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Los Santos' gateway into the beauty world Pharaoh Cosmetics is a brand-new cosmetics store in the heart of Del Perro on Prosperity Street Promenade. We sell a wide variety of perfumes, makeup products, skincare products, nail polish and much more. We also provide makeup sessions for those who want a professional to take care of their face. Make sure to check our store out when we open! In the mean time, visit our socials and our interactive online catalog. Book an appointment with me if you'd like to get your makeup done or even a tanning session through my email or Facebrowser, or even order some products that aren't on display, we'll order them for you for a reasonable [email protected] Follow us on Facebrowser! Visit Pharaoh Boutique, Burton's Website Visit Pharaoh, Del Perro's Website © 2023 by PHARAOH COSMETICS.

Hi all, First of all I wanted to credit a few people before I really begin, because it was out of a discussion with @honey., @The Chief, @stubby, and @Knooflook where this guide was actually born. We came to the conclusion that there were alot of common misconceptions around how to actually introduce yourself to a Motorcycle Club member, and how to initiate what's commonly known as the "hang around" phase of joining. There's a number of very very good guides around on these forums such as (note, I will link them for transparency and ease of access) Modern Guide on MC's by Gall, MC Pop Culture & Inner Workings by sk8, MC's and Prospects by sk8, Females Roles around MC's by Moonlight.Shawty, and I'm sure there's probably a couple of others out there which can be very helpful to newcomers. The only problem is though, that none of these actually explain in great detail how to make that first introduction and how to get yourself invited to parties and invite-only events. Let's start off with the basics, then the rest is up to your character's own development and how far you want to take it from there. How to make your first introductions: I get this question a lot in my inbox and Discord DM's. "Hey man, I really want to get involved, but I have no idea where to find you or how to meet you guys IC". Don't worry, you're not alone, because I get asked this at least once a week. The problem with this question though, is do you want me to tell you how people do it on GTAW? Or would you like me to explain a few different ways for you to choose from that are far more realistic. Currently, the vibe seems to be that you somehow stumble across a motorcycle club IC, you'll try to awkwardly force your first couple of interactions and come up with some bullshit story about how the bike you ride was your dad's, then he died, now it's yours and you're trying to fix it up in memory of him. Then you might ask for a job at one of their businesses like a bar or a tattoo shop or something. Then you start to ask for more work on the side, you might get invited to a party or two, and eventually your name gets brought up for becoming a prospect. Sure, let's face it, this is definitely something you can do, and it's not like it's THAT unrealistic. This example could legitimately happen in real life, but the fact of the matter is that this avenue is very very uncommon, and the majority of people get involved in far simpler ways than that. It's at the point now where this style of introduction is just a boring cliché, and it really rubs clubs up the wrong way and it gets old - FAST. So, you've decided that you want to join a club, but you want to stand out from the other boring booger-pickers who haven't read this guide. You want to shine and impress the faction that you're interested in joining. What do you have to do? Let's go through a few things - keeping in mind that this list is not exhaustive, and it shouldn't even be seen as a strict how-to. These are merely suggestions to help you think about the different ways you want to introduce yourself and develop your character. Keep an eye out for flyers and notifications for public parties, runs, and other events. This might be something like a bike show or a poker run - just as a couple of arbitrary examples. These events are actually a really really good way to find the club that you're looking for. Generally speaking, if there's a bike show, most (if not all) clubs will probably attend. Once there, you can usually spot the club easily because they'll be wearing their colors, and then it's just up to you to how to go about sparking up that first conversation - you might want to compliment one of their bikes and ask a few questions about the customization they've done to it, then let the conversation flow on from there. Don't forget though, too many questions will make you seem suspicious and may very well backfire on you, so think about what you're going to say before you say it. You could simply buy a member a beer. I don't think I've ever seen this done IC before, however it happens pretty regularly in real life. Let's say you're out at your favorite dive bar in the city and a couple of ugly 1%ers walk in the door and make their way for the bar. It's entirely possible that you might want to head over to the bar and offer to buy their drink for them, and you might explain that you've always admired the club so it's a small way for you to show a bit of support for them. Again, I'm sure this will spark up some pretty cool conversation IC. Ask about buying merchandise and stickers. Again, this is something else that happens sometimes, but nowhere near enough. All clubs will have some sort of supporter gear available for regular members of the public to buy. Hell, you can even jump onto some of these club's websites and buy supporter gear online and get it shipped worldwide - it really is that easy. Owning club supporter gear (most of the time) isn't that big of a deal, and usually clubs will be more than happy to sell you a T-Shirt or a hoodie and take a few dead presidents from your wallet. Money talks, at the end of the day. Supporter gear is just clothing items or other merchandise which will usually say something along the lines of "support your local <insert club name here>", and is just a way for you to publicly support a particular club. There's (usually) no restrictions on who can buy and wear supporter gear. Find out when their clubhouse bar is open. This is something that I've never heard IC before either, but I can tell you from personal experience in my own real life, this happens regularly. Any club that has the funds to sustain a clubhouse full-time will have a bar inside. It will vary from club to club, but generally speaking these bars are actually open to the public some nights of the week. Similarly to buying supporter gear, it's a relatively easy and harmless way to score that first interaction, because at the end of the day it means that the club can make some money off you buying beer from their private bar in their clubhouse. FYI, the general vibe about drinking at a clubhouse is that public bars and night clubs are usually full of assholes and you have to deal with random people throughout the community. It is widely recognized that most people who drink at a MC's clubhouse prefer to do so because it's generally safer than drinking at a public bar, and you will usually have less fights, problems, and the biggest reason of all - beer will always be far cheaper. I will admit, not many clubs in GTAW will have "open nights" at their clubhouse, because you can't really advertise it like a bar, it's more of a word-of-mouth kind of speakeasy vibe rather than an actual "bar" as you might think of it. Ask about any events or parties that are coming up. Usually this will be after you've had that first interaction, because let's face it, it'll be a little weird for you to walk up to a random member for the first time and say "Hey I just met you but do you have any parties coming up that I could come to?". That's a sure-fire way to get your jaw broken and you probably won't have much luck after that. BUT, nonetheless, it remains a solid talking point in a potential conversation that you could get into. You could ask the member if they have any recommendations about where to get your bike serviced or find tools and parts etc. This one's a little more uncommon but it could happen. Again, you might need to slip this in somewhere in the latter part of your introduction, but something like this will be sure to direct the conversation in a positive way. Find public accounts on social media and send them an inbox. Again, like much of what I've explained above, I don't think I've ever come across this IC but it happen wayyy more than you realize in real life. Some clubs here on GTA:W have FaceBrowser pages for their chapters/clubs. If you're not overly confident with making a random first introduction, you could always reach out and send them an inbox on their FB page and see what sort of conversation you could spark up that way. Do's and Don'ts after you've made your introduction: Alright, so you've somehow managed to get through that awkward first conversation. Chances are, you might have picked up a name or even a phone number (unlikely, but possible) of a member. You may have even been given some kind of direction to head in when it comes to meeting up with them again - whether that be at another event, or a party or something along those lines. I just want to go through a few things to make sure that you don't fuck up the hard work you've already gone through to get to this point, because believe me, there's some crazily easy ways to just piss your plans down the toilet by making some super easy mistakes. I'll run through a few more common misconceptions that I will hopefully clear up. You don't actually need to own a motorcycle to start hanging around with a club and getting yourself invited to parties. Yeah, I said it. And what? Contrary to popular belief, it's actually one of the worst things you can do when you create a new character, sit around AFK farming paychecks so you can afford to buy a bike before you actually start interacting with the club you want to join. Please don't do this unless your character's back story actually entails them owning a motorcycle beforehand. Trust me when I say that more wholesome and deeper roleplay comes from someone who starts out without a motorcycle, because then you actually focus your roleplay more around building a relationship up to get your foot in the door rather than just being invited along to club runs and functions for the sole reason that you ride a bike and would be a cool +1 to add to the size of the pack. You actually need to work on your relationships with club members, and trust me when I say that it pays off ten-fold