Ghost walks out on the streets in a well crafted suit.  Based on his age, you'd almost assume it was his Great-Great Grand-daddies' suit since it doesn't fit him in a few places.  After a while of working on the street and learning his way, he walks into the bar and orders a drink.  The bartender appeared to be extremely knowledgeable about the ways of the world so they started talking about things.  After a few drinks, Ghost started on a monologue to vent...

So, I was walking down the street today and I ran into five guys in this thing of ours who probably had the ability to be just under the Godfather but they didn't even have their button yet.  I'm talking about guys who clearly have the talent to do just about anything, the respect of their peers, and all the qualifications you can imagine, but no button!   I thought I was half-asleep when I saw all these guys.   It doesn't make sense to me.

I ended up running into one of these guys twice and lo-and-behold he was personally out there digging up a grave.  At first, I thought I just ran into a big deal but the guy just pilfered $100 out of the grave then left.  I mean, I've been desperate for stripper money too but I've never stooped that low.  I mean at least he could go find a post office like the rest of... I mean like I hear other guys do.  You know I'd never do anything like that.

Ghost finally notices that the bartender was skeptical of what he was saying.

I know you think this is just the alcohol talking but its true.  You can tell by looking at some guys how experienced they are and this guy was at the very top.  You know in the real world when you live with your significant other for long enough the government bastards say you're common-law married.  Why isn't it the same way in this thing of ours?  If you work to the point where you're literally just under the most powerful people in this thing of ours, why are you not considered part of the family?  It seems to work that way even for takedowns between the world powers.

Ghost takes another large sip... well he was just chugging really.  This narrator just can't be kind anymore.

Who am I to say anything about the decisions those guys make?  I feel like the world just isn't right.

Lucky fiddled with his lighter, tapping it slightly against the wood of the counter that he sat at. The bartender had thrown a glance his way, but in between drags of the cigarette, Lucky was nursing a glass of Canadian Rye Whisky. He had been sitting on a fair few units, all for the name of money. He had been in the game long enough to know that the prices of coke went up and down like a seesaw, as quickly as it went up, it could easily head in the opposite direction.

His eyes averted to the glass, then out to the patrons who sat around speaking and laughing about something in their days. For the most were simply good folk who hadn't committed a crime in their lives; aside from when they wanted booze. Where alcohol was involved, crime would be rife. Be it that rich folk would end up paying three times the price it had been before the Volstead Act had been put into place. At first, he had watched the contentment that the Temperance League had set out with, but over time, he had seen the unrest building and he had seen his opportunity in the world. People would continue to drink no matter the circumstances, it was only the rare few who wouldn't bother with bending the rules.


Lucky_Seven certainly hadn't stopped.


He did not have any reason to stop; the money flowed enough for him to make a decent living and live a comfortable life away from his parents. Away from Brooklyn. Lucky spared a glance over to another patron, who had seemingly struck up conversation with the bartender. He took a drag, blowing it over his shoulder somewhat as he took a longer look at the other male sitting a couple seats away.

Williams had been sitting next to this spooky guy, and listened attentively for a while while sipping on his brown.

"Those who know don't speak and those who speak don't really know." He looked over at Ghost and let a smile draw below his bountiful mustache.

"You'd think that which is evident is only so, but it always hides more than what your perception can't reach. I'm sure that the business choices of the talented and experienced alike may seem unjustified at first, but then again shouldn't it be their actions that which define the labels you gave them, and not the labels themselves what limit their actions."

He took another sip.

"In the game of guesses, things may seem confusing. But they're hardly wrong, just misunderstood. On the same note, they're not right either, they're simply the result of all actions that lead us to this point. If you feel like they're not what they should, in order to meet the vision you have of the lifestyle of a proper mafioso, then you'd rather try and be what you think should be different around here. And if you manage to have that much influence that you can now enact your preference on this world, I will suggest that you don't ever refrain from doing so."

He took another sip and looked at Ghost again.

"But then maybe you shouldn't really listen to me. I'm just a drunk sailor and I don't really know much."

Ralph listened to the Slim almost insubstantial type asking about something called "common law".

"So here's two things. the first, experience doesn't mean a damn if you aren't using it. you gotta be a guy who your boss knows, that's how promotions work all over the place, in all walks of life.

Second, maybe there's another reason. I had some matters to take care of in the Old country that required me to step away from the family i worked for for a period of time, and so i'm not a full member yet. But if i demonstrate what my boss likes, then he gives me the promotion, just like any office job does."

Ghost saluted Lucky as he continued to drink.

After hearing William's opinion, he thought about what he said and felt the need to respond.

I understand the whole "gain power and change it yourself" mentality for things that actually matter.  In this case though, I think we're artificially degrading the button men in this thing of ours by placing wise guys at the same status or higher as a result of their intent to partake in a minor pastime that's below those who have power.  I started this conversation to convey my dissatisfaction, but how I feel isn't truly important.  The point of discussion has nothing to do with my own dissatisfaction, but more with the way we perceive our buttonmen in our families.

