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*A photo of Ion Druta taken in an interview, 04.08.2012*

LOS SANTOS POLICE DEPARTMENT FILES ENZO COSTA Current Location: Los Santos, Mission Row Place of Birth: Alderney, Liberty City Time of Birth: 7/11/2000 Felonies: Possession of Illegal Substances, Resisting Arrest, Vandalism ((The thread will follow the life and development of Enzo Costa))

Levon Gasparyan (Born January 22nd, 1995) is a 25 year old criminal figure of Armenian heritage. Born in Los Santos, San Andreas; Levon has spent his entire life living in the neighborhood of Morningwood, Los Santos. The community, Widely referred to as Los Santos’ Little Armenia, is home to a modern age organized criminal enterprise known as Armenian Power or West Side Armenian Power Gang (W/S AP Gang). Levon, known by associates as “L” has been associated with the gang since his youth, having been drawn to the criminal lifestyle by his brother, Armenian Power lieutenant Vardan Gasparyan. Levon was born in January 1995 to a lower middle class family, his father Igor Gasparyan was a mechanic while his mother, Isabelle Gasparyan worked as a seamstress. Both his parents had immigrated from Armenian in the early 80’s, looking for a better life for his older brother Vardan. Levon was never much like his brother and the two seemed to have walked different paths since birth. While Levon excelled in school his brother fell behind, turning towards the streets the older they became. Beginning in his teens Levon worked at the Morningwood General Store, rising to the position of manager by the time he started his freshman year at ULSA. Levon, a kid who had skated through life on the bare minimum; who had breezed through highschool without even studying for a test. Was not prepared for college. The new found freedom from living under his parents roof mixed with a new found love of girls and liquor had completely changed his priorities in life. And not for the better. By the winter of that year Levon had been academically suspended from ULSA and would not be welcome back for the spring term. Returning to his old stomping grounds in Morningwood he resumed working at the Morningwood General Store, it was during this time that Levon began associating with his old brothers friends and Armenian Power associates, Arman Vartanian and Gevork Karayan. Levon had returned to the neighborhood at a troubling time, recent friction between members of W/S Armenian Power and members of Russian organized crime led Levon to being kidnapped by Russian criminals attempting to extract information about the gang's criminal activities. Unbenounced to them Levon was not involved in any of the gangs activities however they continued to torture him, leaving him with a cigarette burn on the left side of his neck. Following this traumatic event Levon began struggling with PTSD and a depressive episode most likely caused by a lack of treatment and an overall stigma surrounding mental illness in the Armenian community. Nevertheless, due to a spiraling relationship with his brother and a craving for recognition from older members of W/S AP Levon began actively pursuing a life of crime. Leveraging his position at the Morningwood General Store to install a fraudulent credit card terminal on behalf of Armenian Power figure head, Rouben “Camel” Sevacherian. This began a slow but steady rise for Levon within the Armenian organized crime enterprise that law enforcement has dubbed The Yuzbashyan-Sevacherian Organization. A rise that has seen Levon expand his criminal activities from petty theft and financial crimes to arms dealing and drug trafficking. Links: Vardan Gasparyan W/S Armenian Power Rouben Sevacherian