if you can pull it off successfully. Your friendships will be deeper, and you will be more respected if you can show people that you have quality roleplaying skill, and that you're more than just another random guy with a bike who shows up to events and stands in the corner quietly with your dick in your hands all night, awkwardly trying to figure out a way to get involved. I can tell you from personal experience in my real life that when I started hanging out with clubs, I used to drive my car to club events because I didn't have a bike in the beginning. It really isn't that big of a deal, guys. YES, obviously you'll actually need to own a motorcycle before you can begin your prospecting phase to formally join the club, but there's literally nothing wrong with starting out without one. Build up a strong relationship with at least 1 member (preferably with a similar irl timezone). This is just common sense, as in real life, the person you have a close relationship is more likely to accept bringing you in as a prospect - and they - your sponsor. You can read more about prospects and sponsors >HERE<. Ideally you want to be on a first-name basis with somebody, to the point where they're comfortable with you just randomly calling them up for a chat on the phone. You might invite them around to your place to help you wrench on your bike because you need help with something. I don't know the specifics because it'll be up to your individual circumstances, but you catch my drift. You want this particular person to know and agree that you're actually ready to take the next step in joining the club - which leads me on to my next point; You actually have to ask to join a motorcycle club. This is another one of those misconceptions, and I don't know where people get it from. You literally need to ask a member if they'll allow you to join, and what you need to do to take that next step. In real life, clubs will not approach you and ask you to join - you have to explicitly and voluntarily show your interest to them. Keep in mind though, that if you ask too early, this could backfire, so make sure you are close enough with a current member. Have a chat with them - see what they think, ask for their opinion on it. A good thing to do is to literally ask "Hey man, I'm really enjoying being around the club. I wanna know what I need to do to show you guys that I'm ready for the next step". Some people stay as a hangaround for years because they're too bashful to ask. Regardless, after that? They'll decide whether or not they want to take you on as a prospect - but that's all In-Character. It's okay to be a little ignorant of club protocols IC, just don't be shocked or butthurt OOCly when your character gets checked. Believe it or not, many people actually DON'T understand what it's like to be a part of a club and there's a plethora of unwritten rules that most people don't actually know. I strongly encourage that you research, research, and research OOCly to help you with your portrayal, but don't be afraid to have your character make IC mistakes. Just because you OOCly know that something is going to get you punched in the face doesn't mean that your character knows all the rules too. Don't be some kind of superhero who comes into this with a brand new character knowing exactly how a 1%er moves, because this will also rub people up the wrong way. So be creative and break the unwritten MC rules a little, but be prepared to be taught ICly by members who catch you lacking. Overall, it improves the culture and the atmosphere if people are making mistakes and it's forcing the other patched members to actually interact with you in order to educate you on what you need to fix for next time. If you're doing that, and reacting positively and having a good interaction with the member, they'll want to keep interacting with you and involving you because you've shown depth, and you're not just some random know-it-all who watched a few episodes of Sons of Anarchy or some documentaries on Gangland (by the way, anyone who knows me knows how much I hate both SoA and Gangland. If you use these as resources for your portrayal, you will most definitely fail. Please educate yourselves properly, there's a gigantic pool of information out there - just ask if you need help). Believe it or not, but we don't actually care about your cringe backstory of childhood abuse by your step-father. This isn't the LSPD or SASD where you have to give some kind of a bullshit story about why you want to be a biker. Development and background stories are great, they're actually essential, but don't over-think it, because it's actually possible for people to have a relatively boring and normal childhood and still wind up in the motorcycle club world. If you come to us with a sob story about why you're nicknamed "Samurai" because as a child you watched your mother get beat by your step-dad so one day you snapped and killed him with a katana, you're going to get the flick pretty quickly. Just don't do this, please. We aren't therapists. Another important side-note for this is that if you aren't a breadwinner and you're just some random dropkick, chances are, the club won't even take you on. I'll use the Mongols as an example here (it may be biased, but whatever, fuck you). If you don't have a job and you aren't taking in some kind of consistent paycheck every week to put a roof over your head? You aren't going to get looked at. You might get invited to a few parties here and there, but good luck actually getting a bottom rocker. This is something critically important to consider. Don't come flying in and poking your nose around, asking about club business and politics. This shit will get you dragged out into the alley and beaten, and probably ruin your chances of ever joining as that character. This is a pretty obvious one, but with the caliber of some people these days, I feel it's probably worth at least mentioning. You'll need to (even if it's only briefly) consider your character's fashion sense. It feels a little bit weird to discuss because we're supposed to be hardcore outlaw bikerz right? Wrong. This is southern San Andreas, and is a replica of southern California. You need to understand that there's a certain image upheld in motorcycle clubs throughout the SoCal scene, and it's no different here. Not just this, but you need to understand that it's 2021/22 now, it's not the summer of 1970 hanging out of your cousin's split-windscreen Kombi van with your tits out in the breeze yelling to end the Vietnam war, peace signs, mung beans and smoking dope. And for the love of god, if you rock up to any club event wearing double leathers, leather pants or leather chaps, you will just be mocked and probably thrown out. Jesus Christ, I don't know anyone who's worn double leathers this side of 1989. Bikers these days in the SoCal scene look like regular people. Please look into this, and I promise that once you start to pay attention to the small things like fashion, you'll understand the point that I'm trying to make here. There's a certain image. Let me put it to you like this, and this is critical for you to understand: If I can look at you and tell that you're a biker just by looking at what you're wearing? You're probably over-doing it. Don't be that one biker ped from GTA San Andreas "LEEEATHER CHAPS!". Understand that outlaw bikers are no longer what they used to be. The sentences are longer and harsher. Bikers value brain over brawns in this new world. Moving smart is better for you than just being some stone-cold killer. Riding cross-country with a gun in one pocket and a prison sentences worth of meth in your other pocket is no longer acceptable in the culture. This is a new day, and bikers get pulled over and searched just for a training exercise by LEO's these days. Being an Outlaw nowadays isn't so much about showing open rebellion and fucking with every cop you see, it's about moving tactically. Think Mafia on wheels. Not gang members on motorcycles. SoA and Mayans portray it like bikers are in shootouts every week and just dropping opps. They aren't. A bar fight and a stabbing are a lot more likely than a full blown western shootout. You might be surprised to learn that a majority of the time, most members will drive in their cars Monday to Friday to attract less attention, and only throw on their vests when they ride their bike once a week - it's little things like this. If you ride your bike everywhere every day of the week, you're going to look like a moron. Get a car. Be prepared to at least learn about how a motorcycle works and maybe some basic parts. Let's be real here for a minute. At the end of the day, this is a motorcycle club that you're trying to join. You'll need to have at least some level of understanding of what a clutch is, how a carburetor works, and a basic understanding of how a motorcycle throttle works. Just the little things like this make a big difference when it comes to developing roleplay and creating conversation. In closing: If you're still following along right now, thanks a ton, I really appreciate it. There's so much more you can do to further develop the hangaround and early prospecting phase. I could go into much more detail around things like familiarizing yourself with popular MC events like drag races, hill climbs, poker runs etc. You should also look at how to ride in formation, although this could be something that you decide you want to learn ICly to help with your character's development for example. There's a ton more that I could go into about supporter gear too. Look, this is starting to drag on a little now, but I really just wanted to emphasize that the hangaround and early prospecting phase doesn't need to be as awkward as y'all are making it out to be. It's actually a super fun and creative time where you literally have zero constraints on what you can create for yourself and those around you. You can shift your character's story and development in whatever way you want to. So please just be mindful of this. I might further develop this guide in the future, or I might not. Depends if I come up with anything else to add - I've tried to keep it as on-topic and specific to actually joining a club as I possibly could. I didn't want to go into too much finer detail about club life and club-specific rules and such, as that's not what this guide is. You'll have to figure that stuff out for yourself in-character depending on the specific faction you want to join. All I'll say as a short closing statement is that if this guide only helps at least one person with developing a new MC character, then I'll consider writing this guide 100% completely worth it. Catch y'all on the next one.

