Scream is astonished and appalled by the demands and requests not only she is receiving but speaking to other leaders, that they too have witnessed. She decides to address the situation and wanders from her headquarters onto the streets.

Many of you have witnessed, in the recent past, a couple of wars where high ranking powerful people were lost. A lot of these people earned respect during their time, not just from their families and cities but throughout this thing of ours. Most of these people also have sons or daughters who have now come upon our shores seeking the lifestyle of their parents.

As one of my wiseguys pointed out just days ago, some of these descendents acquire protection right away after joining this thing of ours. Some were lucky enough to have parents who invested in their future and some had family ties with people able to help them out. What I am here to address is the sense of entitlement some of these children have.

More than once not only myself but most all the leaders I have spoke to, have had someone whose parents they barely knew, asking for money to acquire protection. Some even demand it with words like "I will leave your family if you don't" or "I will join you only if...". Some just plain out ask without demands.

I know for me personally, the more someone asks or demands something like this from me, the less they will get. I find the people who ask for the least are the ones who end up deserving the most. I do not know why these strangers have this sense of entitlement but I hope they learn that loyalty and dedication has to be proven with actions, not words or promises.

Scream sighs to herself and turns to head back into her headquarters still in shock.

Ma'am, as I already said in my previous speech here in the Streets, I did not know the reason for such riches but thanks to the efforts of a few upstanding gentlemen and a beast and a bear, I understood the reasons for these grants, however, it frankly shocks me when you tell me that some children of leaders demand these riches off leaders.

They are only low ranked mobsters, and I feel, that they have no right whatsoever to demand anything  off anybody other than somebody lower ranked than them and surely they don't have any right to demand anything off  any Family Head.

As far as I know there is only one way they can justify such a blatant act of disrespect and that is by knowing the leader on such a personal basis that they feel that they have a right to ask something like this, For example, when my father brought his friends around for dinner in our home or when they came over for business, I used to kid around with them, I even remember me playing with their guns, so if they know the leaders on such a personal basis, I guess this demand would be somewhat, but not completely justified. However, I am not a leader, so I cannot answer to this speech precisely, just my two cents here

~W~illiam (I am very much better than Gwarble, just let him know)

Nathaniel sits there, listening to his Don as he takes on last drink of his flask. He puts the flask back in his breast pocket and thinks what to do next. After minutes of contemplation, he decides that he wants to voice his opinion on the matter Scream has brought to attention. He stands up and clears his throat to speak.

ScreamingButterfly brings up a very valid point. A lot of people have said over the years, that what someone's ancestors have done should not affect the way their children are treated. I believe people say this, then act completely opposite of what the statement means. Say my father was a respected Don, and he died serving his family. When I came to this country, I should have been treated as exactly what I was, someone new to this life style. I should receive no special treatments, no cash to purchase protection, etc. That is exactly what the "ancestors" statement is meant to be.

But now day, people will come to our world after the death of their mobster parents, and expect to be treated exactly how their mother or father were treated. Like Scream said, they demand these things, when in reality they have done nothing to deserve these special treatments. Some people completely ignore the fact that they are new to us, and give into all of their demands. I find this preposterous and shouldn't happen. I know of course that most of you will not listen to me, and things will not change, but I am voicing my opinion nonetheless.

Now, some of your are going to say, Nathaniel, you are obscenely well protected, are surrounded by a sea of bodyguards, you probably did exactly what you're saying should not happen. In all honesty, yes I was given the money to purchase the protection that follows me on a daily basis, but it was after I proved my worth, and showed enough work effort to become the Right Hand to a boss of Philadelphia. It wasn't until then did I recieve the honor of become Obscenely Well Protected. This is how it should be. If you cannot afford to buy the protection out of your own pocket, you cannot expect it to be given to you without reason. It is an honor that one must show respect, and trustworthiness to be bestowed with.

As for my ranting, I am done. I hope you all take the words Scream and I have spoken, and think upon them.

Nat wipes his brow, and reaches for his flask once more. He takes a long swig as he follows Scream back to the HQ.

There is no problem here unless Bosses entertain these spoiled brats. If they want to leave the family, fine. Send them out in a coffin.  If they want to join someone else, fine.  Let the spoiled brat be someone else's problem.  Hell, let them join someone else, buy a bunch of bodyguards, then shoot them in the face after they have spent all the money, if you have the power to do it.

