A young Gangster walks onto the streets, kicks over a milk crate and jumps on it. Prepared to talk.

All, I would like to attempt to bring some discussion to the streets. The topic? New auths after the war.

After the take down of Roman & -Premier (herewith known as The Great War) 2 weeks ago, we saw a lot of new auths. A lot of high ranking Mafioso taking an opportunity to go bold and try and stamp their mark on this world. However, was it too much? Did the leaders of the time auth too many? Did we simply end up with quiet leaders, filling their families with NPM's with the only goal to make money for themselves?

My personal thought is yes. Yes it was. Before The Great War, we had over 30 families with an average of 13 Mafioso per family (exc NPMs). You take out the leader, RHM and LHM, plus average of 2 In-actives per family, these pre-Great War families had on average 8 true members, working hard for the boss. This is ridiculous.

After The Great War, the number of crews dropped below 20 for the first time in age. Reading through my Fathers diary of that day. He was excited. An opportunity had risen for the number of crews to be lower, the average of true, active members to dramatically increase, and a move away from authing high ranker's just for the sake of it, to make more money.

Unfortunately, this did not happen, and over the week after The Great War, we saw a lot of new auths. And suddenly, we were in the same scenario as before the war.

A lot of families, with not many members.

We now have the same opportunity again. A chance for leaders to really think about their auths. Does your city need one? Are you current families bulging at the seams?

We currently have 17 Crews. We currently have 490 members, exc NPMs, Gangster and above. This gives a ratio of 29 members per Crew. So you can see by the math, there is still plenty of space in current families before we look to authing new ones. Yes LA and LV are without a family, but that does not mean we should be looking to set up a new family. We should be considering looking at what leaders are currently successful and offering them the opportunity to move.

I am currently looking at St. Louis as a great example...

SuperX - 11 members - Crew Is Full
Hound - 49 members - Not much space left
JewishJake - 48 members - Not much space left
Madara - 18 members - Plenty of space left

Therefore, using it as an example, I would hope that SuperX would give Madara a chance to fill his crew up, before looking to auth another.

We have an oppurtunity here to remove having 6/7 families per city, each with 10-20 active members, but to have 3 families, each with 10 (for the GF families) and then 40+ in the other 2.

So leaders, what I am trying to get at is simple;

When thinking about authing someone, actually think does your city need it?

I actuallly raised a similar decision after the Roman/Prem war. Which stirred an interesting debate, albiet not from many leaders I may point out

http://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/197189

This is a perfect time for the current crop of leaders to show their metal and resolve. It isn't as if theres a shortage of new fresh faces to our shores now is it who are looking for a place to call home

Listens carefully and timidly responses

Well, First off, I don't want to offend anyone. Secondly, and mainly, I agree that a strong few people is much better than a bunch of unmotivated members. Numbers means nothing.

What I see is the biggest problems is there are some who work their hardest for there families and do everything in there power to do good but nothing comes of it because the leaders of the families are forced to watch out for thugs and gangster with no respect for the family or order of things.

I just wanted to throw my two-cents in is all.

Tips hat

A few years a go cities had one Don per city with perhaps a captain there too. The Don would fill the crew up before authing a promising talent. I have been told by my father that in this period, my ancestors were excited to see a new bold, they even listened to their auth speech, inspected their suit and followed their street presence and opinions in the future.

Unless my father exaggerated times have changed dramatically. I must admit that the first time I notice some of our new leaders is when I see their name in the obituaries... the honor of being a leader has been degraded over time. Can we change it? Yes. Can one city change it? No...

As long as other cities continue to auth their members in high numbers other cities will have to do the same in order to stay on a level playing field. In order to return to old ways where being a leader was the highest honor we will require the cooperation of all the godfathers and all the leaders

We can cite past statistics and conjure equations. Ultimately, it will be history that judges these new crewleaders for their deeds and don'ts. 

Considering that, I'd have to also agree with Utopia. As much as the cities may be allies or partners - they are also competition. A 'traditional' cityhead puts him/herself at a disadvantage by moderately auth-ing new leaders. It's analogous to the family-planning strategies parents adopt in third-world countries. Parents will have several child, with the knowledge that not everyone will survive. On the same token, not every leader is going to cut it in this thing of ours.

With that analogy in mind, we can't throw out the baby with the bath water. 

Utopia, I agree that it is up to leaders of all cities to enact a change. In my opinion, it would be goo for all city heads to sit together and bang heads on ideas which they could all agree on. One idea which I have just came up with is that a city should only be able to auth another leader if, say 75% of all family spaces are taken. Thereby showing that they actually need a new family to house more Mafioso, and not just to make more money. Obviously this will have to be self-policed and self-administrated. It would however make the following happen:

• Cities will work harder to attract new members as they can only expand if they ahve more members. They will have to work harder to make their city attractive to potential new recruits

• City heads would have to think harder about who to auth. If they know it might be your only auth for a week or more, they will have to make doubly sure that they are promoting someone who can promote their city and attract new members, working hard to develop them.

• It would force more leaders and potential leaders onto the street, as it is there where they can grow their reputation and let potential knew recruits who they are and what they represent.

These are just some thoughts...

I read about times in my ancestors journals when Auth did mean a lot. You didn't see a ton of auths for every city. I wish we could experience those times. I think that it is possible for those times to continue.

The main reason that times have resorted to so many auths is to seem stronger and to buy more robots to make money for the city. More CL's doesn't make you stronger. It's the more members you have that makes you stronger. It isn't the the city heads don't see this. They obviously do, they're not dumb. They got to those positions by being smart. 

