The mean streets of Detroit were bustling with activity. Workers were leaving their shifts at the factories to either head home or head out for a much needed drink. Many of the criminal element were already filling the seats of those establishments. The influx of new customers just helped them have a bit more privacy if anyone was watching or listening. One such popular location was situated in Corktown and heavily influenced by the 1/2lbers crew. The sign sits above the front doors with a dim light keeping it visible as the sun fell below the horizon...

Knick Knackers Bar 🎱

You know that you also need a drink and a place to take a break from the hustle and bustle. Hearing about this new popular bar, you decide to make your way into the heart of Corktown. It wasn't difficult to find the place as people seemed to be heading in and out constantly. Including a few that already drank their fill,  who now found themselves sitting on the curb or relieving themselves in the alley. All the signs of a place that will have plenty to drink and a high probability of excitement. 

You pull on the handle and open the door....

Once inside, the place actually seems quite large as if it was an optical illusion on the outside. All the way on the opposite side from the front doors is where the bar is located. People are crowded around ordering drinks and having discussions. You decide to take a look around before heading over to the 'watering hole' with the rest of the animals. 

Three pool tables sit off to the side where people are taking shots and chatting about their days. Others sit around them waiting their turn to possibly make a run on the tables. Across the way there are a couple of dart boards hanging on the wall with people taking aim. The usual bar games that have entertained the drunk masses for as long as anyone could remember.

The bathrooms are tucked away in the front corner by the entrance so people can go on the way in or the way out. A sign is hanging on the wall to the right of the bathrooms with a brief message for patrons...

Spanking of Chimps

is Prohibited​

It was a warning due to the fact that Gimpanzee came here for all his alcoholic beverages. Whenever he wasn't getting a burger or picking up a female chimp at the zoo.....this was where you could find him during the evening. Although usually his right hand man Tad Knackered was around to keep all spanking away from the boss. At least when he wasn't napping...

With the place all mapped out you decide it is time to go get yourself something to drink. The bar has cleared out just enough for you to elbow your way in and get the bartenders attention. He makes his way over to you...

"So, what will you be having tonight? We got plenty of options from the tap, the bottom shelf, and the top shelf. Just let me know and I'll get you what I can." He said as he leaned on the bar with a cleaning rag in hand.

You pause for just a moment before placing your drink order...

During what should have been a quick business trip to Detroit, Gaspare found himself stuck in the town for the weekend. It turns out that the meeting with the head of a large Transporting Company had been postponed until next monday, so he would have to wait. Gaspare then took a shower at the hotel, wore his casual black suit and decided to go out and see what the city could provide. 

A short walk and the man came across a sign, Knick Knackers Bar. Thinking to himself that he could definitely use a drink at that moment, he entered the bar. Immediately, he went to the counter.

"A whiskey, please" he said. "Neat".

Glancing at a pretty lady across the counter, he waited for his drink.

Tad was watching over the bar as he also attempted to keep his eye on Gimpanzee to make sure nobody was spanking the chimp. It was easy some days to keep him distracted with a few burgers. As he leaned on against the wall of the small VIP section they made up for upper members he spotted a man with connections to the Seattle mob trying to get a drink at the bar. The bartender had been busy, but not busy enough to ignore the man. Tad made his way over quickly...

"Evening Gaspare, excuse the bartender as he is somewhat new to the job. Whiskey was it? I'll grab some of the good stuff to help make up for the wait." He made his way over and grabbed a bottle of his favorite imported whiskey from Ireland. 

Tad popped the cork topper out of the bottle and poured a couple fingers worth of whiskey for the man...

"Here ya are. Hopefully you find this whiskey to your liking. It's from a smaller distillery over in Ireland that I found on a trip over there to network my liquor connections. I'm one of the few people they even ship to in America." He smiled as he poured himself some into a glass.

He sipped on the whiskey, "Ah, that hits the spot nicely. What do you think?"

"Cheers", Gaspare he said, raising his glass.

He took a sip of the whiskey, leaving the liquid in his mouth for an instant before swallowing. It was good. Actually, it was great.

"Heh, you aren't kidding, my friend. This is good. Pretty damn good!"

He took another sip, glancing around.

"Pretty good place you got here too, sir. With a good booze like this, I’m not surprised that business is going so well for you!"

He raised his glass again, in greeting.

"Let me ask you something out of curiosity, sir. How much for a bottle of this whiskey?"

It had been a hectic couple of days - Having been awakened from his slumber only a few days ago by Tetley; informed by the bossman that it was time for a bigger cage on his own.  Gimpanzee put his extra padded spanking pants on and went about gathering his things for Corktown and knew there was one man he could call upon to aid him in his quest: TadKnackered

The chimp made his way to Knick Knackers Bar that TadKnackered had recently opened up - It was a fine establishment that reminded him of old haunts from the past that his father Wilbur would frequent instead of helping clean the cage out!

