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| Are we doing enough | Started by: SalvatoreMarino on Feb 02, '08 11:53 |
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SalvatoreMarino wanders out onto the streets, as he does often, flitting from conversations and speeches and making contributions where he feels like he can offer an opinion on the matter. He hears the traditional speeches and notices different opinions offered than previous times when a similar speech has been made, from the new Mafioso that have joined this life of crime, untarnished by any father's opinions that are imprinted upon all Mafioso with a parental background of the Mafia. Thinking to himself, he wonders how important these new Mafioso are to this world, with their new ideas and new opinions. Maybe a mix of new Mafioso with their enthusiasm and freshness, with the old heads of this world and their experience would be preferable. We can all learn from one another... I just cant help feeling like we're not doing enough for them to get them started though... Salvatore looks up, stops his musings, steps onto a conveniently placed free soapbox and pauses to look over the crowds on the street. Without further ado, Marino dives straight into a question. My question posed to you is, should we be doing more to help our new Mafioso? Encouraging their enthusiasm, while showing them the ropes to keep them safe? How would we do this? I remember a scheme Witchyx had from before, not sure whether she's still running it, "Head Starts for Hoodlums" I believe it was called. Is it the responsibility of a family to approach these people, fresh off the shores? Recently, this has been described more as whoring than recruiting and showing the new Mafioso the ropes. Are we doing enough? What more could or should we be doing? Salvatore takes one last look at the crowd before nodding and stepping back away from the box, considering options that spring to his own mind. |
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| Before we can expect the younger generation to pump out enthusiasm, we have to must embody it first. We really can't have a double standard for the new guy, while we're sitting on the couch sucking down java. | |
| Reply by: Michael-Toreno at Feb 02, '08 12:05 | |
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Are we doing enough? Oh, you make me lol. I don't want some coddled brat working for me if I'm a Boss. I don't want someone who needs their ass wiped and needs tucked in bed at night. I want someone with survival instincts and the brains to figure out how to get by in the world. Anyhoo, we are doing more than we have ever done. When my great, great, (you get the picture) grandfather arrived, he had nothing more than common sense and a mafia Bible to get him assimilated with the world. He found a family in his first 24 hours, because if he didn't we would have been swimming with the fishes, and had to strategically fly to another city minutes before ranking to Gangster so that he could accept his invitation, so that the 12 lurking hitmen didn't pop him immediately. That's right, he had to use his brain and outwit others. You see, Civilians and Thugs couldn't get invited in those days, and unsponsored Gangsters were shot on site. And they still managed. Do you know why? Because they had to. They didn't have anyone holding their hands. These days, a new Civilian gets the same reading material as in the old days, plus warnings from some mysterious man, plus the ability to join a family immediately, plus 48 hours of god-given enhanced defense and crewleader imposed protection, plus various mail spammers helping them along, plus the seemingly acceptable member whores who would have been shot in the old days. This place is safer for the new unsponsored Gangster than many shopping malls I've been to. Are we doing enough? We are doing TOO much. We are creating a new generation of coddled Gangsters who expect everything handed to them, who grow up with a sense of entitlement, who expect to be running their own family before they even know what it means to be a mafioso. A swift kick in the ass never hurt anyone. In fact, it has helped many a spoiled brat in the long run. |
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| Reply by: TheWeasel at Feb 02, '08 15:28 | |
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Well, I guess TheWeasel answered the question, "Are we doing enough?" Indeed this community does enough to get civilians pointed in the right direction. When I arrived here it took a few hours to arrange a meeting with the leader I wanted to work for. In that short amount of time I received an invite by someone I didn't know and the person didn't know who I was. I could have been a rat working for another family, but that's another topic being discussed across the street. A few people also asked me if I was new to this thing of ours, told me where to find the Mafia Bible and suggested I find a home as soon as possible. Most of us probably heard the same things as civilians. It would surprise me to hear about a civilian that wasn't approached by a mafioso about joining a family. Where I think we could be doing more is after these kids are tucked safely into their beds on their first night in a family's HQ. They are more than just numbers that make our population grow. They are here because they are obviously interested in our way of life. They want to be here and they want to be in the mafia. After they've been coddled, whored or had to get into a family the hard way, by asking for an invite they should be taught how to become good mafiosi. Family's are responsible for their members - teaching, guiding, punishing, etc. but everything youngsters see and hear matters. They should be hearing speeches on the streets that teach them about how we live and work. So what if we've heard it all before. This business isn't just here for us old timers. It's here for new blood too. |
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| Reply by: Jordan at Feb 02, '08 16:59 | |
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The Captain'll make this brief, as TheWeasel and Jordan covered all the good points. As TheWeasel pointed out, we're not only doing enough, we're doing too much. This is how it is though. A few of us could try to stop coddling, but all that means is we lose out on members, because they're just going to go somewhere else where they don't have to try so hard to get an invite. Its a sad way of doing things, but its the way life has moved on. Chances are we can't change it, so that leaves us the options of either, A. ignoring it or B. adapting to it. The Captain has found his own way of adapting. Rather than turn down 80% of the requests he gets, (that's actually an exaggeration, I haven't come across that many crappy requests, but you get my point) and rather than accept all of the requests, even the bad ones, The Captain, let's say...gives them a second chance. What The Captain means by that is, if a potential new member, doesn't give The Captain an adequate invite, he pushes them a bit. Rather than just saying "no" to all one-liners, The Captain pushes them a bit. "Tell me a bit about your background, past bloodlines, what you can bring to the table." Push them a bit, if they're willing to go further for you, it shows they're willing to actually change, and try. In essence, what The Captain is saying is, this world has evolved into to the world it is now, and undoing evolution is improbable, if not downright impossible. So rather than go with the flow and let things evolve even worse. Rather than constantly trying to throw himself against the tide, and try to make a change. The Captain has decided to adapt. Change the "flow" of Evolution if you get what I'm saying. We are coddling far too much, but that's the world this has become. |