(Pictured: Emilo Manicci, shortly after his arrival into Los Santos, San Andreas) Emilio "Goliath" Manicci Personal Information & Defining Characteristics Birthname: Emilio "Leo" Manicci Place of Birth: Vice City, Florida Date of Birth: January 18th (25 years of age) Height: 6 feet, 4 inches Weight: 240 pounds Eye Color: Hazel Light Blue Hair Color: Black Occupation: Unknown / N/A Status: Unknown / N/A Relatives: Dominic Manicci (Father / DECEASED) Christina Manicci (Mother / UNKNOWN) Aniello "Niel" Vittorio Manicci (Brother / ALIVE) Giovanni "John" Parillo (Cousin / ALIVE) Signature: Emilio Manicci Backstory Emilio was born on the night of January 18th to mother Christina Manicci (rumored to be a sex worker or stripper) and father Dominic Manicci. He was a troubled child with a rough upbringing, having never known his mother or his brother due to being separated at a young age. His relationship with his father being the only relative he had grown to know, lacking due to his profession, he grew up consistently lashing out and disobeying authority figures and by the age of 14 could usually be found on the streets committing small time crimes such as picking the pockets of tourists, shoplifting and muggings. By the time Emilio was 17 he discovered a love for his new hobby and passion, weightlifting and boxing which he performed extremely well due to his abnormal height and weight for his age. This new way of life was short lived for Emilio however, after he drained most of his funds from his extravagant lifestyle and addiction to cocaine he quickly turned back to the life of crime however this time pushing his luck over and over by pulling off bigger, and bigger crimes upwards but not limited to assault and extortion. After a long while of living on the lowdown, he was contacted by his brother for the first time in over 20 years, Aniello Manicci. Through a long list of connections and asking around Aniello was able to reconnect with Emilio and had an offer and opportunity for him. A chance to come to Los Santos, San Andreas to try to make something of himself, which sounded like heaven to him. He packed his bags and set off where he was reunited with his brother Aniello and his cousin whom he had not seen in a long time, Giovanni. At this point, Emilio wanted nothing to do with crime wanting to carry on a simple life for himself. He found part time work at a waste disposal company while also working several venues on the side as a security guard & bouncer earning an honest living for himself. Within his first week in Los Santos while on a night bar-hopping with his brother and unbeknownst to him at the time, he stumbled into a bar known as The Rubicon in Downtown Vinewood and introduced himself to a man by the name of Carmine Gallo in a drunken stupor, offering him a drink and telling him stories about his boxing past where he was offered a membership at the Vinewood Boxing Gym. This once again sparked Emilio's interest in the sport and he began training once again. TO BE CONTINUED (( Thread will be updated on a semi-regular basis with screenshots of Emilio's adventures as well as updates to the story above. Criticism and feedback is welcome, if constructive or positive in nature. ))

Name: Duqvakha Varayev Born: 27/AUG/1989 Origin: Verkhnyaya Balkariya (Верхняя Балкария), Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Russia The village of Verkhnyaya Balkariya, red outlining shows Duq's elderly home Duqvakha better known as ’Duq’ was born on the 27th of August, 1989 in the mountain villege of Verkhnyaya Balkariya, Kabardino-Balkaria, Southern Russian Caucasus. Duq’s father was in the army of Ichkeria, whilst his mother was there to take care of the household. Times were rough as the Soviet Union only collapsed two years after Duq was born. Duq's father as a soldier, in the middle holding the rifle, First Chechen War At the age of 10 Duq lost both his parents at the Grozny ballistic missile attack whilst at a family visit. Duq then quickly moved in with his grandmother, who lived in the same village. By the age of 12 his grandmother also passed away. On the burial of his grandmother Duq got in to contact with his uncle, Khasmohmad Varayev. He was offered to come and live with him in San Fierro. Duq made a living from washing cars since his uncle was a car salesman. By the age of 18 Duq was offered a contract to become a Junior Car Sales Executive. This was an honest job and Duq was truely proud of himself. By 2008 the economic crisis also struck the business. This quickly made the entire company collapse and Duq’s uncle ended up with a huge debt. Duq felt as if he needed to help his uncle, he was the one person who looked after him at the roughest time of his life. Aftermath of the Grozny Ballistic Missile Attack, October 21 1999 Duq had though times at making money and finding a job. He never got any certifcate on any type of school. All he knew was the car business. This made Duq get onto the wrong side of the tracks as he was now selling stolen cars to help himself and his uncle. At the age of 21 Duq was caught in the act and he was sentenced to one year in jail. Within this one year Duq got caught up in a big prison ramble. In the action Duq punched a fellow inmate who then made an unfortunate landing, and passed away later on. Duq was sentenced 16 more months, and was sent to state prison. In prison he met his cellmate, Andrej, also from Russian descent. The two both got in with the same sentence and quickly became good friends. Once the duo was out of prison they quickly got back to their old habits. The two later moved from simple car thefts to arms trafficking. After a year of good work Duq was able to pay off his uncle’s debts. Andrej and Duq's mechanic shop, 2016 Las Venturas With the money the duo made Duq and Andrej started their own mechanic shop in Las Venturas. Duq was given the task of buying cheap cars whilst Andrej patched these cars up. They then sold these vehicles for a decent price. In the background however, the two were still involved in arms trafficking. They used their mechanic shop to launder the money they earned. For years the business went well, and life finally seemed to have the wind at Duq’s back. This changed in early August 2019. Andrej was arrested after the FBI had found out that the mechanic shop, that was registered under his name was used to launder money. Because Duq’s name didn’t appear in any contract or other paperwork he was set free due to a lack of evidence at his trial. Duq left Las Venturas and tried to find his luck in Los Santos, he still visits Andrej, who was given a 14 year sentence in San Andreas’ state prison. Duq is now trying to find a new way of living his life and making his money. He doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. ((Disclaimer, this is my first time making such a story, I'm open for feedback))

