honor. It wasn't until Sammy reach the rank of Godfather that I was even really given an opportunity to shine. And my small moment of glory was being granted LHM to WildTurkey.

I had to lay my goal out ahead of me and continually strive to outdo myself at every opportunity in order to get where I am today. It may be true that some people are just given power, but some of us genuinely had to give it our all in order to catch a break. 

If you really want something to happen, go out and prove you are worth the chance they are taking by giving you power.

I'll also nominate myself as proof. My bloodline expands no further than my mother, Lola Delaney (who the fuck was that, you say) so I certainly haven't had a leg up. Yet, here I am; so, it can be done. It just doesn't come lightly is all.

Getting to Ruthless' point, I have to say I can see where he's coming from and I agree. I've heard many, many tales - the same stories which drew me here in the first place - and I will be the first to stand here and admit that things are not as they are represented in those anecdotes. That may be due to rose-tinted retrospective glasses, or it may be due to the fact that - as I have said before -  the most tentative business is now handled behind closed doors.

The way I see it, most mobsters these days are increasingly tenacious towards things like rank, prowess and the time it takes to build and maintain a cannon. There is less storm, more calm - and some might say this world used to be precisely the opposite. Few seem willing to go out on a limb and risk their position for things like opinion and principle, instead thinking to themselves, 'But I've spent so long building my gunpower, it'd be a shame to waste it' or 'I've invested so much old country money into This Thing, I'd have to be mental to throw that down the drain over a petty argument.'

Folks, in the Mafia, there are no petty arguments. This is one thing that really does get on my tits, for want of a better phrase (hardly the delicate gesture of a lady, but again, I'm a mobster, so hey ho). Too many things are hushed up these days with a quick cash settlement or a whispered threat, rather than being settled the good old fashioned way.

So, in that respect, I can absolutely see Ruthless' point. I will note that in recent days, we have seen a great deal more open, honest and frank street activity which genuinely warms the cockles of my heart. It is a truly gratifying thing to see.

Finally, getting back to the issue of prospective auths; I cannot speak for other cities, but I can speak for Detroit and I point to not only myself, but also Mudkip and Vince Noir as recent auths that are brand new to the fold of crew leaders. We are a city that takes pride in offering opportunity to those who, even though they may not have the experienced bloodline journals, have nonetheless demonstrated their commitment to our community and deserve reward without question. I am always interested in seeing new faces that pop up out of nowhere and impress as I will be the first to shake their hand and guide them into the further reaches of power. I am not foolish enough to believe that I will retain my own position forever, but the one thing I am hell bent on is ensuring that those who carry on my city's legacy are enabled not because of their family history, but because of their ability. Skills can be learned; true dedication cannot.

I agree, that is the "excitement" that brings me back to these shores and keeps me active everyday.

I have no buddies in the uppers or people giving me hand outs but I work bloody hard and like to see what that gets me. If new people enter this world and read this and think the only way to reach the top is to be friends with those in power they are going to leave this world straight away.

Optimism is my only friend, if I keep hold of him I'll be happy. If new bloodlines say "Yes" to every task or do something before they are even told to do it, I see no reason why they cant make a name for themself in this world. Like Toby and Countdown have said there are Crew Leaders who will give the opportunity to those who deserve it.

Thank you for your contributions all. My initial gripe, if you will, remains to an extent but I've learned to accept this new dawn of harmony (for me, I understand it has been like this for a while). Having had time to reflect and discuss with others in bars and in private, I've looked at the flip side of the coin and realised that a lot of things have changed since the old days and that many people are content with the way things are. Families are settled and the cities currently have Godfathers and crewleaders that are well established and respected. Of course I tip my hat to these people as any longevity of this kind was unheard of in the tales told by my elders.

Back then embryonic crews were brought to their knees within a week, sometimes even days. Yes it sounded exciting and people didn't know what would happen next, but potential great leaders were shot down long before they even got a chance to implement their ideas and prove their worth. I'm sure there was many whose blood never got a chance to rise again. Nowadays new blood has a chance to prosper, Lilac being the perfect example. With hard work and dedication I hope others are given a chance too. The lay of the land has changed, we now have a (mostly) peaceful and prosperous community. When I came to these shores I did expect bloodshed and that feeling of uncertainty every time I went to bed, but I've been told to look at the bright side of things and use this peaceful time to prove myself a worthy addition to my family. After all, I'm no use to my leader lying dead in the gutter.

However, I still believe that danger and excitement could spring upon us at any given moment, such is the nature of this life. That's why I'll be double-checking my doors are bolted tonight, just in case.

IF only ruthless old boy.

I feel that people are able to go after targets now through annonimity and babysteps that it took bloodlines generations to acheive. Longevity seems to be the key attribute and with mobsters now able to surround themselves with their own personal private army and a fort with military like defences they can play the long game and acheive power and bold.

Some people and leaders who have power now would have risen to the top in any time of our history like the lady Lilac you mentioned. However others would never have made the connections, never have had the political and emotional ability to change peoples minds and make people trust them that would have been a requirement in certain times in our history. People had the power to remove new leaders whom they disapproved of, you and I have grandpappies wth a history of that.

It is impossible now for people to make that move and sieze control, or even to make a considerable impact. Gone are the days when crews fall because their leader made a bad decision, or tried to protect a killer, or failed to make any kind of impression on our streets and lives.

Bring on that mega-tsunami, when all life can be reborn, and maybe technology woul dtake a step back and mak the character the defining factor of a great leader, not financial support, a private army and big fecking guns poking out of the HQ!

Looks like somebody got their wish granted. And then some.