This thread will follow the development of Julissa "Misfit" Espinoza.

PILLBOX HILL MEDICAL CENTER OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - AS PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION - Los Santos, SA ~ Tuesday December 28th, 2021. No year is a quiet year for the healthcare industry. Our staff constantly display outstanding professionalism and a high level of medical care delivery, all year round. It is a relentless cycle of pure dedication and unwavering care for their patients, and our team continues to put everyone else first so they may deliver the best possible medical care. Without their commitment and perseverance, healthcare within Los Santos would not be where it is today. We can proudly look at our team and thank them for making it all possible. Our nursing staff see harrowing scenes on a daily basis but continue to treat those that come through our doors without falter. The surgical team perform complex life-saving procedures to give new life to patients who otherwise may not have had that chance. The psychologists and psychiatrists work around the clock to assess and treat commonly misunderstood mental health conditions, offering an ear to those that need it. Then the cafeteria staff make sure the rest don’t operate on an empty stomach, keeping motivation high. The teamwork is astounding, and no-one is any less vital to the service. We continue to make strides towards a better future for healthcare in Los Santos, further developing the service that not only provides excellent support, but is available all year round, any day and any time. As the year draws to a close, we’ve seen multiple turning points in the year that contributed to Pillbox’s continued flourishing, allowing the service to offer more care, more support and more advice to those in need of it. As the years progress, we anticipate this to continue as our team at Pillbox continues to grow. As such, it is important to not only celebrate those achievements, but recall to them, showing what is possible and what we can accomplish. Renovated ER: We opened our doors to unveil a new ER this year, a huge achievement and a welcome change for many. The new ER allows more patients than ever before, expanding our facilities to empower staff to provide next level care. For the longest time, Pillbox endeavored to provide outstanding medical care for those in need and this giant leap for the service has proven all that essential. Our staff are now better equipped to not only manage the influx in patience the service has seen over the last twelve months, but also offer higher quality care with more available resources. We moved the hospital to a more modern framework, and we’re excited to see what’s next. We of course covered this in full in a previous release, where you can read all about the services the department now has to ensure our team can provide the best care. Read more here: New Emergency Department Medical Licensing and Regulation Act of 2021: 2021 also brings with it new regulations and licensing procedures for medical services within the State, ensuring the implementation of a solid framework for medical providers. We welcome the appointment of Medical Director of our very own, Director Danielle Shaw, who has time and time again proven her resounding professionalism, knowledge and commitment to the field. Upon taking this role, not only will she continue to oversee Pillbox as a whole, but she takes on a wider role within the State to act as a reliable source of expertise for consultation. She will oversee public health guidelines and protocols as a whole and it paves the future of healthcare within Los Santos. You can read more about the act here in a post by the City Government: Medical Licensing and Regulation Act of 2021. Student Nurse and Junior Doctor Programs: From March this year, Pillbox implemented the Nursing School program and the Junior Doctor program, which paved the way for a new generation of professionals to join the team. As such, students would attend multiple classes, varying in subject, to offer education in the most efficient manner, as well as providing a vital placement for them to work alongside full-fledged professionals. Learning on the job and being proactive in the field is something Pillbox has always encouraged and will continue to do so. If any of the programs are of interest, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. You would be joining the next wave of medical excellence in the State and learning from the best. For more information on the program, see here: Student Nursing Program TTCF healthcare: This year also saw another core State service, Twin Towers Correctional Facility, overhauled in a giant reform in which renovations were carried out to improve the various facilities on-site. As such, the team at Pillbox has been proud to extend the service across to those in need within TTCF, providing vital medical care to those in need. Pillbox does not discriminate and we recognize that access to such a service is a basic human right. As a fundamental foundation service in the State, Pillbox will continue to push the service as far and wide as possible. Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign: Unforgettably, PHMC came together in the month of October to raise awareness for Breast Cancer and support those that the disease affects. Unfortunately, there are so many of us that will be affected by a form of Cancer in our lifetimes, be it ourselves or those close to us. It's vital that Pillbox continues to inform and educate the community and we take pride in being that bracing support for those that need help. We strive to continue this campaign of awareness and we encourage those that want reassurance or support to reach out to us. You can read more about our campaign here: Breast Cancer Awareness It wouldn't be an end of year wrap up without the team welcoming new staff on board and encouraging those interested in the industry to reach out and apply. The medical field is always vastly outnumbered and we need more like minded individuals to continue to make a difference. If you think you could be that person, don't think twice, apply. See here for positions currently available: Employment Opportunities As the year now come to an end, we look back on these achievements with appreciation and pride. To see what Pillbox has accomplished in the last twelves months is nothing short of a marvel and we can look forward to what next year brings. With gratitude and well-wishes from the Pillbox team, we wish every single citizen a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to a healthy new year.

Update 2.6.9 Additions Added a new ingame CEF window system to display applications with the size you'll choose, and to improve the usage of phone applications, an example of it will be shown in the screenshot below Added a new application by @Everett : LS Mail! You can now create email accounts and send mail to other players, through your phone or on https://lsmail.gta.world/ Added the banking application on the phone Moved Facebrowser, Quickdate, MDC & CAD to the new CEF windowed system to allow players to fully use these applications ingame

Big T's, Lynw211d Numbers.