In short, start acting like mobsters and you won't have street thugs acting like they are more important than they are.  Thugs and Gangsters should be in constant fear of stepping out of line, not making demands of people in whose presence they should not even be allowed.  These bums are the lowest rung on the ladder.  Start treating them like it.

Speaking as someone whos bloodline was involved in the recent wars, when my ancestors died they were left close to penniless, But I for one would never approach a possible family and say I will join your family but only if you provide me with protector, or fund me in some way, Hard work and dedication is what makes your name here, not who you can bully into giving your bloodline what you presume they deserve,

When my ancestors died what they had earned went with them, be it money, respect of families and so forth I do not think when you reach these shores that you should be given any special favors because of something your bloodline accomplished, if you want to make a name for yourself do it the same way your bloodline had to do it, working for what they deserve, how can you really appeciate something that is just handed to you? if you don't earn it how is it you can possibly believe you deserve it??

I personally do not want anything just handed to me, I am sure some will agree and some will not but this is merely my opinion, I don't want to ride on the skirt tales of anyone in my bloodline just to become what they once were, I want to get there because I have proven myself worthly of holding the positions she once held, or maybe dare I say do even better for myself then she did. Thanks for listening.

"I will leave your family if you don't"

If i was ever in the position as a fine Crew leader like yourself ScreamingButterfly and someone said this to me, no response just POP POP POP in your face.


I will let you think up what the POP is but it generally ends up with someone swimming alongside a bunch of fishes

HuggleBear is into kinky stuff with Fish apparently.

I agree completely with Flying Pig.

An individuals determination,commitment to their family and
shear grit,will grant them the opportunity to achieve greatness.Any new arrival
to our shores making demands of senior family members,expecting a free ride on
the back of what their ancestors may or may not have achieved,smacks to me of a
sense of "monarchy"within our world.

To demand is one thing,to expect is another.Who the hell do
these people think they are?

Do they truly believe that their bloodline alone can achieve
greatness,and rise to a level commanding the respect of all involved,therefore
bypassing any new bloodline whose fire within their belly can burn as bright as
any other?

The soldiers of today are the Captains of tomorrow.However,they
will only become such,through the hands of a truly great leader.

you work hard butterfly and you deseve you spot. your a great boss. and you bloodline has nothing to do with it. you sever you city and you godfather with loyality and respect and  that my lady is all that counts

I agree with FlyingPig's point to an extent, in general he is 100% correct. However, I will disagree on one point.

There is no problem here unless Bosses entertain these spoiled brats.

While this should be the case, it sadly isn't. Even when these idiots are handled in the manner they should be, I have no doubts when Scream is encountered with such a comment they will be, there are plenty of young and impressionable thugs that pick up the act but miss the punishment handed out for it. Without it being raised and discussed, they are left with the potential to believe that this is an acceptable move and might, or will, one day die because of it themselves.

The fact that this speech even had to be made is a sad inditement on our world, but it is one that had to be made. If the kin of previously 'respected' members of this thing of ours believe this is the way things should be done, it shows problems on so many levels. If however, one young gangster can see the points raised here today and learn from them, it's something definatly deserving of a discussion.

It's ironic that those who would never dream to ask for something, be it money, bodyguards, auth or anything else, are the ones who truely deserve it and those who do ask for them are the ones who deserve nothing but a bullet. Ironic, but something worth remembering, for all.

I agree with you very much ScreamingButterfly, but what if actions don't do anything for that mafioso or bloodline? My bloodline has worked hard many times and especially my father died fighting for his city yet only five mafioso mustered up words to say at his funeral.

So I ask you this, why should I work and do as my father did only to die with the respect of people that barely know me like most barely knew him when in reality it shouldn't be that way?

I will not speak on behalf of Screaming Butterfly, but I'm pretty sure what she meant is that a parent's actions should NOT benefit their next of kin.

