OK, fine. I won't try to trap you. I'll be direct.

I think we should let every Crew Leader do whatever they want since they earned the right to do so. They have to answer to a Godfather or to the whole bunch of Crew Leaders if they truly mess up. Why do we care if they promote people...

Bah! I almost let myself be dragged into that line of thought again... It's not just that we shouldn't care if they don't value rank, eventually people find out which are the good crews and people tend to gravitate towards those crews in due time, it's also the fact that I don't think there's a single leader that is not valuing rank.

If I thought there was, I would certainly not be drawing attention to myself by saying I believe people don't know how to run their crews, promote people willy-nilly or that they should know better than to place a young thug as their RHM.

Alistair, I'm not saying that people who make their name in the shadows should be looked down upon, what I am saying is that there are certain ranks that should only be given to those who are the complete mobster. I know how this sounds but I look at things a little differently to most.

Allow me to use a few examples, A boss in a family, should be known. Not just to their family members but they should also have built up a reputation so that they are fully considered a boss. Not just by their family but by the other families.

Then take one of these uber hitters, now if I was one of them I would not wish to draw the sort of attention that comes with one of the upper ranks. I would be part of the family but a specialist in my field and to me walking around as a Consigliere or Don would bring far too much attention for me to be able to do my job.

I know however that our world works a little differently and that there are certain benefits to achieving said ranks. That doesn't mean to say that I like it, but what can I do. Fugetaboutit.

This is where I'm coming from, our world doesn't mean that you have to be just one thing. There is the capabilities to become to complete mobster, encompassing all aspects, hitter, money maker, and a known face around all the cities. Nearly everyone who is in this life has the same dream, to run their own family, to reach the rank of Godfather. For me if that is your end game then yes the streets are vital, your voice is one of your most powerful weapons. How you are out here, in the business district, inside your HQ. This is what builds your reputation. It's one thing to seem like you might know what your doing if offered a family, but actually doing it can be a totally different thing.

As for Family heads, I support recruiting as well, however the head of a family is the figure the public looks to most, they are the ones that have a responsibility to lead, not just from inside their HQ but out on our streets as well. They are the people who are supposed to set the example for the rest of us.

Science is a beautiful thing when accompanied with a brain. Mercury was indeed a good topic many years ago in our classrooms.