The problem is that now adays people are a bit soft. They don't want to not give auth to that next guy when he is doing so well and deserves it so much. So they give him auth and he fills up with robots. Or they are wanting more power or to seem as if they have more power. If you see the top guy with 6 or 7 families. Then you want 6 or 7 families to match him.

Things can change. I think that now with the end of the Roman and Prem era we will see more members and more activity. We will see more people come back who left due to them or due to the stagnation of this place. 

All us regular members can do is hope. This is a change that the city leaders must commit to if it is to happen.

17 crews thus far, isn't really that bad. Though i would like to echo Creeper's comments. There was a time when getting authed was a big deal, it meant a lot and people had to work their asses off to get in such a position. For the past few years new auths have been given out like sweets, looks nice and tasty but too many make you feel sick. We can only hope that the city heads can get together and put something in place to stop unnecessary authing.

There are arguements that more smaller crews work better than fewer big crews, which in my opinion is pure bullshit. More smaller crews just get filled with NPM's which are only good for money, but if you can fill your HQ with humans then you'll be much better off all round. I am sure any CL would love more humans than robots in the crew, i know i sure would.

It would be nice to see meaning come back into new auths instead of sitting back watching any tom, dick and harry set up.

Cracking point there Thor getting authed now doesnt really feel like a big thing and totally defeats ant purpose of working hard...sure some probably deserved it but not in all cases.I would love love LOVE for a little more meaning and actually hard graft to pave the way forward.

Getting Authed is a big thing
Owning a family is a big thing

I think when you have a family you need to work even harder
Writing 3 or 4 stories in HQ forum
It takes time and if that`s not hard work I don`t know what is.

When auths start becoming about how hard you work rather than who your father was, they'll mean something.

In all fairness, with some family bloodlines those two are very much linked. Near enough every person you see in a bold suit got their by breaking their gut, and I don't think they should make apologies for the fact that they get continuously given the opportunity to run their own crew.

I agree MajorTom.  Yes, it happens that people are authed because of their bloodline in some cases, but I have seen many people receive auth on their first generation in this country.  My bloodline has held a few leadership roles.  My family has earned position for complete strangers.  I myself worked as Left Hand for a Godfather that I only knew personally for a short time.  Not because of my family line, but because I, me, MYSELF earned the place.  My family lines have been leaders yes, but if I take on a leadership role in the future, I assure you, it will damn well mean something. 

Hearing and actually listening to a few opinions makes me wonder about it myself. I still think these days being authed to purchase a Headquarters and work as a captain to a Don or Godfather even, is still the highest honor one can receive. I don't think there could be too many crews in a sense. No one really stands out in my eyes to be slacking numbers anywhere amongst their ranks. What I do dislike though is the amount of robots within our ranks. I can understand a few here and there but to maximize your allowed limit, that's just absurd. Why would you want to have robots rather than actual members willing to earn your respect?

Anyways...

The biggest thing I have to disagree with is the fact that City heads need to come together to set down ground rules for new auths. Specifically the aspect of "should only be able to auth another leader if, say 75% of all family spaces are taken." Why the hell should my city worry about your city? Why should my Boss have to get your permission to set up someone when they damn feel like it?

I don't mean to come across as an ass hole by any means. But in all reality, we're a criminal organization. If the city head of Philly wants to auth someone, they have the right.

Ok so this topic is bashed over many times. but this will be my first address to one, I keep hearing and like you said "30 families" HOLY JESUS thats alot, no, in reality it is not. you have 8 cities so thats rough 3-4 families per city 1 god father and 2-3 crew leaders. My opion i like it when there are more families in one city it gives that city more options for the returning blood line because my family has gone to different cities but there was always a family or two i didnt like the way things were run by them. so having that other leader made me join that city. Numbers give a city options. now i will say though yes i have seen many family lines receive a second auth or a 20th time auth but thats because there blood line is trusted, its a good bet, and the Godfather knows they will get shit done and correctly. Although I do not believe in authing them just soly on that, but it helps greatly in picking the next auth.

And another mention you made to having families with only 13 or so members then its the Sponsors fault for not getting members interested in coming to the family and keeping them interested and not going suicide or getting in trouble and shot

The biggest thing I have to disagree with is the fact that City heads need to come together to set down ground rules for new auths. Specifically the aspect of "should only be able to auth another leader if, say 75% of all family spaces are taken." Why the hell should my city worry about your city? Why should my Boss have to get your permission to set up someone when they damn feel like it?

I don't mean to come across as an ass hole by any means. But in all reality, we're a criminal organization. If the city head of Philly wants to auth someone, they have the right.

Yes, we're a criminal organisation... a national one! The way I see it not only should a city leader have to present a potential crewleader to a "commission" of sorts but should also have to do the same with associates that they wish to be made.

By doing such things it would both go some way to strengthening ties between the eight cities and would also ensure that only the best candidates were chosen to become crewleaders.

Honestly, I can't see any problem with city heads coming together.

Comparing authing a potential crewleader to giving an associate their button, is totally off key.

I agree that we're a national criminal organization, but we all run our business as we see fit. Chicago runs things the way they want to run them. New Orleans does the same. Where does the line stop when we have a commission for things such as this? If a Godfather wants to auth someone who he feels has earned the right, why does he have to prove to a commission that they're deemed necessary to run a crew within his OWN city?

It's just not clear to me.

Needing the approval of other cities to setup within your own city would just lead to a one man dictator ship. Everyone would end up much pissier than they have been in prior days and weeks. What each city does within their boundries is no other cities buisness.

I agree with Madara full heartedly