Whilst walking through Detroit, I hear a "Psst" from down an alley, being the curious type, I walked over, gun in hand and took a look around the corner. There, I saw two guys with crow bars in hand, leveraging the door off the side of a Warehouse.

"Hey, give us a hand, whatever you take, you can keep, just help us open this door."

I was caught up in a dilema, I didn't know these robbers BUT, I knew there was loot inside. Do I go over, help these strangers and get some loot? Or do I walk on by, they could be up to anything.

I opted to help out, I quietly walked over, checking my back and grabbed the bar with the nearest of them. With all three of us, the door popped off easily. We entered, grabbed what we could and made a break.

Walking home with my pockets lined with the cash from the raid, I wandered if what I'd done was right. Should I have helped out strangers? Should I have asked some questions or waited for them to tell me more about their heist? I saw a small crowd and decided to get their views.

"What are your views on helping out other criminals? Is it ok for them to just invite you into a crime, knowing you will all benefit if you succeed? Or should they always talk to you first, check if you are keen and then invite you to help?"

Should you know the person first? Hmm i don't really know if that matters to be honest...

It's not always easy to just get someone to help me with a crime, therfore i usually have to ask around for some help, thats why i always look for my family, i know i can count on them and i always work well with my family. The job gets done much better if you work with someone that you know.

What about telling them, "Well boys this is how it will be, you will help me and i will let you leave with a bit. If you don't like it maybe you should find another neighborhood." Afterall if they were anybody important you would recognize them no?

I would feel comfortable inviting lower level mafioso to my gang just for sheer numbers, surely bigger is better? But I don't think I would invite those who outrank me unless I was sure they knew me already. Seems like a respect issue.

For me, it'll often depend on the situation and the person. I personally would always get involved, that's the kind of person I am. But there will probably be some situations where I might stand clear.

Example?

OK, since you asked:

If I was walking down Mid-Town in Detroit and was approached by Bald_Scouse_Virgin was waiting for me. If he then invited me to join in with a crime, then told me to walk down the dark alley advising, "Don't worry Rhuarc, I have your back."

This would be a situation I would avoid, if it was Rourke or BrianRourke, I'd be there in a shot.

If i don't know them then i will help them out then put two bullets in the backs of their heads as i am leaving and take all the cash for myself, but if they were in my family or i knew them then i would help them out for a cut and they wouldn't get killed

Marietta just so happened to walk out of a nearby bakery when she saw a man she knew, Rhuarc, posing his question to a small crowd. Stepping over and taking a large bite of her croissant as she did so, she began to speak with her mouth full. How unladylike!

Aha, the age old question. "Should I help the competition if it benefits me?".

There's really no black or white answer to these questions, unfortunately.

Many people refuse, point blank, to associate or work or cut deals with anyone outside of their own family or city of work. And why not? I can see why people think that way. They're not out to help give a leg up to Joe Blow in New Orleans. They're working for their Boss and making money for their Boss, not anyone else's. That's what I call the straight laced guy. He has his priorities right, sure.

Yet then you always wonder... is the straight laced mobster missing out on opportunities?

Yeesh, long random tangent. Anyway, where was I? Ah, right. No black and white answers.

When criming with others, it's a question of "How much do you love money?". If you, as the host of a criming spree, want more money you'll invite more people. Should you be obligated to ask around if people want to join? In a way I can see why you should- but no. Don't. The more people that know about your crime, the less likely it will happen. The fuzz could be lurking around each corner, listening with their little bat-like ears, and put a stop to your crime and land you in jail. Keep it on the down low and you'll succeed.

You never want to piss off the wrong guy, though. You never know who has the stronger friends on the playground, so to speak. So I would always advise to ask and inform before inviting some random man or woman to help you in your crime quest. If you don't, you could irritate the wrong guy and find the cool barrel of a pistol pressed to your forehead.

I personally only crime with family, as I know where all the money is going to go to, and it avoids skirmishes. Work for the family, with the family. Simple as that.

...That's not to say I won't branch out, though. If someone asks me to join them, or long story short- if I want money, I'm really not going to pass up the opportunity though. Would I like for someone to ask me first? Sure, but most mobsters are rude and weren't raised to be such fine, upstanding ladies and gentlemen like I was. So I'll do it without the song and dance to get the profit, because that's the thing- I love me some money.

Marietta passes her card around to the gathered men and women and winked at the people as she took another bite of her pastry.

If you want to crime, give me a call. I'll gladly take a large cut of your profits any day.

That's just me, though. Maybe mister Every Day Average Joe is different.

I say, if you wanna make money with me, I'm down. It's what we do. We rob places, we steal things. WHy should you have to ask to join into a crime?

Shakes his head

Money is money.

I personally will only do crimes with either my family or my city. If I am invited to a crime by someone from a diffrent city the yes I will join as I get some money out of it. However if I am doing a public crime I shall only invite my city or my own family members if they wish to join, but majority of the time I only do crimes with my family as I know where the money is going to and that it will be used wisely.

So there is what I personally do but just like my mother said. That's just me, though. Maybe mister Every Day Average Joe is different.

we are all criminals as long as there isn't a bucket of wet cement with my name on it in the warehouse i'm down with whatever

Lana walks over the crowd of people and listened to their opinions.

I guess it all depends on the people that surround you. If someone I know invites me along on a crime, I will accept whether you are family or not. If I don't know you, then you shouldn't even be offering. Criming is risky enough as it is, and you need people you know and trust with you. When I plan a crime, of course its family first, but when no one is around, I have no problem taking friends. We are here to make money!!! As long as it is talked about first, whether its with higher rank or lower rank, I have no problem either way.

Kevin walks by hearing the question and stops to list bit more. He then puts his own two cents in there

Personally, I wouldn't invite just anyone. I would invite my good friend either inside or outside the family. As I think about more if some random group guys just invited me then I would return the favor. Why complain about getting some cash?

Kevin takes his leave and carries on about his business

It's a direct benefit to the receiver of the invite.

Rhuarc, while I see the point you're making, I highly doubt you'd be in direct danger from accepting the invite from your lower ranked member.

From a structural standpoint, it makes sense. In reality, it hardly matters. At the end of the day, the crime is usually succeeded, and people walk away with a pay cheque.

As for working outside of the family, considering you yourself get a payment out of it, I don't see much harm from it. Unless specifically labeled, I don't consider much outside of my family enemy combatants or the like.

I do prefer to work inside of the family, but if it comes down to it, I'll be willing to work with others.