Background The Black P Stones are a predominately African-American street gang located in the Chamberlain district of South Los Santos. The Jungle Stones, a recently founded Los Santos chapter, are known to be involved in a variety of violent crimes to include murder, assault, robberies, narcotics violations, and firearms violations. The street gang was established in the late 1960s by O.O.O.G. T-Rodgers of Chicago, a former member of the Black Stone Rangers. With the permission of the “Main 21” a term used to describe the original twenty-one leaders of Chicago gangs who agreed to merge with the Blackstone Rangers, T. formed a chapter of the “Almighty Black P Stone Nation”, who at the time, and contrary to popular belief, were in fact a community-based and backed organization and not a lawless gang; somewhere along the way, unfortunately, this would change. Under T.'s leadership, the Black P Stones became affiliated with and founding members of the Bloods, mortal enemies of the predominant Crips. In 1972, the LS Brims, Piru St Boys, Athens Park Boys, Bishops, Denver Lanes, Pueblos and Lueders Park Hustlers founded the Bloods after constant attacks on independent gangs by the Crips in addition to Crip and Crip rivalries that also began to surface. While they may be a set of bloods, the Black P Stones are one of the few blood gangs in Los Santos that represent the five. BPS, in later years, joined the Bloods movement and founded their own factions The Black P Stones would thrive in "The Jungles" and become over five-hundred members strong, eventually controlling the largest territory of any other black gang in Los Santos. At their peak, the Black P Stones became one of the most feared and infamous gangs in Los Santos if not the entire United States. This dubious distinction would earn T. a position on the Ten Most Wanted Gang Leaders list by law enforcement in South Central Los Santos. The Black P Stones consist of two major sub-sets, The Jungles Stone Bloods and The Bity Stone Bloods. The Jungles & The Bity The Jungles, an area on Forum Drive centralized around the Crystal Heights apartment complex, neighbor the renowned B.J. Smith Park. The B.J. Smith Recreational Center and Park was once a joyous area for children and adults alike. Known to host one of the most famous skatepark's in Los Santos alongside its beautiful baseball field. While mostly harmless, the area is responsible for get togethers by some of the most lethal surrounding gangs of the city. Locals who visit the park are rarely pressed by gang bangers in the area, however common folk activity is on a decline following a shooting in early 2018, which local authorities explain as "a nightmare". Rumors of a targeted escalation was responsible for a shooting that cleared a crowd of twenty plus on the basketball courts. A believed hit between rivals, which resulted in the death of one innocent female bystander and two opposing gang members. Many in attendance were taken to the hospital for their injuries following this dispute. The community remains outraged with these unsolved murders. The Sheriffs Department claims to be working diligently asking for people to come forward with any potential leads. The Black P Stones Bity is located in the West Adams/Mid City district of Los Santos. Which runs from Washington Blvd to Adams Blvd, between Crenshaw and Arlington. The Santa Monica Freeway runs thru the center of their neighborhood. Some of the cliques are found on 21st Street, 25th Street, 27th Street and 29th Street. The Stones have established ties to other Blood gangs in South Los Santos, as well as prison gangs. However, a majority of the newer generation of Black P Stones choose to remain No Kutt behind bars, meaning they retain their outside affiliations in the streets as opposed to cliquing up. This however, doesn't limit their peace and truce in the county. For example, they have a strong and close-knit relationship with the Rollin 20s Neighborhood Bloods referred to as the "Rollin Stones" alliance. The Black P Stones once approached the Rollin 20s to become members of BPSN in the past (Black P Stone Nation), but both preserved their loyalties. Operation Red Dawn In the month of May, 201 Seventy-Five Members and Associates of the Black P-Stones Street Gang Charged with Narcotics Violation. Over 900 officers and agents participated in the execution of pre-dawn arrest and search warrants targeting members and associates of the Black P-Stones street gang, announced Steven Martinez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Santos; André Birotte Jr., United States Attorney for the Central District of San Andreas (Los Santos); Chief Charlie Beck of the Los Santos Police Department; Los Santos City Attorney, Carmen Trutanich; and Special Agent in Charge, Jim Todak, of Housing and Urban Developments Office of the Inspector General. Over 50 arrest warrants were served primarily in the southwest area of Los Santos. Twenty-five state search warrants were also executed during today’s early morning operation, known as Operation Red Dawn, as it relates to the targeting of the Black P-Stones, a faction of the notorious Bloods street gang. Seventy-five members and associates of the Black P-Stone Bloods were identified for arrest during this investigation that lasted over one year. Twenty-one defendants were charged in 15 indictments returned by the federal grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Central District of San Andreas with a variety of federal statutes relative to the possession and conspiracy to possess methamphetamine and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” An additional 54 state arrest warrants were filed with the Los Santos County District Attorney’s Office. A large share of the state defendants were arrested this morning; the remainder were already in custody on unrelated charges. An additional 20 individuals were arrested during the course of the lengthy investigation but are not included in today’s overall numbers. During the operation, the investigation had resulted in the seizure of 135.5 grams of PCP, 41.2 grams of methamphetamine, 25 kilograms of marijuana, 1.7 kilograms of cocaine and a vast variety of firearms. Assistant Director in charge Steven Martinez said, “The task force coordinated this joint effort to have the greatest impact on the landscape of the P-Stones’ gang-controlled neighborhood. The strategy involved dismantling the gang’s infrastructure by arresting the main players and by removing the businesses where gangs launch their criminal activity. By working jointly with the LSPD, the City Attorney and HUD, we have a chance to provide the community with an opportunity to move forward.” Allies & Rivals The Black P Stones have been known to wage war against various Crips and Hispanics. Most notably the Rollin (2x) gangs, such as the Rollin 90s Neighborhood Crips, the Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips, and the Rollin 50s Neighborhood Crips. Their most bitter rivalries come from the 30s and 40s cliques. Other Crip enemies include School Yard Crips, Mansfield Gangster Crips, Playboy Gangster Crips and the Geer Gang Crips. The Stones are active participants of the current power struggle between African-American and Hispanic gangs in Los Santos, rivaling sets such as the Mid City Stoners 13 and 18th Street Gang. Around some time in the 1970s, the LA Brims, Bishops, Piru St Boys, Denver Lanes, Athens Park Boys, Lueders Park Hustler and Pueblos founded the Bloods after an overwhelming amount of attacks on independent gangs led by their now infamous rivals, the Crips. Following the Crip and Crip rivalries that had also began to spring into action on the surface. the Black P Stones sometime in their later years decided to join in on the Bloods movement that was started and chose to found their own factions the Jungle Stones & city/Bity stones. Today, the Black P Stones are on decent terms with a large and vast variety of blood gangs scattered through-out South Central, Los Santos. That list contains but is no limited to dangerous sets such as Fruit Town Brims, the Rollin' 20 Neighborhood Bloods and so on. Territory & Turf The Jungles is the commonly referred to housing area on Forum Drive centralized around the Crystal Heights apartment complex, which neighbor the renowned B.J. Smith Park. The B.J. Smith Recreational Center and Park was once a joyous area for children and adults alike. Known to host one of the most famous skatepark's in Los Santos alongside its beautiful baseball field. While mostly harmless, the area is responsible for get togethers by some of the most lethal surrounding gangs of the city. Locals who visit the park are rarely pressed by gang bangers in the area, however common folk activity is on a decline following a shooting in early 2018, which local authorities explain as "a nightmare". The All Swells complex is shared by the Rollin Stones Alliance (Rollin 20s Bloods x Black P Stones). While the 1799 Complex is commonly referred to as Black Street. OOC Information Our main priority while roleplaying within this group is to portray a realistic Blood gang which consists of properly portrayed members lingering around Davis. Upon joining you must take into consideration and fully understand that your character no matter the age or sex is growing up the most dangerous parts of Los Santos in the midst of a gang violence crisis, we take character portrayal and development extremely serious and will not hold back from kicking you if you do not hold the same priorities as we do. You can be removed at any time if you are seen as un-fit. All members must abide by the rules the server has set for us players and if broken punishment will be handed out by Black P Stones' leadership. This faction is not fully open to the public and you have to contact one of the three leaders to get in. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, or are seeking to joining the faction, feel free to private-message @Wavy, @BVNDIT or @ZaE. Thread credits go to myself and @BVNDIT.

every club treats their clubhouse differently, some may be hard-asses about it and never or rarely invite outsiders in, some may have open clubhouse nights. all clubs operate differently.