Ricone - regardless of who spoke at your fathers funeral you can be assured that more people attended it than actually spoke. Let's be honest here though, by the time of the funeral it's already too late to say what you want to say to that person. They'll never hear it right?

why should I work and do as my father did only to die with the respect of people that barely know me

Are you saying you expect to be treated with respect because of your father's actions? What kind of shit is that? Why should anybody be treated differently because of a dead parent? If you are annoyed that they barely know you then make the effort to get to know THEM. If you aren't happy with your lot in life there is a simple answer - change it. Do something about the fact that you aren't happy. Don't complain and whine and expect things to happen, cause it just doesn't work like that.

AfroSamurai the point of a funeral is to pay your respects but to put it into a better perspective even his right hand man didn't pay his respects to the leader that with some of his last words asked his life to be spared along with those that never fired a shot at the other city.

I never whined, but I will complain that their is a lack of respect. Maybe not in other cities but my father paid his respects to those that gave him the light of day. Seeing as I have my fathers journals I know for a fact he interacted with all of his family members. Did any of their offspring thank him? Fuck no.

So to make it more clear, I expect nothing more than a bit more respect to my bloodline but I know that day will never come. In my honest opinion it's about who you're friends with and tied to.

Nathaniel, I disagree with you and I'm not sure that was the point your don was trying to make.

You are saying the sons should NOT be treated better than anybody else, your Don is saying that they shouldn't EXPECT to be treated better.

And Ricone, hopefully you will learn to know who respects and cares about you while being alive and not have your son assess your life through people speaking up in your funeral. I am one to visit practically all the funerals of my loved ones, yet I hardly have enough strength to utter a word. Some deaths make me so sad I don't care to make a comment and I think most of my friends know that by now.

I do believe though most that get a helping hand are typically hardworkers nonetheless. But when a bloodline has gained a reputation that is soaked in nothing but shame and turns around through fathers, grand fathers and others to change it and get nowhere it grows pointless.

Ricone, then are a few examples walking among us of bloodlines that had the worst reputation possible. I will not name them, just in case they;d rather me not, but ask around Ricone, they're not hard to find out about.

Yet as soon as they found one person willing to take them in and they were willing to work extra hard to make up for the lack of trust, they got places they had not gotten to before. Or at least they got to where they have been in the past but didn't screw up this time and died honorable deaths in recent wars.

I realise that I had in fact misunderstood what Don Screaming Butterfly had said, and that CrazyNine is correct in his understand of her words.

Ricone.. This thing of ours is all about connections, is it not? Perhaps you should invest time in building those connections and trying to make things better. You would really judge your life on how many people spoke in your funeral? Just because some people don't speak up in your fathers funeral does not mean they didn't attend, or maybe they paid their respects in a way that you don't know about.

turns around through fathers, grand fathers and others to change it and get nowhere it grows pointless.

Heh, with an attitude like that you'll get nowhere. Also, bloodline soaked in shame? I'm afraid that does not happen - someone's son is a brand new person. They are not their father. Stop trying to turn your reputation around and just get on with your life.. earn money and do whatever it is that makes you happy. Sometimes trying too hard can have the opposite effect to what you originally were hoping for.

What would those other ways be? Unfortunately saying everyone get's a fresh start I will call bullshit on half the time. Everyone will still remember the past and whether or not they use it in decision making it is involved on that outlook of a person. Here for example in a crew leaders profile, a crew leader whose bloodline I've been friends with since my great great great great grandfather.

All it would require is a simple introduction with some family history entailed, so I can determine whether or not the apple fell too far from the family tree.

Seems to me you're wrong AfroSamurai and that people do use bloodlines for judgement still.

Ricone, again, the emphasis is being put in the wrong person.

The CL can do whatever the hell s/he wants. If s/he wants to judge you by your ancestors, then so be it. If s/he wants to treat you like a clean slate, again, their prerogative.

It's the new thug expecting to be treated in whichever different way which is wrong. I think Afro is speaking out of the assumption that somebody doesn't like the way he's being treated so he's telling them to grow a pair and make a name for themselves instead of expecting a clean slate in the case of the son of a screw up or a silver platter in the case of the son of a high ranker.

I don't think I could say everything I wanted to here without being admitted to CrazyNine's OOC'itis clinic so I will just say that I don't like to judge people based on their forefathers. And in fact, I don't usually ask people for that information unless something about them makes me want to know.

The way I look at it is that I would prefer to concentrate on what a new person is going to do for me in the future - rather than what their bloodline has done in the past.