Gimpanzee swung through some of the local drunks that could always be found here. He nodded in respect towards the direction of Gaspare and signalled for a quiet word with TadKnackered

"How are you doing today my man?"

Gimpanzee set his banana down and pointed towards the bottle Tad had just poured from.

"That Irish Whiskey you've just poured.. I've heard great things about it. Let's have some of that.."

Tad smiled at the enjoyment Gaspare got from the whiskey and could understand his inquiry about the cost. When he tasted it himself in Ireland it was the first thing that came to his mind as well.

"Well, I paid a bit of 'insurance' money up front since they're such a small operation. They were worried about the chance of their first shipment or two being caught by the feds. Possibly they even worried that I would cheat them out of their money. Either possibility would put them out of business at that point. Now they're swimming in cash and we have a good deal going. So, they charge me $10 a bottle and my guys meet them on a boat just into international waters. This gets rid of the need for them to feel they need insurance and saves me a few bucks."

Tad watched as this chimp of a crew leader swung his way into the bar. Although it had gone unnoticed by most....there were 'monkey' bars installed into the ceiling and a few walls of the establishment to allow for Gimpanzee to move freely. Too many drunkards wouldn't noticed him walking around on the floor with his height being on the smaller side compared to us humans.

The Chimp of all Chimps was definitely somebody that he respected and was glad to get a drink for...

"Alright boss, one whiskey coming up for ya." He paused as he was about to hand over the glass to him, "Are....are you allowed to drink? I mean I know you're allowed to....but will it be stronger for you than a human? I've never seen a chimp drink."

Tad understood the want to obtain nice liquor and the sentiment of getting it for a good friend was touching. Most people were a bit greedy when it came to good liquor. So, to hear Gaspare wanting to acquire it for somebody besides himself was definitely refreshing to hear. While Tad had not been secretive about what country he imported from, he had definitely kept their contact information and location secret. He did not want an overabundance of orders to push the distillery to create something more quickly and with less quality.

"Well, I've enjoyed my drink with you thus far and I appreciate a man who can appreciate good whiskey. I especially enjoy those who taste a wonderful whiskey and want to share it with others. That is definitely a feeling I had myself when I first tasted it....besides the cost of it." Tad smirked as he turned and went underneath the counter.

When he arose from beneath the counter he had a second bottle of the whiskey in his hand...

"Here, no charge. No strings attached. Just a bottle for you and your friends to enjoy. Perhaps with a good cigar. I do hope that your friend enjoys it as much as we do." He placed the bottle on the counter in front of Gaspare.

Tad was glad to see how grateful Gaspare was to receive the bottle from him. It was the least he could do for somebody who shared his love for the dark liquor. He also enjoyed sharing a drink with new people whenever he got the chance. His new bar was definitely giving him the opportunity to do so.

"Absolutely. Coming right up Gaspare." He picked the open bottle back up and poured his new friend some more. 

Before continuing he poured himself another and made sure to get Gimpanzee another. The chimp was not always the biggest talker when it came to social gatherings. It was enough that he made the effort to come out every now and again. His support for Tad's bar was always welcome.

"I see somebody may have caught your eye." Tad sad as he was fiddling with a few things under the counter, "You could always bring her over a drink and see where it goes. Maybe challenge her to a game at the pool table?"

Tad watched as things unfolded from his view behind the bar, but watched silently as he knew Gaspare would figure out his next move on his own. You give a guy a slight nudge and then it's up to him. Being too pushy in a situation like that just wasn't the right way to be. His ears perked up at the question about owning a bar.

"Well, you're right in some respects. Dealing with overly drunk people is definitely my least favorite part. Although sometimes Gimpanzee will take out his paddle and be the bouncer for the night. It gives me a nice break from it all which I will always appreciate. Even if he does it out of enjoyment and less to help me." He chuckled as Gimpanzee let out a few chimpish chuckles.

Just as he was about to continue a bit of a scuffle was breaking out at the other end of the bar. With the mentioning of the paddle, Gimpanzee was quick to retrieve it from the wall and make his way over to the situation. The sounds of men yelling and a chimp screeching joyfully could be heard over the music.

"You mention the paddle and he just can't resist." Tad said quietly as he poured himself another two fingers of whiskey.

"The cops aren't the biggest issue most weeks. There is always a cop here or there looking to squeeze a buck out of us though. Some of them know how it all works and they earn some cash. Others end up learning during their off hours how to conduct themselves. It's a balance that we and the cops have to maintain so that power doesn't go too much in one sides favor. Of course I'd like it in ours, but if you go too far you'll be at war with the men in blue."

