Mafia organisations of today continue to expand and bring in more potential members. Since the take down that has happened and per Video's speech in regards to the future of LA, there may be quite a few expected new auths in the coming days or weeks. Mobsters all around the world, old or new to the life of crime, are coming to the shores and looking for new families - some of them still emotionally impacted by the death of their parents. However I am sure that these mobsters will continue the legacy and be reborn. Stay strong. With all this being said, I would like to pose a question that I feel like has not been asked in a... long time.

In fact, I remember last hearing about this type of discussion errrrrr maybe one or two years ago. However I beg the listener's indulgence and should he or she wish to correct me on that, please do not hesitate to speak up.

Let the games discussion begin! 

There was a silhouetted figure moving in the distance speaking words that seemed to alert many of the locals. Alessandra began to approach the crowd, took in calm breaths, waited and watched people talk back and forth. After a few minutes of standing still and being mute, her curiosity had peaked. She listened intently to the people speaking their minds and she applauded them for that. She could never be that outspoken or bold but that day she decided to come out of the shadows. 

"Hi... So you guys have brought up a lot of interesting points about appealing traits of crew leaders. I do agree that a leader should be fearless and reasonable! However, I would also just like to open another type of discussion, what exactly do you look for when seeking a new family and what kind of questions should be asked to the crew leader or sponsor?" 

As Alessandra slid around in the shadows until she got closer to them, she looked up and revealed her face. She smiled nervously and took a deep breath, "I just thought it would be good timing to talk about this since we are getting new auths now and I can understand if anyone out there is feeling conflicted with who to join. This may hopefully guide them into choosing the best family for them." 

There was silence among the crowd as they waited to hear more. Alessandra was hoping to actually get more enthusiasm from the crowd but their eyes seemed to beg for more words from her. She asked the question first after all, she should put out her own response on the table. She continued as her eyes scanned the people, "well I remember a mob boss once told me when I was just a petty thief in these streets that I should pick my family wisely by doing my research. Sadly I didn't get to talk with the gentleman more, but I wondered to myself - what kind of questions should I ask a sponsor before joining? I find myself feeling somewhat nervous and at a loss for words when I see the words ENQUIRE WITHIN. Now I'm a wise guy in these streets and have somewhat more knowledge and wisdom than before, so I would ask questions like...

• How often do you come out to the streets and express your thoughts? 
• Do you talk to your crew members regularly? If so, how do you keep them interested? 
• Do you encourage your crew members to participate in any special events? 
• Say a crew member has an opposing viewpoint. Are you able to openly discuss any issues or concerns with a crew member without being stand offish and bitter? What measures do you take to solve the issue, or at least achieve a balance?

..Those are the sort of questions I would ask. How about you guys though? What would you ask? And if you are a crew leader who usually walks by discussions like these, maybe today you decide to stop and speak up for once. I'd reverse the question for any leaders out there, what do YOU look for in potential recruits and what do YOU ask them before letting them into your family? If you want to, you can also answer the four questions that I asked before. Honesty is very welcomed!" 

She then stood to the side, smiled around to those beside her and allowed for more people to speak up.

Video was just about to leave the streets when a silhouetted figure appeared moving from the distance. She began to speak about what would a person look for in a crew leader. Video thought about his first moments walking in the streets of Vegas when he started out. 

I like this question a lot. Em, My lineage has never had a sponsor before. It just never worked out that way. It has worked out where my lineage has been sponsors. Theres a strange pressure about being a sponsor to me that i am not sure if anyone else feels. This sort of responsibility for them to be successful stirs in the minds of my ancestors journals. I am already getting off point and i apologize for that. 

When seeking a new family, what did i look for? Yeah well my bloodline does random things apparently. There is a pattern where it in the past few ancestors have stuck together with friends. Before that my bloodline loved to join the city that was young. A chance to be a leader was something my ancestors dreamed of and yet a chance for building something together developing a new city was always quite fascinating to my bloodline. 

I as the most recent person came by being called out by my former crew leader WATER. See most recently, my bloodline tends to skip a year of of the mob life. My last active family member i believe was a man named Gatsby. A leader in New York years ago. I am a great grandchild to Gatsby but my parents i dont know i guess they just did not care to be actively in the mob life like i do. I have gotten the sense that my son desire to not be part of this life but i imagine he like me would join his friends when they call. 

Thats what i was originally getting at. I came to this life because a childhood friend called on me to help build a crew. I had no dreams of being a leader or anything of that nature. So I joined that crew to help make Las Vegas beautiful and it was! 

