Anton finishes reading his Manchester Guardian newspaper, which he has shipped over from England.  It is his favourite newspaper, and one that he feels is in touch with what the interests of the average man should be.  The New York Times, the so-called "paper of record" is enormously successful, and whilst there is nothing wrong with much of its reporting per se, Anton feels that he should lead by example and sources a newspaper that is a rarity.  That way, he might inspire some of the average and ordinary people that he feels duty bound to protect, mostly from themselves, and their own selfish, quite crude motivations.  Anton sips his espresso, one of the many wonderful things immigrants have brought to this nation, and, with no small measure of ironic cultural appropriation, tilts his head and says SALUD! to the bemused looking Italians, whose cafe Anton has been coming to for some time.  Anton begins to address the men, confident that his musings will guide these ordinary and average men to a better life...

"Every day I come here, and every day I buy an espresso.  I love the way you make it here, and I am touched at the deference you show to me.  It must be difficult, I know, negotiating how to deal with a man of my education, but I am a liberal, and therefore I have your best interests at heart.  That's one of the reasons I leave you $1 above the price you charge for this espresso.

I recall, with no small measure of envy, how you beat that man who got rowdy here.  One of my friends suggested that it was wrong to inflict some violence on someone.  I charged them with ignorance, and educated them on the cultural norms that you have brought with you to America.  I consider you noble savages, you see.  

Now, I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but I am an associate of one of the most powerful crime families in this nation.  My ambition in this life is to "make my bones" and then set up on my own, recruit my own associates and become the leader of my own outfit.

I am currently working on a guide for how best to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to us by Grin-08 and the other leading and guiding lights of this thing of ours.

Often I have heard you complain about having to pay tribute when the local CL comes knocking at your door.  Often, in language familiar to me educated, liberal mind, have I heard you discuss how you feel excluded from the mechanisms of power that affect your life.  Often, and in crude terms that I have difficulty synthetizinging to appropriate academic discourse, I have heard you express feelings of social exclusion.

So now, I must strong suggest that you avail yourself of the opportunity to better yourself.  I urge you to listen to me, and to do as I say.  

Things can only get better!

So, explain to me.

WHY WOULDN'T YOU SET-UP YOUR OWN 5-MAN HQ?

Ragnarok - the start-up cash is substantial, but you're an old school guy.  Getting together $10M wouldn't be too much of a barrier for a lot of people.

I think there are other reasons why people don't set up.  Can you think of any? 

I would agree with Ragnarok on his statement. There are folks that aren't money savvy. I enjoy gambling so I wouldn't venture down this road unless I knew I could sustain things for myself while maintaining my gambling addiction. I'm sure other folks will have other reasons but I think the most common one will be money as Ragnarok has previously stated. If you do hit the jackpot please don't forget about your gambling brothers and sisters that spend many hours at the blackjack tables or the trying hustles the house in a game of dice.

Gambling has struck down many powerful men in this thing of ours.

Debate rages over Lordian's demise.  And whilst Cromwell has set up an alternative investment scheme, which rewards identical to those offered by the late scammer Lordian, it doesn't look like it will take off.

Which begs the question.  Is Lordian the worst gambler in history? 

Ah yes, Cromwell did take over his operation. I think they way Cromwell is running it was the correct way of running it. I never had much interaction with Lordian since he was before my time. My ancestor ScubaSteve did note that Lordian did have his own style of gambling for sure. I wouldn't say he was the worst gambler based of these notes but he wasn't the best either. Now, I know this is hoping for a miracle but should his bloodline ever return to these shores. I would hope he would try to contact those that he owes a nice sum of money and credits too.

This is easy for me

I wouldn't set up as an any man/woman HQ because it's just so much fucking work.

good luck to those that do though.

As many posts are mentioned in the past when anyone complains about the past the are tagged whiners or people who know nothing, so at this point I will simply decline the question that you have asked.

If you yourself have any history here you are well aware of people who have been removed for no reason.

And all I was saying was I would never make a five man crew, to easy of a target.

It's an expensive ways and means to only end up being target practice. Anton amongst a few should know all too well.

5 men crews aren't real crews. They are posers feeding the city head cash. Nothing more. It's like one of those terrible actors who keep demanding their name be lut up in bright lights. Rather pathetic as far as I am concerned.

You make good points, The_Head.  If I may, is it not true that being part of a 5-man operation allows, in fact enables, access to the upper echelons of a city?  And, in war-time, an opportunity to be at the heart of the most decisive actions that a man can be privileged to undertake? 

With all due respect Anton may I ask why you don't set up with a 5 man operation?