Looking good, posting to follow.

Imagine being anything but a Mongol, though. Waste of time.

"A not-so-silent night" This story starts on the night of last Christmas.. ..and our boys might have been better off if they missed it. ..they were rolling around, their hands cold from the snow.. ..so they wanted to grab, some hot coffee at a bistro. ..the waiters mixed up the order, the hommies started some beef.. ..one of them ended up hauled off the streets. ..told not to come back or to cause trouble.. ..they soon showed that they would get in double.. ..but in this cold winter night, they decided to stay rather well mannered.. ..went looking for some spots where they could get hammered. ..bored and bewildered they went back to the hood.. ..but after some time it did them no good. ..roaming the streets an idea was sparked.. "Hey!" said Elias. "Let's do us some art." ..they sprayed with their cans, and gave their best wishes.. ..all the while hoping they would get bitches. After some time they started to scheme and then it was seen.. ..two shining lights, a semi's high beams! Into the alley they slithered and started to shout.. ..and shortly after they drove the semi out.. ..dipping home to the crib to lay low and get rest.. ..from this not-so-silent night on the day of Christmas. Merry late Christmas everybody, and happy holidays! (In co-operation with @Cryptic!!)

Disenfranchised role-players who are anti-social, low quality role-players who are broadly disliked by the illegal faction community but manage to get by are now entitled to free stuff. I can't support a system that entitles and offers factions that may not be respected by the community at large not an opportunity but a guaranteed set of guns, drugs, properties, mods, and a domain? I cannot support a system that uplifts undeserving factions. I am a firm believer in all factions having been created equally, they all have leaders, the ability to recruit new members, the ability to apply for opportunities, schemes, properties, and ultimately supplier. What this is doing is not only offering dinosaur factions that may not even really contribute to the scheme free stuff, but hard limiting new and upcoming factions from acquiring IFM properties. I say this as the former leader of the oldest faction on the server, there is no benefit to giving OLD factions free stuff, they should have been able to acquire these things on their own, they should be able to ICLY create connections and secure these opportunities, or apply for supplier. This will create a copious amount of work for IFM to do, having to spawn in drops for 20+ factions on top of supplier drives, on top of approving faction threads, on top of monitoring faction quality, responding to scheme requests, IFM property requests, the list goes on - you simply cannot do it all, you are overbearing yourselves with responsibilities. Which will ultimately lead to the total and complete demise of this awful system, you do not have the resources, the time, nor do you care enough to monitor factions as is. If you cannot adequately monitor faction quality now, how do you intend on doing so for every single tier application? Even then, there is no established definition of what 'good roleplay quality' even is, it is all subjective. This is a system that takes something that is already incredibly simple, offers opportunity to everybody equally, and TIME-GATES it like it's an MMORPG, grinding and existing forever making you more powerful than other factions. You are overcomplicating the system and this will ultimately lead towards a total administrative mess, we are trying to fix the system to remedy the lack of longevity within factions in south central, we all know that is what this is about. The fact of the matter is, if the faction leaders and members are not up to snuff, they do not deserve to exist nor do will they continue to exist! Addressing Demotivation I cannot help but laugh at the notion; people who believe that the following reasons are reasons to be demotivated do not want to do it, or want to be spoon fed. I will refute them all briefly. Lack of Progression: Would never be said by anybody who cares to create and facilitate roleplay for others and create interesting roleplay environments, players who say this want arbitrary power, they want to deathmatch, and they want free stuff. Supplier Selectivity: Suppliers are high-quality and vetted role-players by the IFM team, the issue is very obviously supply and demand; as I have always said, IFM DECIDES WHO GETS SUPPLIER, if they want to give it to street gangs, there is absolutely nothing stopping them from doing so, which renders this tiered give outs system redundant and pointless. Open up supplier to more street level role-players. Faction Favoritism: Society has it's outcasts, there are simply some people who do not deserve to be brought to the forefront and are not given opportunity for a reason, when factions are known for deathmatching, instigating random conflict, and ultimately being noobs- but cannot be handled by IFM as it is out of their scope (so they claim), again- as I mentioned previously, factions manage to get by despite being full of shit heads. If factions cannot get along with other factions ICLY, that is their fault for destroying their opportunities to get anywhere. If I go around pissing everybody off and being a dumb ass, deathmatching but getting away with it, overall being a shit head- but I post really really good roleplay screenshots, I am entitled to go up in the tiers and get more free guns to deathmatch with, brilliant idea! -_- Incentives: One's incentive to lead a faction should simply be to create roleplay for others, not for free stuff, lol!!!!!- if anyone genuinely believes that factions need incentives to keep going? They should not be leading factions. The poll is obviously a welfare poll, VOTE FOR FREE STUFF BRO!!!!! Everyone is going to vote for it, it's obviously what people want- MORE GUNS, MORE DRUGS, MORE STUFF- but this is only at face value, if you are going to make a decision based on a poll, I encourage you to poll for demographics and search for a relationship between what factions believe this system will work and who voted for more guns, I think this is necessary information and should be addressed on an individual basis, it will be very clear to see who wants this to be put in place. (Mostly going to be noobs.) TL;DR System will not work, will create way too much work for IFM, IFM will not be able to adequately gauge faction quality due to being so busy with new overbearing responsibilities, alleged issues are people wanting free stuff and being sad/moody :(.

I see how far I can drive my bus up Mt Chiliad.

Slesinger #1 Customer...

Reserved.

-

You must be fun at parties.