Video looked down at the street. 

I feel like im just mumbling and am having a difficult time answering your question. I apologize. I Guess when i joined family i was joining a place to help make it become something special for the crew leader. I wanted to give them everything i had. 

Thank you for the question. It was interesting for me to think about. 

Tony saw a brave lady who spoke about important topics and approached. He had a big frame and probably looked like a pervert. So, he made sure to keep a healthy distance. He gave a goofy smile and told the lady his opinion.

"I have had fathers and mothers who have roamed these streets. Sadly, they haven't yet lived for more than a month," Tony said. "Currently, I'm just looking to live for three months. As for promotions? If I get lucky, maybe I'll get it."

He scratched his head and was suddenly embarrassed. He often felt like this when he was speaking the truth. He also blushed and said, "So, I'm looking for leaders who have strong connections to the regime. However, I prefer new cities to old ones, since I feel like I can contribute much more significantly there."

"I don't really ask my sponsors anything in particular. I've done my research before I join."

In the time that she had been talking, two young gentleman had joined in the crowd. One of them named Video, an esteemed leader surely known by many, was the first to speak up. This was her first time meeting him. There was a brick wall beside her and she leaned against it as her eyes wandered over to him suddenly intrigued. He started talking about sponsors.. strange pressure... successful... Then he stopped all of a sudden? She frowned slightly wishing he would continue to emphasise his point, and she interrupted him kindly when she said, "..hey no need to apologise. You're speaking your mind." She smiled and lifted her hand gently, signalling for him to continue. 

As she listened to him talk about his humble beginnings, she felt uplifted and inspired. She nodded enthusiastically. "I don't blame you for sticking with friends. That is where you're comfortable. I know my parents and grandparents have played with that same pattern before. I also love seeing cities flourish so it is truly inspiring to hear you talk about what you looked for when seeking a new family. I also feel like we are kind of similar in that my bloodline seemed to also like joining cities that were young because they desired that sense of togetherness in a city. It is liberating in my opinion." 

Her eyes suddenly followed his gaze that looked down the street and she had the feeling that he was zoning out. However he spoke up again and she was somewhat disappointed that he felt like he was just muttering nonsense. She smiled the kind of smile that was reassuring and patient. "There were no right or wrong answers to my question. I just wanted answers. And you give me one, sir. Thank you at least for coming out and giving us a little of your background. Life really is a box of chocolates isn't it? You are truly inspiring. I hope one day that even I could lead a city of my own and help give the life it needs. You're welcome for the question, too. I'm also thinking maybe I could host these kind of insightful discussions on a regular basis. What do you think?" 

As her question lingered in the air awaiting an answer of validation from Video, she looked at the other young gentleman that had not spoken up yet. Being a CEO of a modelling company, it required Alessandra sometimes to be judgemental of appearance so it was no surprise that she raised her eyebrows lightly at him. He kind of looked like a creep. But a sweet creep. His smile was wide and welcoming. She was left intrigued when he finished talking. "I truly admire your confidence, kid. You're gonna go places. I know it. And I understand what you mean with preferring new cities. Since they do need a lot more development and growth, you're the kind of person that would surely make it into what it needs to be. I wish you the best of luck in your search of family. And if you do already know who you're going to, I hope that you have a prosperous time there." 

Interesting topic. I think it is hard to understand what any outfit is going to really be like until you're in it, although it is certainly important to make sure your new Don isn’t a total dummy. I like to do a little bit of investigative work to ascertain that they aren’t a mouth-breather and they have a basic understanding of what a Don should be. Some intelligent thought and a desire to protect the people working for them are high on my list of desired characteristics, so checking the information about their family and instances they have spoken publicly are a must. 

Next, I like to find an organisation I don’t have any historic connection with so as not to prejudice my experience. If I want to be judged on my merits, having a family friend as my Don is going to make that difficult to achieve. Plus, you never really learn anything if you only stick around the same name and faces as you saw in childhood and that gets dull quicker than anything. 

If I can find some innovation, I will, but otherwise I’m just looking for a base where someone can protect me. From there I feel like it is a two way street to make something of the experience and I have to commit to making what I can of it. 

Roger walks by noticing a discussion, so he decides to give his two cents on the matter.

I can't really pin point what I'm looking for in a crew, sometimes it can be fun to take on a challenge or working with new people. Other times I try going places where I can be an asset.

But it's not the easiest of questions to answer cause in the end it all comes down to the climate of the playing field. Examples of this is, coming back from a break, big wars just happened.