Tristan was back in the motor city, and to his surprise the city has grown with a few new businesses.   He stepped into the Knick Knackers Bar with a few of his men.   They sat at a table and ordered a bottle of whiskey.  The bottle came with five glasses, Marcus poured the drinks and as they picked up their glass they toasted to life.  Tristan knew that with Tyler from Delaware and his goons around protection was needed.  He was there to meet Benny Diamond out of Chicago.  Benny wanted to move his operation into Tristans Casino and Hotels.  Tristan wasn't one to be strongarmed and Benny knew that Tristan was connected with Meyer.  

Tad was glad to hear there was another level headed mobster out there. There were too many hot heads who wanted to show the police that they were in charge. Which usually landed them in an early grave either from their boss being unhappy about the new police pressure or the police taking care of it themselves. It truly was a balance that needed to be perfected for business to truly prosper.

"Hmm." He made the noise as he thought about what Gaspare said.

His connection in Ireland was definitely a precious one, but he also needed to continue making connections here in the US if he wanted to truly rise up in the mob. You couldn't lone wolf it in this business if you wanted to succeed.

"Perhaps I could introduce you to some of my connections outside the US. Including the one in Ireland. The best booze is coming from outside the country. Don't get me wrong....some of the stuff being made here can be damn good. Most of it is made cheap and sold at high prices though." He finished off his current glass of whiskey as he spoke.

"I have a connection in Russia for vodka, the Caribbean for rum, and I get some gin from England. My connections in Ireland helped me connect with England which led me to the Caribbean. Russia, well that one was just sort of luck when I walked into the wrong speakeasy one night." He chuckled, "Now that was an interesting night."

Zipline had just arrived to Detroit, hearing about some large number of people in the local slammer that needed his help getting out. Since he hated the coppers so much that he would help any man in need he felt compelled to make the journey. Yet busting people out of jail was a hard and exhausting task and not after too long he started to feel very thirsty.

As he wondered the streets he came across a very peculiar looking joint, with signs of monkeys at the door. He decides to push his luck and grab a drink inside. The long stretched floor plan strikes him and the road to the bar is long. All those bums out on midday drinking their ales had to be pushed away, further to the bar there were some more respectable folks enjoying some stronger spirits, probably some leftover clients from the lunch hour.

Zip approached the bar, nodded at the keep and asked for a double scotch on the rocks. He asked the barkeep if anyone from CH had been seen in these parts recently, just so he could maybe find a familiar face among all these rough workers from the Ford factory down the lane.

Tad watched as the glass slid in front of him and he chuckled to himself. This whiskey had that effect on people with how good it is. He had to order a few extra bottles just for himself and his friends to make sure he didn't drink the entire order for the bar. He quickly took the top off and poured Gaspare a bit more.

"I'm happy to help out. I suppose I wasn't going to be able to keep my connections to myself forever." He smirked.

The Russians? He thought about that night and shook his head...

"Yeah, it was not the ideal first meeting between me and those damn Russians. They own a small speakeasy that is pretty well hidden over on 12th Street. I of course being inquisitive about all the rackets here in Detroit, made my way over there. Unfortunately my information did not include that it was a Russian speakeasy. I had been informed it was Irish owned." He scowled a bit thinking of the man who gave him the information and how he and his new aquatic friends must be doing at this moment.

"The gist of the whole night.....well I ended up tied to a chair and inhaling a bit more liquor than I was drinking to be honest. I had heard of that sort of punishment, but I was expecting water. I suppose it was a night full of surprises. When they found out I wasn't some sort of Russian agent hunting them down, things got a bit friendlier." He poured himself a new drink...this time a few more fingers deep.

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The night was continuing on and Tad was enjoying how busy his bar was as of late. Gimpanzee was happy to be using his paddle for once this week. His new friend Gaspare was enjoying the whiskey and the future prospects of liquor connections. As he was talking another man came up and leaned on the bar ordering a double scotch on the rocks. Tad motioned to the bartender that he would handle it...

"Give me one second Gaspare and I'll be right back over." He was going to get the man his drink and continue his conversation about liquor connections.

He grabbed a bottle of scotch which had yet to be used that evening so it was a nice fresh opening...

"Here you are Zipline. I think this scotch will be to your liking if you're a scotch man. It may not be our best liquor out of the many options available, but I did my best to find something worth serving." He said as he poured the scotch over a couple chunks of ice.

Zipline accepted the offered scotch, and emptied in 1 long hit. Ahhh that hit the mark

Not the best you got on offer, ey? Well i have to say sir during this period of prohibition i'm not used to such a wide assortment of types of liquor. Do you have such good connection or do you run your own distribution channel perhaps?

Zipline mused on what this new friend could potentially do for him, distribution lines abroad were always good things to have access to