My personal opinion is that a family and its crew should scrap for every iota of power it can get.  It may not make a difference in the grand scheme of things, depending on external factors, but if I had a family, I wouldn't want to leave an opportunity on the table because I didn't fully encourage my crew to join the family.  I brought up graverobbing as an example, but pickpocketing is much the same where I would expect that people don't prioritize pickpocketing over things that matter.  I'm not saying I'd ban either, but I'd encourage my crew and family to focus their energies on things that provided a more global benefit.  Even if you strip away all the other details, and just look at the perspective on ranking, I'd suggest that supporting multiple people who are the elites of your family in your crew instead of your family is counterproductive.

In addition, from a tactical perspective, members of thing thing of ours are treating people who have high-end experience as if they don't.  I've already seen well-known hitter bloodlines dodge the end of their city because they prioritized graverobbing over the defense of their city.  This idea goes against everything I would stand for and the expectations that I'd place on people who work with me.

Ghost takes a drink and resets for a dramatic finish

So with that being said, is my perspective wrong because I don't see the whole picture or is there a re-defined order on what expectations we place on buttonmen as a community?

Zane was sat at the opposite end of the bar from the ghoulish man, who appeared to be raving about people not stepping up to face their responsibilities or atleast, not being given the opportunity to do so. He wasnt entirely sure which.

Zane came from a long, long line of mafioso. He had been raised with stories of vicious and brutal takedowns, where every member of a family, down to the lowly gangsters and goombas would be fitted with cement shoes in the course of a war. He too, was surprised at the way things went down these days, wiseguys and under, some of whom had been around longer than some crew leaders, being left alive after a war. Did he approve of this new, softer approach? No not really. But who was he to dictate who lives and who dies? There must be a reason that the powers that be allow the uninitiated to live.

He continued to listen to the conversation play out.

Victoria had just entered moments before, and sat down next to a well known face, Zane. She ordered a drink and had it belled down in seconds, and then went on to listen to what the man speaking to the bartender had to say. It was an interesting conversation, really so she instantly felt the need to participate in it. 

As another man put in his input, she placed her elbow on the counter and rested her head in her hands. So with that being said, is my perspective wrong because I don't see the whole picture or is there a re-defined order on what expectations we place on buttonmen as a community? she heard the man say, and it made her think about it aswell.

"Now, I don't exactly think that your perspective it wrong, no no. The expectations have ofcourse changed a bit through the time and all, but I can't say how much. Many men these days have all the experience of becoming a fully pledged member of the family, but there are a couple of other things that needs to go in consideration too. " She stopped to think about what she had said, and shook her head with a tired smile.

"Some might have other goals, that they feel like they should upkeep before having to put all their time and energy in bigger and more important stuff. Some people might not have that much time to be the one that their leader might crave that they should be, and other might simply not have put in the right amount of thought into what they do and what they should be doing."

Victoria ordered another drink and sipped of it.

"The expectations have ofcource changed, but in the ends it is ofcourse upto the leaders themselves, and the individual mobsters. You might have put in a lot of work and are ready for the ceremony, but maybe you have put in so much, that you haven't communicated with your fellow fellas at all. Why would anybody vouch for somebody they do not know? Or you might have done something else perfectly but are lacking on another. You could try and take up a conversation with them, but again, you should be able to decide if that is it, by yourself. The list can go on and ond and on, so I will just stop it here."

This is a fair topic you bring to discuss, Ghost. Thank you for that. I firmly believe that every man’s journey is unique and is being shaped by various times throughout their life. That means to me that no verdict about someone can be given just on the relation of age and apparent ranking within our society alone.

However, cutting away the default arguments - like not knowing what goes on behind closed doors, leaders doing what they find best and changing it if you don’t like - it does lead to an interesting question about our general expectations:

What do we aspire to be?

If we consider our live on the civilian side of the law unfulfilling and unrewarding and come here to bring change to that. Do we find that change? Are we finally more than something expectations dulled us into or are we just another product of a system that got the best of us? Is this where we are because we grew accustomed to it, or are we here because we are engaged by it?

For me, the challenge lies with the leaders of families to lead by example. If they can inspire how rich and rewarding the experience can be to give all you can, I’m confident more will follow and in turn inspire others to put forth more efforts. For sure having so many individuals with ambitions might not be the easiest to manage, but perhaps that makes the difference between a sheepherder and a family Don.

Again, thank you for bringing this up Ghost. I appreciate how it gave me a moment to reflect upon myself as well. I’m not part of the group you talk about, but most likely I could do more to inspire them to climb further. Perhaps that’s the beauty of this place. There’s always a higher mountain to climb for those willing too.