Roger tips his hat and wanders off.

The new men that had joined the discussion certainly made their presence known as they began to speak their minds. Alessandra listened intently and bobbed her head up and down to their words. As she listened to AvardT talk about his desired characteristics, she nodded her head and made sure to voice her response. "Well I do certainly hope no one would auth a total dummy to take over a district! On a brighter note, as I look around and see the current crew leaders in our world, it is quite clear to me that those leaders who have a better chance of recruiting are people who are well spoken and have that desire, just like you said, to protect their people. But how is that desire to protect analysed? Do you judge that by their level of activity? The closeness of the bond with their members? Their generosity in regards to sending out money and helping with their members' bodyguards? How can we say that someone has that desire, sir AvardT?" 

The second point he had made was very understandable to her. She smiled sweetly, giving a nod of the head. "I like that mindset! I can see that you are always up for a challenge and I truly commend you for that. I myself would have to agree. In the past, my bloodline would join up with familiar faces but now I have joined a city where I don't really... know anyone. And it has great pros. I'm able to meet new people, learn how to interact with different types of personalities and improve my level of personability. Thank you, AvardT for speaking about this." 

His last words were short and sweet. but it provoked many more interesting thoughts in her mind. Alessandra nodded and smiled once again, thanking AvardT for his time to speak out. "There's no better way that you could have worded that. I definitely think that effort should come from both sides. Like, if you scratch my back I scratch yours right? Anyways thank you again. I do hope to see you out here on the streets a lot more. I love hearing your discussions as well. Send Dean my regards." 

Just as she was going to ask if anyone else wanted to make their thoughts known, a fellow family member by the name of Kinky Roger had approached the group. He contributed little, but it mattered lots to Alessandra. A little can go a long way, as some people say. She smiled sheepishly as she saw him and waved, before putting her listening cap on. At the end she decided to add in another two cents. "Oh I definitely agree! Conditions like that can change everything." 

Jester was minding his business in the streets training his monkeys for his next show when he overheard a discussion in the distance which caught his attention.  He pedaled over on his unicycle and listened for awhile.  It was always nice to hear from other people, whether he agreed with them or not.  It kept his mind open. He waved over at Alessandrakorkunova on the wall and rubbed his chin thoughtfully before he spoke up....

"Alessandrakorkunova, thank you for bringing this discussion to the streets.  I always enjoy these open discussions.  Whether or not they've been talked about previously, I always find that when different people have the conversation - it generally goes to a different place and it's fun to hear all viewpoints."

Jester put a smoke into his mouth and practiced some ring twirls on his arms and eventually they somehow lit on fire.  He turned his head and lit the smoke from the rings, and inhaled deeply before he proceeded.

"Well, I can only speak for myself I guess.  I might bring something different to the table seeing as this is now my second family.  When I embarked on this life of crime I started learning under a crew in Los Angeles.  Why'd I pick it?  It seemed like it had some engaging characters and it was evolving quite rapidly.  The streets were lively, the booze and money were flowing.  Business was good, so that's kinda what I gravitated toward..."

Jester dragged on his cigarette and sipped from some moonshine from his flask before proceeding again...

"Well that all ended pretty quickly and as an Earner I found myself quickly looking for a family.  Growth and liveliness suddenly took a backseat to preservation.  Survival instinct took over and there was no doubt to me that Philly seemed like the place to be.  My boss was kind enough to take me in and give me a home, and I hope to reward him for that. So, that's my experience.  I guess what you can deduce from that is that what I am looking for in a family might change depending on the dynamic of our community."

Jester nodded at AlessandraKorkunova before riding his unicycle back into the crowd

Garou decided to spend a few moments on his travels to join a discussion that was taking place in the streets. It was something refreshing which he appreciated. Recruitment and everything surrounding it was often approached differently by many people, whether they be the Leader/Sponsor, or the one being potentially recruited.

"Thank you AlessandraKorkunova for bringing this discussion forth. I have enjoyed listening to the views of the others before me and would very much like to share my views on this too. I will address each of your well thought out questions individually to make it easier."

How often do you come out to the streets and express your thoughts?

"I believe in quality over quantity. If I feel there is a need to add my opinion to a specific topic being discussed or if there is a key item that has been overlooked, then I will share my views on it. I have a family and alot of my time is spent ensuring that they have everything they need and are well looked after. This will always be my priority in my current position. I do feel that Leaders speaking in public in some form should happen though. I appreciate that it's not always everyones cup of tea and that doesnt make other Leaders bad, they simply usually excel in other areas and that is why they were given the opportunity to take up the positions they hold."