Harvey Uritsky's mugshot in Las Venturas after getting charged with tax evasion and fraud.

"A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization fueled by common traits or interests." In late 2021, F. P., the leader of the well known Cypress Flats Crew, left off to Miami struggling to keep his family together. Most of the quondam members of the crew have left town as well or are currently not participating in any criminal activities. Soon after F.'s and the former crew members' sudden leave, the remaining members of the group were merged into another crew to steer clear of going completely extinct and started operating based out of a jewelry shop. J. Savino and B. Ruggieri have begun to claw back their group to it's former glory, no longer simply under the umbrella of Cypress but something new, the hypothetical Savino Crew. After the merge J. Savino and B. Ruggieri has established connections to the members of the Jewish, Japanese and Spanish underworld of Los Santos. Arms-running, car theft, drug dealing, strong-arm and homicides became the main focuses of the group. OOC: The goal of the topic is to represent the fall and the rise of the members of the one-time notorious Cypress Flats Crew. The showcased characters are known associates of the Martorano Organized Crime Group. It is not a standalone crew. It's supposed to showcase the life of the ex-Cypress members after the merge. Complaints, suggestions or questions should be directed either to @notoriusdancso or @Blince via DMs.

Couple of the boys said I should throw this lil shitty pic gallery up on this forum as well, so fuck it. PROFILE PICTURES: SIGNATURES: BANNERS:

The following will showcase the development of Ezra Bardin and his assimilation into organized crime in Los Santos.

These pages follow the life of Sen Tsujihara, a Japanese American woman whose decisions transformed her from a teenage delinquent into the first woman to ever break into the inner circle of Japanese organized crime, and into one of the figureheads of Japanese crime today.

THIS TOPIC PORTRAYS ROCCO DIFIORE AND HIS STORIES.