INTRODUCTION Hello. This guide is meant for people who want to realistically portray a modern-day Italian-American mobster. This guide is still a work in progress and receives updates over time. The final form of it is meant to cover all aspects of LCN roleplay and to be the main lighthouse for those who are new to this RP and those who need extra guidance. Chapter 1: Creating a Character Name: Selecting a correct name is essential. How do you know what names are correct and which ones aren't? First of all, you want to have an American first name and an Italian surname. Secondly, you want to make sure that the last name you select is NOT famous or even worse - the lastname of a known mafioso. You can do this by simply entering your surname into a Google search. You don't know what names you want? You may use Fantasynamegenerator website or any other to generate both American and Italian names. Examples of good names: Steven Gialano, Peter Scaldi, Harold Galifani ect. Age: Since you will be starting up fresh in the criminal underbelly of sunny Los Santos, it's best if you roleplay a young guy 18-28 years old. That is the perfect age for you to be worth something already. Sure, you can be older, but remember that being older will not grant you any perks. You must also take into account your character's position. If you are starting a faction or joining one that will give you a high rank (underboss/captain), you might want to start with an older character. Background: You must form a solid background for your character before even approaching this sort of roleplay. It will help you know your character better and will also make a good impression OOCly on the faction you are attempting to join. It is recommended that your background is that of a struggling person as NOBODY joins organized crime out of boredom. You must also have your reasons for willing to take the extra step, wether its greed, desperate need to put bread on your family table, hunger for power, path of revenge or anything else. Appearance: Take whatever you've seen in the movies, grab it by the neck and toss it off the roof of a 12 story building. These days mafiosi dress like your casual civillian. Nothing that draws attention. You have full creative freedom on anything past that. As far as vehicles go, always pick something simple that does not draw any attention. Avoid sportscars at all costs. Mobsters do not want to be noticed by the IRS so they will often hide their wealth. Personality: Before you come up with your character’s personality as a mobster, you first and foremost need to come up with it as a human being. Always keep in mind that even the most hardened criminals are, at the end of the day, humans just like everybody else. They all have their quirks, their flaws, their own priorities and life concerns. Considering you will spend a good chunk of time yapping with your fellow gangsters about simple things unrelated to crime, having a fleshed out backstory is key. Maybe your character’s wife divorced him recently and paying alimony annoys him to no end, maybe your character’s son is going to study law school and he can’t wait to tell everyone about it, maybe your character is having a bad day ever since he poured a cup of coffee out on his favorite shirt in the morning. It is all in your hands, just be creative and realistic. Chapter 2: Ranks and mechanics of a LCN faction Hierarchy: The hierarchy of LCN factions is rather simple to understand. Below is an image of a hierarchy tree of a typical LCN family as well as descriptions of each specific rank and their duties in the organization. Rank explanation - Boss: The highest position in the family. He gets a cut of all the operations the family is involved in and has full control over each part of the organization. Bosses come in different forms, some choose to be a dictator that keeps all of the hard-earnt money from the family, others tend to be more charitable and treat their underlings good as well as re-investing the money into the family. All the captains in the family elect a new boss once the old one is gone, however sometimes a person may take the position by force and influence. Despite being the CEO, a boss can not lay their hands on another made man. They may issue fines or even order a hit as punishment, but it has to be with proper reason. Rank explanation - Consigliere: Also known as an advisor, a person of this position has a direct line to the thoughts of the boss and often is an older member of the family that holds a great amount of respect and trust from the soldiers all the way up to the boss himself. Consiglieres are often times intelligent as they are the main advisor to the boss and are supposed to help the boss refrain from making any mistakes. Rank explanation - Underboss: This is the first rank of the so called "administration" of a mafia family. An underboss is the core middle-man between the boss and the captains as well as the soldiers. He is the official second-in-command and is selected for this position solely by the boss himself. An underboss also keeps an eye on what's taking place within the family. If any issues arise, he will either take care of it himself or forward the info to the boss so he can make a decision. Often times, an underbos is also responsible for collecting all the kick-ups from the captains and forwarding them to the boss. Rank explanation - Caporegime: Also known as capo or captain, this person is like a mini-boss of their own. They command a group of associates and soldiers who carry out orders, plans and day-to-day activities. Caporegime is also the first "administration" position. The group of associates and soldiers that a caporegime commands is often referred to as a "crew" or "faction". This rank is directly responsible to the underboss and boss. Rank explanation - Soldier: An inducted member of the family, also sometimes referred to as "wiseguy", "good fella" or "button man". When you become a soldier, you also become a "made man" which means that while you generate income you are untouchable without proper reason within the family. In older times, you would need both of your parents to be of Italian descent to become a soldier, however these days it is only required that you at least be of Italian descent from your father's side. Often times a soldier will run their own crew of associates or have some under their wing and reporting directly to them. Soldiers report to and kick up to a caporegime/captain/capo who is a highly respected member within the family. Associates and outsiders are supposed to treat soldiers and all the ranks above a soldier with immense respect. They are also given more information and know more about the inner machinations of the family. Soldiers are also meant to be teachers to all the associates looking to become someone. Soldiers will often teach an associate the ropes, tell them what to do and not to do, who is important and who is not. Rank explanation - Associate: Introductory rank where a criminal needs to prove his worth and value to the family. An alternate way of referring to an associate is calling them "connected". Every associate has a soldier they report to, or in very rare instances the captain (caporegime) himself. You become an associate when a soldier notices your work and takes you under their wing. Being under their wing means that they will protect you (minimally) and help you run your schemes. From that point on, you are expected to pay a percentage of your illicit earnings to the soldier you report to. As an associate you are a worker bee for the family and also the go-to for all the dirty work that needs doing. Associates can be of any nationality, religion or ethnicity. While a soldier may coach and help an associate, the associate himself is not really protected within the criminal world and can be seen as "expendable" by his superiors. Becoming "Made": Being made is simply becoming a full member of your organization and a part of "this thing of ours". This means you are to be respected more and grants you a few privileges, as well as more responsibilities. Usually there is a ceremony for when a new criminal is initiated into their respective family, but the way it goes down varies differently between organizations. Soldiers also sometimes have their own crews of associates. Making money: Forget what you've been told about "honor" or "omerta" or any of those things. Today's mob is all about money, money and more money. The whole purpose is to make money. If you're a good earner with a cool head - you'll go far. If you idle around and do nothing - you'll be an associate forever. Now, how exactly do mobsters make their living? By any scheme they can muster up. Literally. You would be wrong to think that a true mafioso stops scheming for a minute. Sure, the ''mainstream'' ways of dealing dope, weapons and extorting businesses are there but it's much more. For example, you may get yourself running some sort of a scam, perhaps even set up your own illegal card game. If it makes money - it's good enough. If you are struggling to come up with anything, don't be afraid to ask others for advice. Kickups: This might be a little shock to some, but every mobster is supposed to give a cut of his earnings to the person he reports to in the family. Money goes up, shit goes down. Don't oversweat yourself, but make sure your envelope is solid if you want to impress fellow mafiosi. There are no minimum or maximum amount one needs to put in, however a super low amount may be taken as an insult. Vouching: One of the most important, if not THE most important piece of mob politics. Vouching is a process where one person puts in a word for another person while risking his reputation, or even his life in the process. If you vouch for someone, you are either giving them a boost and a good word to the higher-ups or you are saving them from some trouble they might have gotten into. However, you must remember that it comes with a risk, if you vouch for someone and they turn out to be someone very unreliable, or even a snitch - your ass is on the line too. Even for the fuck ups they make - your ass is on the line. This risk ensures that mobsters only risk their reputation and life only for something they know for sure is true. Vouching can also happen when someone recommends an associate to be inducted into the family. Opening the books: "The books" refer to the made man status. If someone tells you "the books are open" it means the family is allowing some associates to become soldiers. If someone tells you "the books are closed" it means that for the time being there's no way of becoming made. Traditionally, everyone in the family would be notified of this process in