Do you talk to your crew members regularly? If so, how do you keep them interested? 

"I talk to my crew daily, as much as possible in fact. I always try to ensure everyone has what they need in order to carry out their day and that they have goals to work towards. Whilst that may not always be possible in the early days, if you have the right support in place, people can usually see that there are achieveable goals for them to work towards."

Do you encourage your crew members to participate in any special events?

"The simple answer to this is yes. I am quite big on the creation of events to not only spark some excitement to those in my District/City, but also as a means to reward those who actively put in the time to help lift the competitive spirit that I like to see. Some people like to go the extra mile to help out or take part in events and they are usually the ones who reap the most benefits from it. That doesn't mean only those should be catered for though and that is usually where smaller rewards can be given out to those who still give their best."

Say a crew member has an opposing viewpoint. Are you able to openly discuss any issues or concerns with a crew member without being stand offish and bitter? What measures do you take to solve the issue, or at least achieve a balance?

"I run an open door policy. I am always happy to discuss any ideas or queries which may arise from my members. How do I handle them being stand offish? Well, each situation is different and therefore they should be handled as such. For me personally, I believe the best way to approach this is to simply try to understand what the issue is and see it from all points of view. No one is perfect and if you are willing to also learn from a specific point and show compassion, then I see no reason why there should never be an adequate resolution to an issue."

Nodding his head, he thanked AlessandraKorkunova once more and ventured over to the nearby coffee stand to grab a quick drink whilst he listened to the other views being shared.

A man with a cigarette in his hands slowly approached the crowd and he started to speak on his first experience in Los Angeles. His name was Jester, but in that moment he wasn't clowning around at all. As his words were sincere, Alessandra listened with intent and nodded to what he was saying. "Oh! You're absolutely welcome. I do also enjoy these discussions. I usually keep to myself most of the time but I love to hear what people have to say. A discussion can indeed go many directions at once." She nodded as he started to talk about the streets being lively. Somehow it was not surprising that the money and booze had attracted him to Los Angeles. Money really does make the world go round.

But money isn't everything. As Jester continued, she was brought to life about the survival instinct. Certain events would happen that can cause major changes to the dynamic of the community. She smiled in a sympathetic manner as she nodded once again. "Indeed, sir! It's not always rainbows and unicorns in this world, sometimes we have to push the money and booze to the side and put our survival abilities to the test. You did what you had to do and you joined the city that seemed to be the safest after what had happened." 

She felt happy to see a fellow Philadelphia citizen talk positively about Philadelphia and she only hoped to see him again one day - in another discussion. As the Jester went away on his unicycle, she raised her eyebrows in delight and waved goodbye happily. The street discussion was going very smoothly so far and she could not be more satisfied with the turnout. At first, she was unconfident that she'd get any answers at all but now she felt like had just been given a whole bunch of knowledge. It also didn't hurt to live vicariously through some of the people's interesting experiences. The day was almost coming to an end when a consigliere from New York had arrived in the streets. He looked powerful. And he also looked like he had... a lot on his mind. Alessandra was eager to hear. 

She smiled and welcomed him, "you're very much welcome sir Garou! Thank you for coming out to express your views. I'll be honest, I have not heard of you until now but I have no doubt you will leave quite an impression on me tonight." She stopped her words and kindly gestured for him to continue speaking. She didn't want to take up the spotlight by her rambling. It seemed that he was going to answer his questions that she had asked earlier. She could always appreciate a man that had the time to answer personal questions like these and be so open book about his family. She nodded enthusiastically as she heard him talk about the streets. "I know that street speaking shouldn't be the main concept for what makes a good leader..

..In fact I probably shouldn't be talking at all since I don't have much experience with leadership, but what I do know is that there are lots of major responsibilities that uppers and leaders have. It seems difficult to deal with that plus have to prepare speeches and discussions. But anyways, you are right Garou. They were authored for a reason. There must be something brilliant about what they do." She finished with a wink. 

Alessandra's ears would perk up every now and then feeling delighted to listen to his answers. They were insightful and could definitely provide other leaders out there some tips. However, she also understood that every leader had their own style of leadership. She didn't believe that there was only one right way to solve something. "Mhm, no one is perfect and no one should be treated as such. I also would like to add in something as well that a great leader is always working towards something - a goal. And I just want to thank you again for speaking up today. I truly admire your open-mindedness, sir. I think I might also get myself a coffee as well while I stand around here."