The Holy Association "There is no community where everyone is rich; neither is there a community where everyone is poor (Jerusalem Talmud, Gitten 3:7)." The Jewish immigrants who settled in the USA came in waves throughout the Modern Era. Countries like Israel, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, and Russia came over along with their Jewish beliefs. Even in the 19th century, the U.S. Census recorded eight Jews living in Los Santos in 1850 after San Andreas admitted to the Union. Their signification contributions include arts and culture, science, education, architecture and politics. After a Jewish man was elected first councilman in 1850, the first informal Sabbath services was conducted by a lay rabbi in 1854. From here they strengthened as some focused on organizations to keep afloat. Different Jewish people came together to found organizations which developed the Murrieta Heights and assisted in the creation of Universities in San Andreas. Though there wasn't a specific distinct Jewish neighborhood, roughly 2500 Jews lived "downtown" in the 20th century. It is described people in 1910 even donning the street "Jewish Street" and the area to its south. Smaller groups however lived in the University, Westlake, and wholesale areas. Despite that, these areas seen a steadily decline between 1900 and 1926. That didn't stop the increase as Jews, as 2500 grew to 65,000 in the mid-1920s. As Jewish immigrants and their families came in significant numbers around the 1920's, seen Murrieta Heights home to the largest Jewish community at the time. Acts like the Immigration Act of 1924 attempted to suppress the rapidness as the population of Jews in Los Santos continued to increased. Throughout this time Jews played a hand in creating or developing many Los Santos business and cultural institutions, including the real estate and fashion, and entertainment industries. The Jewish Community as a whole were tight knit, even dedicating a synagogue to a Sephardic Jew who opened the first supermarket in America in 1927. The first Sephardic synagogue in Los Santos was dedicated in 1932. As time went Jews even participated in protest in 1945 in regards to treatment of the Jews in Germany. This led to the Los Santos Jewish Community Council being incorporated in 1936. By 1940, the Jews had the seventh largest population of all cities in the United States. As World War II came to a end, almost 300,000 Jews lived in Los Santos by 1950. This number only grew as more immigrants came over along with Soviet Jews in 1989. The mafias in Israel rose in the 1990's, as they fought over control of gambling and drug rackets for the following decades to follow. With car bombs, grenades, and shoulder-fired missiles hits across five continents, they are among the most vicious and sophisticated worldwide. At a certain point in history, they controlled 80% of the global ecstasy trade partnered with street gangs in LS in order to distribute. As crime families like the Abutbuls, Rosenteins, Alperons, and Abergils even placed hits on cops, judges, and politicians. Despite the recklessness of the Israeli Crime Families, they also managed to establish a global network of gambling and drugs across America, Asia, and Europe. The Abergils' mob syndicate was considered one of the world's top 40 drug importers in the US. With the need of finding distribution, the Abergils' reached out to an upstart Latino street gang known as the Vineland Boyz. With the Vineland Boyz' feuding with the Mexican Mafia, access to Israeli's product brought a new market of drugs on the radar. Owning manufacturing labs in places like Israel, Belgian, and Morocco; The Abergils produced ecstasy pills, cocaine, and hashish. There only problem at the time was distribution. As the 2000's approached, Israeli Crime Families like the Abergils' ventured out to Los Santos. At the time, the Vineland Boyz was sick of being man handled by La Eme, and the Abergils' needed protection and distribution in LS. Just after they agreed on a deal, the feds eventually caught on as the product flooded the market. In July of 2002, there was a drug bust involving three groups with some Israeli players and bodyguards in attendance. Though the Abergil Crime Family was able to follow through, inner turmoil and heat led to their demise. In 2003, the Vineland Boyz ended up shooting a police officer, which led to them being put on the radar. By 2005, 13,00 Law Enforcement Officers participated in a huge sweep to shut them down. The Abergil Crime Family was in and out of prison, as the main players are behind bars up to date. The Holy Association is a tight-knit group of mainly Israeli descent from all walks of life scattered around Los Santos, Vespucci Canals mainly. The group stems from a hard-working background as most affiliates are used to poverty at some point in their life. Growing up, seasoned affiliates of the group experienced organized crime around their communities whether it be in Los Santos or the Holy Land. Those who participated got involved in a number illicit activities such as money laundering, racketeering, extortion, gambling and such. At a time OCG's from Israel were funneling millions of narcotics, mainly being ecstasy pills as it flooded the United States in the 2000's, members of the Holy Association participated in the distribution as well. Despite ties being cut as the years went on, the Association managed to co-exist. With big plans in the future, The Holy Association seeks expansion from a tight-knit group into an organized crime group.

