DISCLAIMER:  This thread does not indicate an impending suicide of LuckyLucy or a desire to see her die - or some foreknowledge of character death looming... in truth death can happen at any time in the MafiaReturns world, so the only 'good time' to discuss plans for your next character and your future character's RP ties, is right now.  That's why I'm starting this thread.  For no other reasons.

PREMISE

We're going to create a bloodline.  A family tree of Player Characters and NPCs connected by familia ties, not just mafia crews. 

WHY?

At the heart of great drama and stories is family.  It's part of the reason we're so drawn to tales of the Mafia.  Loyalty to one's blood, family, oaths & betrayals - it's romantic and (darkly) noble in it's own way.  I believe creating ties between characters will make more and better stories being told on the streets.  Plus it's always better to start playing the game with people you are immediately connected to!

HOW IT WORKS

I'm going to throw out a very generic write up (link below) and starting family tree (link below) for a fictional Sicilian Mafia family.  If you want to be a part of it, reply to express your interest and share your future character's history with the readers of this thread. 

When you see something that someone else has done that you want your character involved with - reach out to them here on this thread or by mob mail FIRST and then once you work out the details, add it to your own story.

For example:  Joe has written up a member of our family that was involved in the 1932 Robbery of the 1st National Bank of Manhattan.  This robbery went off amazingly and earned his character a lot of infamy.  Sue reads his history posted on this thread and she wants her character to have been involved too!  She writes a post on this thread and asks Joe if he would mind her character Alice having been the get away driver for the 1932 Robbery of the 1st National Bank of Manhattan.  He says "sure!" and when Sue posts her character's history to this thread, she includes the detail about her character being the get away driver for that heist.  Maybe they even work out a story for how she ended up in that position and their relationship within the family leading to a future RP partner for both Joe and Sue.

You can not include someone else's story or characters (pcs or npcs) in your own without their permission.  Anything involving the origins of the family, should be cleared by me.

I will include, in the origins story a few hooks that people can make NPC enemies from, allies from, love interests etc.  So please, be creative, but clear it with me so we can make sure updates to the origins story can be added as necessary.

Once you've posted your history on this thread, and it's okay'd to not conflict with the rest of the back story or any other players... your npc parents and self will be added to the family tree document and your history will be added to the family history/backstory document.

THE FAMILY TREE SO FAR:  CLICK HERE FOR GOOGLE SHEET

MESSINA FAMILY HISTORY SO FAR:  CLICK HERE FOR GOOGLE SHEET

I'm putting up place holders on the history summary for now but I should have something more there in a day or three.  I just wanted to put up the idea to get folks talking.  If you have ideas/suggestions for the backstory of the family - feel free to sound off!  

Very cool! Reminds me of the Targaryen family tree in GoT for some reason. I'd be happy to RP a Messina after this char bites the dust. And I love a good conflict, so anyone down to RP some kind of affliction, post below and we can work something out.

More people should get in on this. During my last play through two years ago there were many Ligambi's, we had cousins, nephews, brothers, etc. Loved roleplaying the family angle. We did a lot with it.

https://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/619993#105372510

Joseph_Ligambi thanks for sharing!  I love that we've had this sort of thing done before here at MR.  Makes a lot of sense to me for a lot of fun!  Hopefully once I write the back story up for the ancient history of the family then folks will get excited and jump onto this.  :)  Right now I've only got the barest outline of an idea so - not much to work with yet.  But soon!  Again, thank you for supporting this!

Yeah you're welcome LuckyLucy. It's a lot of fun roleplaying the family dynamic. Look forward to seeing what you're gonna do with it. 

When John finally bites it, I was thinking on making an Italian/Sicilian finally... Never played one, I've always been the "foreigner" or the "born in Philly" guy... I'd like in on this if/when it all happens.

Sorry I haven't done more with it recently - been prepping for the winter festival and doing the whitehill storyline/spawn thing.  Hope to be paying attention to this very soon!  :)

Okay MarieCosta SullivanBlack and JacquelineBlack I've done some updates on the page - will be writing more tomorrow.  Feel free to add yourselves to the family tree.  If you don't yet have access to the documents let me know.

I think maybe we should put our heads together on story for some of the NPCs named in the tree.  A great way to seed future story will be working on those back stories and how they come up again.  Right?  If we each take one or two and run with it... that would fill in a great deal.  ANYTHING goes.  I'm all for full on soap opera drama level stories here as the crazy shit in the far past allows us to do neat stuff up here in the current times.

Also if any of those names need to change to fit your stories - do it!

I'm toying with having Frankie being into counterfeiting (money/documents etc.)  She's a recent arrival who was raised in the old country.  She's the grand-daughter of the Don in her home village but her very modern notions (by 1930s standards) have put her on the outs with her traditional values grandfather/don.  So even though she had a lot of power there, she walked away for a breath of freedom.  :)

I'm planning on doing a past relationship with Tony-Dicaprio and may do a relationship icly with him again... we're working on those details now.

I know that Marie is planning on being related to her past character Charlie so she will have some stuff to work in there but I'll let her talk about that.  So... what's up guys.  Let's talk histories!

Sully met JacquelineBlack at a funeral for one of the I assume Messina family members... Maybe one of the parents?

Anywho, he is, of course, the mortician. However, he also plays the protege angle as a pianist. Also, while working as an expert mortician, Sully is studying in the medical sciences. Not like a normal person, though... No... He studies on his own. Think like a "newer" aged Dr. Frankenstein. Brilliant, but probably slightly mad and long before his time.

WHY he is seen as an asset...

• Owns and runs a Funeral Home which offers a mortuary, a crematorium, and access to new/recently filled grave plots.
• Hosts fake deaths and offers new identities to members of the community, specifically of la cosa nostra.
• Dabbles in forgery, offering fake prescriptions, and document signing.
• Is a public notary.

There is more toiling around in my head, but it's 3:48 in the morning and I believe I should sleep since I should be on the road at some point tomorrow to go to Louisiana.

Okay so I've established a few things about my character in RP -

• Mother died of cancer when she was young.
• Met the DiCaprio boys shortly before her mother's passing and was a childhood friend of them.
• Her father had a drinking habit that affected him adversely and he disappeared shortly after Frankie's mother passed. 
• It's alleged he may still be alive by LuckyLucy (who is manipulating Frankie's actions from beyond the grave with letters promising to tell her where to find her father) but the family considers him dead.  Frankie does not know for sure what the truth is yet, but is following Lucy's instructions in hopes that Lucy's not lying. This will lead to Frankie somehow becoming involved with the rebuilding of Lucy's Legacy: The Ivory Tower, a mafia family dedicated to order over chaos. 
• My early thoughts are that Frankie's dad is a rogue (who his family in Sicily disowned) and Lucy's instructions will lead Frankie to her Dad only after she's built up her own irrational hatred for traitors... the story ending with Frankie killing her own father and truly becoming Lucy's heir: a heart-sore mob boss with no tolerance of rogues willing to change the six cities by any means necessary.  :)
• Frankie is re-establishing her relationship with Tony DiCaprio.  I've decided that for sure now (if you couldn't tell by the rp)

Thoughts about family RP - 

• Family Reunion:  Get all the characters in the US who are tied to the family in the same room to discuss where we're at, who we're loyal to and maybe establish some goals?  Also a way to establish our views on each other and connections to one another.
• Heist:  Maybe do a family run on someone who wronged us in the past?  A way to begin establishing credibility with the Old Country leaders and send home tribute to keep us on their good side?
• Social Event:  Something to establish us as a connected group to other RP'ers in the game.  A way to introduce the Messina family to others?