It had taken some time, but North Side, Chicago was well and truly back in business. The streets teemed with life and the occasional death, businesses flourished as they came under the protection of the local mafiosi once more and the local truckers stop had turned in to more of a shopping mall for the members of Mano di Morte, who came and went, more or less taking what they pleased. Considering all of this filled Maria with pride. Mano di Morte had led this change in the district, and had been proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with The Morningwood Elite and La Famiglia di Fuggitivi as Chicago itself had started to build back into something truly great. 

The time had come, though, for Mano di Morte to branch off. It was a fact that filled Maria with both happiness and sorrow. Happiness, because her beloved family and beloved district was going to a new strength. Sorrow because she knew that branching off meant that she would no longer see some of the faces that had been with Mano di Morte since the very start around the family HQ each day, the faces of people that she had truly grown to love as her family. To that end, she was sat in her office, a bottle of Jamesons Irish whiskey on the table before her and two glasses already laid out, waiting for a visitor. 

Dexter had in his study enjoying a cigar when there was a soft knock on his door. Closing the leather bound book he was reading from, Dexter rose and moved across the room. He gently placed the cigar in an ashtray on his desk before moving to the door. From the inside pocket of his suit jacket that was hung on the rack beside the door, he retrieved a syringe loaded with barbiturates. Never know who might be at the door at this late hour. Dexter opened the door, the syringe in his off hand behind his back. A young associate of his was standing before him nervously. “Sir, Don Maria sent me to ask you to join her in her office.”

This was definitely out of the norm. Dexter was close friends with the Don, sure, but this just wasn’t how events typically transpired between them. When Maria needed something from him, she might drop by if she was passing through, or give him a ring, but it had been a long while since a late night chat in her office.

Dexter carefully replaced the syringe in his coat pocket, and pulled on his suit jacket. Closing the door to his office behind him, he headed down the hall towards the Don’s office. There had been much turbulence here in Chicago lately as they strove to build a new empire, but Dexter was not at all sure that was the topic of this surprise meeting. They had an effective plan in place, working slowly as they built a respectable family out of the rabble in Chicago. Perhaps he had made a mistake, killed the wrong person or was being considered ineffective. Doubtful, but possible.

Dexter knocked on Maria’s door. She invited him in, and he opened the door. When Dexter spied his favorite drink on the table, he at least knew he wasn’t in trouble – but now he for sure had no idea where this night was going.

Maria smiled as Dexter walked into the room, and gestured for him to sit down. She knew that he would be going over and over in his mind why she had called him. Formal meetings between the two were very out of character, though they met daily to talk in one form or another. As he sat, she poured out a measure of whiskey in each glass, sure that she could count on the celebration to come. 

As Dexter sat, she began to speak. 

"I know you're wondering why I've called you here so late, Dex. Please, tell me you didn't kill the poor messenger?"

Maria chuckled slightly, knowing that Dexter probably had been none too happy with the surprise disturbance, before straightening her face and getting ready to get down to business. 

"I won't make you wonder any longer. It's time for you to leave me, Dex. It breaks my heart to see you go, but it's time. Your blood has been part of Mano di Morte for longer than you or I have walked this earth, and you have been a rock to me here. You need to continue what we've built in Mano di Morte. I took the liberty of securing you a building just down the street. It's nothing fancy, but I know you'll be able to get it fixed up in no time, and you'll be so close it'll be like you never left. But North Side needs you, and I don't think that we have anybody I'd trust more with the job."

Maria pushes a glass of whiskey across the table to Dexter, and pulls from her pocket a large brass key, with an address written on the label attached to the key ring. As she said, it was just down the street. 

"Tonight's the night, Dexter. You're going to be incredible."

Standing by Dexter's side in Maria's office, Paul listened to Maria's announcement. He felt privileged to be by his side embarking on a new adventure, and a new beginning for North Side. Pouring a glass of whiskey for himself, he took a sip as he pondered the excitement of the occasion, but also the hard work ahead.

"Don Maria, this is an extremely proud day for me, and I know it also is for Dexter. To be entrusted with the task of further growing the district of North Side is an enormous privilege to the both of us, and I know we will do our utmost to make you proud. Our family lines have an extremely proud history of working alongside each other, and I know this will be but another chapter in that fine history. I hope we can do you proud, and do the city of Chicago proud."

"There is a lot of work to be done. Tonight is a night for celebration, but tomorrow we begin the task of growing North Side to its full potential. I know that Angeli Della Morte will be a wonderful success with Dexter at the helm, and we both know you will be there for anything we might need along the way."

Paul raises his glass.

"To North side, and to the future!"

Sat alongside Maria awaiting Dexter’s arrival to Mano di Morte’s headquarters and her office tucked in the left hand corner of the building, Vladimir lay out Dexter’s favourite drink on the table. Vladimir had pulled out all the stops for this exciting new opportunity that was about to be brought out to Dexter and the masses. A new beginning in Chicago only a few weeks ago was now turning into progression. Mano di Morte’s HQ was busting from its seams and after a long and heated debate, Vladimir was by Maria’s side ready to announce the next progression in North Side.

As Dexter arrived, Vladimir could see he took a quick glance at his favourite drink on the table and showed a faint smile, but he knew we needed to get down to business and as Dexter sat down, Maria explained what would be happening in North Side with an incredible amount of emotion but extreme excitement.

Vladimir took a sip of the drink that was laid on the table and as Dexter and PaulHeyman finished speaking, Vlad decided it was time to give his thoughts to two of his closest mobsters.

‘This is an incredibly proud moment for myself, to sit here and assist Maria with announcing that you’ll be setting yourself a headquarters just down the road from Mano di Morte, it just can’t get better than this. We’ve seen you both work so hard, standing at the forefront of where Mano di Morte is now, you have left a legacy here that will never be forgotten’.

Vladimir took another sip of the whisky that was eyeing him up on the table and continued

‘It’s now time for you both to spread your wings and show true leadership here in North Side, and work alongside myself and Maria to create an everlasting statement here in the windy city. This is where the hard work begins. If you ever need anything, my door is always open’.

Vladimir raises his glass and echoes PaulHeyman’s sentiment

‘To North Side, and the great city of Chicago’