Jackie Artese From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Giacomo John Artese (known as Jackie) (born March 16, 1981) is believed to be a member of the Colombo crime family. He is a self-proclaimed tycoon within the pornographic industry, engineered through his "Jackie Candy" on and off-screen persona. This same blue collar celebrity status has reportedly created a rift between Artese and esteemed figures within the Colombo crime family, possibly motivating Jackie's relocation to Los Santos. Early life Giacomo John Artese was born on March 16, 1981 in a small house on Forest Parkway in the borough of Queens, New York City. A stone's throw from Ozone Park, Artese and his neighborhood friends would frequently socialize with the borough's growing Gambino family presence. Despite being born to relatively financially stable, unassuming parents, Artese began to associate with known New York underworld figures in his native borough at a young age. Artese and his fiancé at the time, Vivian Serino, welcomed their son Michael Artese in 2001. A year later, Vivian Serino died due to bowel complications. To make ends meet, Artese would premier in Queens' hottest dive bars as "male talent" whilst simeltaneously scheming with Gambino affiliates. Pornography After a stint partnering with young Gambino associates from Queens, Jackie would eventually strike up a consistent street working relationship with Colombo crime family soldier Joseph Cattaneo. Through Joseph Cattaneo, Jackie would go on to meet Rudy DeFeo, a Colombo crime family soldier and one of New York's leading men within the adult entertainment industry. Artese was groomed into the industry and adopted the alias "Jackie Candy". The charismatic and boisterous Jackie began to build a reputation among his Colombo friends and inevitably started to dip into organized crime. Artese was rumored to heavily involve himself in Brooklyn's illegal pornogrophy scene in the early 2000s. It is believed the adult entertainment industry's popularity boon as well as the widespread increase in camera and video streaming availability severely damaged the demand for illegal pornographic content. Miami, Florida Artese relocated to Miami, Florida and began investing in legitimate adult studios, even producing a string of low budget movies himself from 2006-2009. Jackie's rise to pornographic stardom was met with distaste by Caporegime Patrick Alifante who deemed Artese's growing blue collar celebritiy as "unethical". Artese's involvement in drug distribrution whilst maintaining a growing public persona, all while affiliating with the Colombo crime family eventually lead to what could have been an attempt on Artese's life. However, Colombo heavyweight Dominic Montemarano, a Caporegime, put an arm around Jackie and steered him away from the naysayers that lingered behind him. The pair struck up a fruitful partnership, and Jackie was the student. In 2010, he was arrested following an altercation with Miami-based freelance adult film director Thomas Quinn. The assault charges in the Quinn case were subsequently dropped, however Artese was convicted on a petty larceny claim and spent 7 months in prison. Jackie Artese welcomed two daughters in the early-mid 2010's, Chloe and Priscilla Artese. The two children are to separate mothers who are prominent figures within the adult entertainment industry. Montemarano Ties In the early-2010s, Artese was introduced to Colombo heavyweight Dominic Montemarano. Montemarano was a caporegime in charge of a skeleton crew on the West Coast which rose to greater prominence in the 2010. Montemarano’s growing influence over the Vinewood pornography industry attracted Artese to a partnership. However, Montemarano’s death in January 2021 resulted in a decline of business. Artese has since resumed ties with Angelo Sisca—a former Colombo soldier under Montemarano—in a bid to rekindle a hold of the industry. Credits go to @The Dirty Duke & @Apa.

