Organized Crime in Southowilson

Map of Major Crime Organization Turf

The American Club: Southowilson’s most powerful criminal gang is also its lowest profile gang. The “American Club” is a traditional mafia-style crime organization with roots going back to pre-war crime syndicates in the old USA. In the modern era, the American Club is the single most powerful crime organization in North America, though it has many powerful rivals. This crime gang is not as heavily invested in the street action, preferring to focus local energies on the corporations, the government, and industry. As a result, the American Club has subtle tentacles involved in much of the city. It also expends a great deal of effort and energy remaining invisible, a stark contract to several of the flashier ethnic-based organizations. Turner Plaza, the North Industriplex, the Montezuma Fuser, Grizzly Point, and other focuses of money and power are all Club-dominated, often without anyone being aware of it. The American Club retains ties to the mother organization in the American Federal Republic, and occasionally pays lip service to the cause of North American reunification.

The Triads: The Triads are a group of ethnic-Chinese dominated syndicate connected to the vast criminal empires of SACPA. Collectively they form the largest of the crime organizations in Southowilson, but they remain internally divided most of the time. Triads gangs, wherever their turf, generally operate all prostitution, gambling, and extortion in their regions. Freelance drug operations are often allowed, but the Triad will demand a usurious cut of any freelance operations in their turf. They frequently dominate legitimate businesses as well, especially entertainment, construction, labor pools, and equipment rental. Gangs in Triad turf generally must turn over a share of their booty to avoid interference. Triad soldiers, called 49’ers, are usually well equipped and can be distinguished by their frequently black overcoats and sunglasses. The Triads divide the city among five "societies", who have a hierarchy of status among them.

• The largest society is the "Red Dragon Society", which controls much of central Downtown, including parts of the Harbor and the southern quarter of Glory Lane. It also has extensive holdings in the Central and McKinley Projects. The Red Dragon Shan Chu (leader) is generally accepted as the senior by other Triads, as they are strong enough to maintain distance and peace with the American Club.
• The "Jade Fist Society" controls the New Cali Arcology, Laramie District and the northern end of Glory Lane. They are the most belligerent society, having come into conflict with SDI in recent years.
• The "Righteous Brotherhood of Enterprise" Society controls the Garfield and Wilson Districts on the north end of town.
• The embattled "Fire Lotus Society" controls a good portion of McKinley District. It also maintains a tenuous grip on about a third of Lindsey District, but their power base is weakened by the many independent gangs in the area.
• Finally, the "Black Cat Society" controls the East Projects, among other things.

Mombasa Clan: The number three syndicate in Southowilson is ruled by Big Daddy Mombasa, the patriarch of the Caribs. Operations are controlled by Big Daddy's many sons, of which there are at least eleven. Big Daddy Mombasa's elite troops, the "Marleys", are feared even by the Triads. The clan draws its manpower exclusively from any of several "posses" in Southowilson. The syndicate has complete control over the African and Caribbean populations as markets and targets, running nearly all illicit operations therein. They have international connections to the Caribbean, Azania, and the Brazilian parts of the SAR. The Mombasa Clan has uncontested control of the Caribs and Suisun Point, and influence in Ikebara, Lindsey, and Stavangrad Districts. They also operate small gangs in the Central Projects, under the nose of the Triads.

Chavez Syndicate: Under the leadership of Ernesto Chavez, this SoCali crime syndicate was quite powerful, easily a match for the Triads. After his death, his son Luis led the clan into a disastrous bid for power, aimed at expanding Chavez turf. The clan is currently in a state of disarray, with various factions pitted against one another in a struggle for power. Presently Chavez leadership is a crazy quilt of conflicting brothers, cousins, uncles, et cetera. As such, it is painfully ineffective as a power player in the city. The Chavez Syndicate retains ties to SoCal and the SAR, making it the dominant supplier of natural chemicals like neo-coke, which are much in demand. The Chavez clan is affiliated with the Espada Z gang, providing muscle second only to the Triads. The Chavez have uncontested control of the South Projects and the eastern third of the Central Projects. They operate most of the various vice operations in their turf, and supply the other syndicates with small amounts of natural drug ingredients. Their other primary asset is smuggling connections and routes. They are able to move vast amounts of materiel and people up from SoCal, Aztlan, and the Mexican rump states. As a result, they have a constant source of revenue and reinforcements. Legitimate Chavez assets include investments in a number of Glory Lane businesses, and some ties to SAR-based Megacorps.

Other Groups Southowilson is home to a number of other major crime syndicates that do not have the turf or brute strength of the main four. These control scattered territories, and are usually smaller and/or newer than the others. These include:

• Yakuza - The Japanese Mafia suffered terribly from the destruction Japan suffered during the Third World War, but they have made something of a recovery. Thanks to careful shepherding of resources, the Yakuza currently control the Southowilson Aerospace Complex, using it to fund operations throughout the Metroplex. The Yakuza are known for savagery in battle, preferring melee weapons and martial arts to firearms when possible, but they will use whatever tools are required. The Yakuza are uniformly despised by most other crime syndicates for historical reasons, so they tend to be much fiercer than many syndicates. Yakuza efforts are currently focused on the southern side of the bay, hoping to exploit the existing power vacuum. They have also cultivated assets in the Old Harbor district, using it as an easy smuggling route to their home territories in Asia. They are headquartered in the Amur Station, maintaining a complete lock on the economy and culture of the region.
• BC Mafiya – A large number of Russians emigrated from Vancouver Island to Southowilson in the last few decades. The criminal gangs that came with them have established themselves as minor players on the northern side of the bay; Stavangrad, Old Harbor District, and the North Industriplex. They are separate entities, but they usually cooperate when faced with external threats. scattered nature and membership make them an elusive foe. They mainly specialize in catering to, and exploiting, the large number of laborers in these communities. Most of the gangs have their headquarters in the “East End”, where they maintain a truce in the event of internal conflicts.
• Streetgangs – With dozens of street gangs in the Southowilson Metroplex, only the “Notorious Nine” have sufficient numbers, firepower, or turf to rate as “organized crime”. None are as large or tightly structured as any of the gangs, but they are strong enough that even the largest syndicates cannot afford to take them lightly. These gangs maintain specific turfs, and extract taxes from local businesses. They generally maintain cordial relationships with the major crime organizations in the region, serving as a source of information and manpower.