one way or the other and all members that are already made should not have any beefs with any of the associates getting a promotion, however it varies from family to family. Making your bones: Historically, this term refers to finding out if an associate that has been proposed for membership has what it takes. Making your bones meant murdering on behalf of the mob with no reward in mind other than proving yourself. However, since murder is a high risk these days and attracts a lot of unwanted attention, many LCN families have shifted to alternatives. For example, you may be asked to cripple another person in order to make your bones. Do note that in roleplay servers, most LCN factions do not actually adjust to realism on this point and may ask you to carry out a murder in order for this step to be completed. Chapter 3: Approaching an LCN faction Great, so you've created a decent character, you understand how things work. Time to join a faction of like-minded individuals. How you do this will either make or break your attempt. There are many correct ways and many incorrect ways, but I will dissect only two of more popular methods that are valid. Remember that there are many other ways as well if you are creative. So let's dive into it. Moneymaker route: This way requires most effort but it also guarantees the best chance of you being accepted with open arms. First of all, you should create a scheme and put it in action. As long as it makes money and it's realistic. You might be selling knock-off watches on the street, boosting cars, creating fake charities, anything works. When you have your operation up and running, you will want to hang out at places where the members of your faction hang out. Come there often, get drinks if it's a bar or a club or whatever. Get to know the people that frequent it, make yourself known. Maybe even let someone there "accidentally" know that you for example sell fake watches or something. Just as bad as you want to make money, so do other mafiosi. You will be probably checked out and approached by someone who is already connected, they'll try to take a bite of your action - let them. If you're under their protection, it's a good gateway in. Friendship route: This route has a lower success rate, but it is easier to perform. Again, you will need to go to a mob-infested neighborhood and hang out there often, make friends with the people around. Let it be known you're struggling, you're in need of work. Chances are, there will be a mobster who takes a liking to you and needs a guy to help with a scheme. Take it from there. Victim route: This primarily works for more established and somewhat wealthy characters. If you have a character who is getting their store shaken down for protection money, you may just pay the criminals in question just to get a way in. A lot of store owners are actually interested to pay the fee to the mob just so they could make friends in it, get help with all or any moneymaking schemes they have in mind, often involving their business or simply to get a loan that the bank isn't willing to give. Chapter 5: Mob Politics The world of La Cosa Nostra is a very political one, maybe more political and technical than any other criminal organization in the world. While the mob rules are broken on almost a daily basis, it’s rarely a given that the one breaking them will be punished, meanwhile the one that follows the rules to the letter might be on the receiving end of something they may not like. What makes it the way it is? Some mobsters are savvy and good at politics and influence. Others just aren’t. There is no clear cut ruleset you should follow in order to be good or bad at mob politics, oftentimes your fate will be decided for you, especially if you are a low ranking member. With that being said, it is a game of who you know, what evidence you have, what reputation you have and how much money you bring in for your borgata. Yes, money you kick up has a factor here as well. If you are keeping your bosses’ pockets fat, they will be less inclined to rule against you in a sit down, though do not expect them to always rule your way. Knowing how much treachery there is in the life, one must always keep their ears and minds open to what is happening around them and interpret correctly, or else they will fall like many other mafiosi have. Politics also play a huge part in how certain situations could develop. For example, former Lucchese soldier John Pennisi mentions how he was not touched in a club brawl, just because a Genovese captain heard he was on his way to get inducted into the Lucchese crime family, and his name was passed around. Chapter 4: Pro-tips TIP #1: Do not use any non-local "slang" or Italian words. Majority of today's Italian-Americans couldn't speak Italian even if their life depended on it. TIP #2: Don't wait to be spoonfed, create your own schemes and roleplay. People like that are valued both on an IC and OOC level. TIP #3: Do NOT base your roleplay on ANY TV series, movies or any other form of pop media. TIP #4: Do not try to join by simply coming into a mob-run place and asking for jobs. You will most likely be dismissed and laughed at. (Exception is when you apply for a legit job that the place is recruiting for) TIP #5: Crime takes up only around 10 percent of a mobster's day-to-day lives. Make sure you showcase your character's personality and talk about regular shit like sports, politics, cars or anything else that guys chat about. TIP #6: Remember that every mobster knows that there are law enforcement agencies out to catch them. Be careful of how your character behaves if you don't want to be caught on your first day. You may even roleplay paranoid in some instances. TIP #7: Don't be afraid to ask. If you have ANY questions OOCly, contact one of the more known LCN RPers in the community, they are most often more than happy to help out and talk to you. TIP #8: Be creative. Creativity unlocks so many doors in this type of RP and it will also make your time RPing a mobster more fun not only for yourself but also those around you. TIP #9: If you want inspiration, take a look at respected LCN factions within the community, analyze their screenshots to get a boots-on-the-ground understanding and don't be afraid of not knowing everything from the get-go. TIP #10: If you want to learn more, read through Department of Justice reports or some newer articles on the mob. I will post some links down below. Chapter 5: Mothers, Women & Kids Though the typical mobsters tend to have full potential to be cruel scumbags to fellow wiseguys and other people, you'll often find them chivalrous and showing courtesy to women, even more than your average civilian in most cases. It goes back to the roots of how Italian-American families have always been. Starting with the household, these guys love their mothers more than anything in most cases. Remarking something off about a guy's mother is the stupidest thing you can do. These guys can butcher bodies, tear them apart without any sense of remorse, but when it comes to facing their mothers they're no better than little puppies. The scene in Goodfellas where the guys stop by Joe Pesci's mother's house, end up stopping by for food is a great example of this. Then there are wives. Most of these guys hold a great amount of respect and hospitality towards their wives. It's contradictory in the sense a lot of the wiseguys happen to have a girlfriend on the side. But that's for later. Whatever may the guys be doing outside, as soon as they step into the household? They make up to be reasonably good husbands. It's not often they'll curse or use profanity around a woman. They take good care of their wives and families, trying to be the best providers they can be. They don't deserve any prize, but just because of how the culture goes, they know for a fact their superiors in the criminal world wouldn't see a wiseguy the brightest too, if a guy cannot keep his family situation in control of his ability, and let it spiral out. For this reason, the connected guys know they have to keep their wives happy however they can. For some wives, it could be expecting anything materialistic from time to time, be it jewelry or expensive clothing. While some expect and hope for their husband to be home every day for their dinner. It's a woman to woman thing, but the guys usually try and live up to it. Reason being simple, they have enough on their plate all day at work, they don't expect and want another headache once they're home. But at the end of the day? Just like anybody else, guys aren't an exception from the usual problems a married couple could have. There's always problems they deal with as a man of the house. It can be any little problem that every other parent faces, but possibly magnified because they're likely to be out of the loop being busy with their own work until it becomes a major problem or hearing somebody else. They may have overdue bills, kids dabbling in drugs, dropping out of schools, in-laws that could possibly be pestering them, and of course wives could be naggy too. The woman usually handles household work, and looks after the kids, though the pressure could be felt. Though these guys come over society's conventions and live scandalous lives, murder people left and right, when it comes to marriage and family they're not much different like anybody else. Arguements over dinner, spending of money, disagreements with kids, indifferent sex. Now speaking of girlfriends, it ties to the roots of the mobster lifestyle. Being unfaithful. And there's a plethora of women out there who are attracted to this lifestyle, aggressive and available. To add to this, wiseguys usually socialize a lot more than civilians. Be it in their forties or fifties, they are always involved in something social. Be it having dinner with their family, helping kids to bed, kissing their wives, then going out again for a few hours, nightclubs, bars, fanciest restaurants. It's a natural human tendency to be drawn to anything they're surrounded by every night, which in a lot of cases happen to be charming women. They succumb to these temptations, so that they can go home and keep things calm in their household. If not all, most wives of connected guys completely know what's going on in their shadows. They know what they signed their lives for when tying the knot. The woman usually knows not to ask about business and what goes on when he's out of the house. As long as one isn't sloppy and a complete jerk about the fact, not having his own house and family involved with other women, it usually doesn't grow to be a problem. Again, girlfriends can be another source of stress too. If the man had one woman busting his