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| Reply by: TheCaptain at Feb 03, '08 02:00 | |
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Cathy Parks walks over to where a group of people are talking. She'd had business this weekend that had seen her travel down to Miami to investigate some potential new "contacts" for contraband. Indeed most of the narcotics grown in the world came from outside of the Six Cities and so it was necessary that new channels with those in warmer climates were opened for discussion. Now she was back, she wanted to catch up on the news of the Streets. "I think we are discussing an area of this thing of ours that I do not believe there is a problem with. Of course, we had the housing shortage a few days ago. This problem has now been eradicated with the introduction of more space in the Six Cities. Indeed, there are plans to see even more spaces opened for any new comers to this world. "As TheWeasel pointed out, I think it's easier to get an invitation in our world than it's ever been. It may not be quite the same as it has once been in our history when my distant relative Poppy first arrived on these shores. She was offered $30,000 to join an Organisation within mere hours of the boat landing at Ellis Island. We are not engaging in those activities, but I can hardly believe that a newcomer's first 2 days go without a single form of conversation with anyone. "I believe the true issue at hand here is not getting civilians into homes, but making sure that once they are housed, that they are kept active and involved. That they understand what it takes to become a part of the higher ranked in this world, that those people are recognised as an integral part of this thing of ours through communication with the rest of their Organisation. "So much emphasis seems to be placed on invites invites invites. All this attention in the first few days of their lives amongst us, then as soon as they are housed they are forgotten. It doesn't take the words of a shrewd business woman out of Philadelphia for us all to know that once a newcomer is under sponsorship, there is a very good chance of them slipping out of the loop and becoming "inactive". "Inactivity, comas, simple disappearances and second thoughts about a life of crime I feel are the real issue at hand and what many people are patently forgetting. "We may not be miracle workers. Some people are destined to change their minds about this world. However, I feel that much more emphasis is needed within the families to keep these people working and involved. Though there has been much discussion in the past week over the enforced limitation on HQ sizes, I feel that now is the perfect opportunity to get working with immigrants and to make sure they understand what is expected of them. "I don't mean by this, we should hold their hand every step of the way, but what I do mean is to promote "famiglia" and to not forget those who genuinely are new to this thing of ours as they become absorbed into ranks of many whose family line stretch back generations. "Each leader will have their own strategy with training new people. Some use "Universities" some use "mentoring" systems. Hopefully when all the changes go under way and the entire structure of Families within this thing of ours, we will see more people joining this life and actually sticking around. "I refuse to speak too much regarding my personal business plans out here in the Streets. But myself and my higher echelon will be dedicating ourselves to bringing in new people and training them ourselves. That I can promise without hesitation." |
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| Reply by: Cathy_Parks at Feb 03, '08 12:55 | |
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Ryan heard from a friend that some people were "babbling" on about new blood again. This was more than enough motivation for him to venture out into the world again from his pseudo existence of debauchery. He arrives at the scene of the debate pumped and ready to spew forth his perhaps narrow and unpleasant opinion. His ears have already cherry picked what parts of the original speech he wanted to hear, discarding the rest like the personification of ignorance he is. "So I hear through the grapevine that we as a "community" may not be doing enough for new people." He enjoys the anticipation caused by his brief pause. A pause he spends lighting up and taking the first draw from a cigarette. "You know this is bullshit... right? I have been running scams, jobs and all other types of organised illegality for about a decade now but I remember my early years clearly. To use a tired clich I remember those days like they were happening yesterday. It takes a considerable amount of effort for him to curtail the grin forming on his lips. There is something appealing to Ryan when it comes to torturing his audience with cringe worthy lines. He enjoys the look on their faces immensely. "So back to my tales of the "Golden Age" when gangsters were routinely slaughtered a mere day after being inaugurated into the life of crime. We are not talking about the odd murder here and there either for it was a daily bloodbath. It is no where near as horrific as that these days for a couple of reasons. For a start less people are turning to our life, we have the FBI to thank for that and as such is out with our control for the moment. The second reason is that Thugs are mollycoddled nowadays. Thugs can be given all the protection a family offers now thereby eliminating any possibility of them being picked off as unsponsored. Jeez if that kind of privilege were afforded in times gone by I would still have some good friends breathing today. All the help I got when I was dragged off the boat and thrust into a street gang was a threat; 'Make large tributes and make them often or you will be swimmin' wit da fishes'. This poignat piece of advice was more than enough to outline what was expected of me in this world. I kept my head down, used my brain and got on with the task in hand. Now there is talk of holding the hands of thugs like they are children and showing them how to do every little thing. Do we really want the next generation of this fine establishment to be run by people who lack the intelligence to figure out what is going on by themselves? The old way was harsh and at times unfair but it sure as hell sorted the whey from the chaff. Nature has followed a strict regime of survival of the fittest for many a millennia. Why can't we?" With that final short question Ryan is finally done and steps down from frenzied rant mode. He rests against a nearby wall as he waits for what is sure to be a heated reply to his controversial words. He can't wait. |
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| Reply by: RyanDelaney at Feb 03, '08 16:42 | |
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