balls, now they're two or three. More problems to hear about and deal with. And speaking of girlfriends, the easiest way to earn yourself a trip is to mess with a connected guy's girlfriend, wife, or daughter. Possibly the stupidest thing one can do which is extremely hard to recover from. Even if a wiseguy would've broken up with somebody, it's only for one's best to still run off of her like she's caught the clap. Find somebody else, period. Again as always, unwritten rules but the consequences are extreme. Chapter 6: Friends & Relationships Connected guys spend time day in and out with each other. They might be playing cards, hanging out in their favorite joints, games of pool, hug and kiss each other like brothers, attend other guys' family meets, kids' birthdays. Interestingly enough, they care about each others’ family as their own, not hesitating when it comes to pulling an errand or two for them if a guy can’t be there or do it himself for any reason. Now naturally, one could easily say they're like /friends/. But that's one analogy to be not mistaken by. You have no friends. You can't afford to be or have one. Being a friend in its literal meaning could be trusting anybody to their fullest, sharing all the thoughts going in your head to them. But in the life, it can mean being vulnerable. Now naturally, guys get close to each other. They are all friendly, sharing laughs and having a good time, but not friends. The reason being, the word 'friend' has value less than a grain of salt when you're asked by your higher to take the apparent 'friend' out. As a matter of fact, the guy who might kill you is likely going to be the one closest to you. That's what you can count a 'friend' for in the life. So in general, the guys are lonely for the most part. When they're with their family, they might want to be with their girlfriends. When they're with them, it may be they want to be with other girlfriends. When they're with the other ones, and at this point they're likely thinking to be with other wiseguys. Now again, drawing to the point being with wiseguys they worry about being whacked. To put it simply, they don't make any effort whatsoever to make deep connection with anybody. You don't often see them ever open up fully. They spend most of their time happily running their schemes, cheat & kill people. It comes back to the nature of work. The only ones they can trust is their own self. Again, all of the above only serves to be the typical behaviour and mindset. It should in no way restrict you from getting creative with your character and have a few traits out of the norm. Chapter 7: Going to "College" Going to prison, for someone dedicated to a life in organized crime is not unexpected. While your feelings going in may vary between characters (Some being more frightened than others), prison can be one of the most rewarding things for your character. Very rarely will you receive a better chance to forge connections with other gangs and characters. This section will go into some information about both GTAW’s prison system specifically as well as general information on how to conduct yourself realistically in prison. Prison systems in the United States, especially on the west coast are self segregated by race. This is especially true on GTAW and pretty common knowledge in the general populous. This segregation is enforced by the two main prison gangs, The Ayran Brotherhood and The Mexican Mafia through their various surrogate gangs. This leads into the very first rule of prison RP. Don’t piss off the prison gangs. Now, this rule serves as a guiding line. Not only is it a sure fire way to get your ass in trouble, it’s also wildly unrealistic. You are in their house and your character would be very aware of this. You are no longer on the streets and your character would quickly begin to understand that the guards are there to keep you in the jail, not to protect you from each other. However, this is and ends IC, OOCly the county jail has a strong OOC community. Leading to the second rule of prison RP. Always join the prison discord, participate in jail events. Upon entering prison on GTAW, request an invite link to the inmate discord. Because of the wide variations in playtimes, it’s not always easy to have a set schedule. To work around this the LSSD discord has an inmate channel used for the OOC coordination of events like work details, canteen time and general RP around the cellblock. Many people make the mistake of never joining the discord and miss out on these events, leading to them getting the wrong impression about the jails RP. I actually recommend spending a longer amount of time in jail if it means you get to experience the events. Don’t RP a know it all. A lot of guys think because they are experienced street criminals, that their knowledge would transfer over to jail. This is just not true, your first time in prison is your first time in prison. It’s ok to admit this to others in prison and by doing so it lets the prison's lifer population give you the best experience possible. It’s ok to RP a newbie, they’ll show you the ropes IC. Chapter 8: Murder Murder is an inevitable part of the life, but it isn't like it is portrayed in the movies. There are quite a few things to know about ordering or performing a hit. So, first of all, every wiseguy knows that in today's world it is quite easy to get caught for killing someone and then you're off the street for a while. That's why it happens rarely these days, but when it has to happen, all cards have to be played perfectly. Ordering a hit: There are two main keys to ordering a hit. First off, who is the target. If the target's a made man, you must have a very strong reason for their death. If they're a petty associate that causes you issues? You still need permission, but it's far easier to acquire. Murder of a soldier or any rank above without the OK of the boss is a deadly sin, there is no way one can slither out of that. Once you've got the ability to get rid of someone, you need to pick who will do it. Usually it's an associate looking to prove himself, or a soldier who's ready to follow orders or is close to the target. When you order a hit, you have to be vague in case someone's listening and also you can't give any details to the assassin. Once you've given the order, your job's done. Performing a hit: You've been given an order to kill. So how do you go about it? This really depends on your character. If your character is street smart or smart in general, he will want to do it quietly and make sure the body's never ever found. If your character's a meathead who snorts a few lines to start his day he might actually do a messy murder that will land him in prison. If your character is paranoid, he might take tons of extra steps to make sure no evidence is left behind and after the job he'll still be going crazy that he might've skipped something. There are many ways of performing a hit and it's up to you and your creativity how to carry it out. Mental toll: One of the most eye-poking mistakes is mobster characters who are cold-blooded killers. Sure, there are those people that are complete psychopaths, but that comes with a cost too and it is difficult to even portray properly. You must really think about your character and his background when you consider what mental toll a murder will take on him. Killing a person in real life isn't like shooting an enemy in a video game. Depending on who your character murdered, he will most likely be having nightmares, maybe even develop a constant never-ending fear of getting caught, he might fall into depression, he might start taking drugs to numb the trauma of having to take a life. Roleplaying impacts of this is both good roleplay and good character development. Shelving: One of the most commonly used alternatives to solve internal issues without murder is to shelf people. Shelving means that once a mobster breaks the rules or upsets his superior, he is shunned from all of the family's activities. Fellow mobsters are ordered to not do any business with you, to not even talk to you. You're no longer connected and you mean nothing. Although, there have been many instances where mobsters are brought back in from their shelf periods. Remember, that in LCN factions you shouldn't go around murdering people - try ALL other alternatives first. It's insanely difficult to get away with a murder in 2021. Chapter 9: Modernization 90 percent of the information that you will stumble into about the mob online are heavily outdated. Especially documentaries. It is important for you to understand the modern-day LCN landscape. Even the dumbest of mafiosi know that they're being watched and that everything they do can be easily traced. Everyone in the life is trained on how to take basic measures to ward away attention. Even the schemes themselves have changed. Mafia went from running numbers on the streets into online casinos, from driving around with a few hookers in the car to craigslist adverts for "escorts" and more! When thinking of a scheme, carefully think out if that scheme would work in 2021 and what's the most modern way of doing it? What's the safest way? Chapter 10: Applying the knowledge It is important to note that considering the fact LCN is a criminal society, there are no handbooks being handed out to new members. When criminals get hooked up with the mob, they don’t know every single mechanic until way later. How do they learn? Through experience. Nobody tells you what’s right or wrong, outside of the criminal’s mentors as well as the higher ranking members while you are an associate. While in some instances criminals do read internet sources as well as books on the topic of LCN, a lot of them come into the game by a learn-as-you-go method. Therefore, you should take into account the learning process for your character. Another important thing to note is that generally, RPing a know-it-all is mostly frowned upon by most mob factions and you should make your character a real living, breathing person. USEFUL LINKS: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/nyregion/10mob.html https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/10-bronx-and-westchester-based-members-and-associates-gambino-crime-family-indicted https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/seven-members-and-associates-gambino-and-bonanno-crime-families-indicted-racketeering https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2uSLdAAa4UEp_3ZpFElgfA/videos https://aboutthemafia.com/ http://www.gangsterbb.net/threads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=8&page=1 http://theblackhand.club/forum/ https://thenewyorkmafia.com/ CREDITS: @Copa Cabana; @Flow; @Henning;