As a counter to the rigid tradition permeating through the illegal world, The Windfall Connection’s hope is to set aside differences and focus on the one thing that is diluted by held prejudices: making money. Men and women of all races and backgrounds are accepted here, as long as they embody the lifestyle. Due to the founders being based out of New Chinatown, Mission Row, the Connection takes on Chinese paraphernalia. It is not a gang, nor is it wholly or majorly criminal. There is a balance between the legal and illegal, creating a mutual partnership. Business owners work hand-in-hand with those more steeped in the illegal world, letting them run themselves as siloed, autonomous groups. The business owners cover illegal expenses and fund criminal projects for these groups, and in turn, these groups dedicate their ruthless individuals to protecting the business sites that they are allowed to base their operations out of. Windfall Wealth (偏财) is an unexpected form of income. It’s a fitting way to describe those who take advantage of the system. This, along with the connected nature of the legal and illegal campaigns, is how the Connection finds its name. Chinese artists have long used five bats to represent the five blessings: health, long life, prosperity, love of virtue, and a tranquil, natural death. The bats often are bright red—the color of joy—but the Windfall does not find solace in embodying happiness. Our mark is instead a jet black. The Chinese word for black is "hei," which stands for bad luck, irregularity, and illegality. We take on the very last interpretation of the word, reminding ourselves of how we're viewed by the world at large. The five bats encircle a stylized caligraph known as the prosperity symbol. Among the Five Gods of Wealth within Chinese mythology, Zhong Kui stands as the Windfall God of Wealth, and as such, he is idolized by The Windfall Connection. He is a vanquisher of ghosts and a fighter of demons, but to fight is not always to kill. The practice of The Windfall Connection is to unify groups that would otherwise be without structure and without home, and so we look to the painting of Zhong Kui where the demon bows to him, for he realizes his life and his prosperity is greater when working alongside Zhong Kui. Zhong Kui is oft affiliated with the Five Bats of Prosperity, and this too is why the mark of The Windfall Connection was chosen. While steeped in Chinese mythology and ancestral knowledge, The Windfall Connection is modernized and corporate-esque in architecture and hierarchy. Leaders of the autonomous groups sit beside the heads of business, not beneath them, creating an unnamed council of proven men and women that seek to maintain their lifestyles and build the community that cultivated their own ascension. Discourse and cooperation are the glue, and anyone who chooses to neglect these basic principles will be replaced by the greater whole. Fly with us, or be cut down and replaced by another with larger, healthier wings. Founded on Chinese teachings within New Chinatown, Mission Row in Los Santos, San Andreas, The Windfall Connection will always prioritize those in need within the the community. To join us and to embody our ideology is to set upon the goal of uplifting one's self to a new lifestyle, but that does not mean only those born of Chinese blood, or Asian blood, are accepted. Diligence, intellect, skill, and amiability will take you far. NOTE: These ranks will not be used, or referenced, IC. They are simply meant to represent OOC development and how the characters in game organize their work and advancement up to the council. Intrigued 好奇 — Curious about The Windfall Connection, but have yet to be involved or have yet to involve themselves in the lifestyle. They've had discussions about unsavory work but have yet to run with something to completion. Vetted 审查 — Have expanded upon their curiosity and have been given minor tasks or busy work by a Connected, Winged, or Champion. They are still in the process of being tested, to see how they carry themselves and how successful they can be when provided minimal information or direction. Associated 联系 — Have stood out among their Vetted peers by proving their ability to take initiative and carry out their minor tasks without any setbacks tied to their own shortcomings. They are not yet Connected, but are privileged with a higher level of trust, and thus are given more meaningful, lucrative, and dangerous work. Connected 连接的 — Having proven themselves and carried out Associate level work to the satisfaction of those on the council, they have been uplifted and now officially belong to the Connection. They answer directly to a Winged or Champion; work is delegated down through them to the Associated and Vetted. They are the utmost trusted of the Windfall outside the council and are given work that requires a delicate hand, a thoughtful mind, and a keen eye. Winged 有翼的 — Finding your wings is no easy endeavor, for it is a test of skill, loyalty, resolve, and leadership. They have proven time and time again that not only can they drive their own success in the illegal realm, but the success of others beneath them, securing themselves a seat on the council. They often lead their own criminal groups, or are the next in line to lead a group once numbers permit. To be named a Winged is no mistake, but once someone grows their wings, they are expected to keep them in flight. Should they falter and refuse to let another find their wings, others among the council will make that decision for them. Champion 状元 — Bearing the original Zhuangyuan title of Zhong Kui, Champions are beacons of capital and governors of legal affairs among the Windfall, having earned their place on the council. They are self-sufficient, funding the projects and schemes of the Winged, and in turn, are provided protection and able hands from the Winged and their subordinates. This isn't to say that they never dabble in the illegal side of the coin, but their movements are cautious and obscured. Should a Champion's wealth wane, it is a show of their ineptitude and inability to contribute to the Windfall and the community as a whole. In this scenario, if they do not willingly step down, the council is entrusted to make that decision for them. Illegal activity we are attempting to portray and cultivate are crimes typically expected of, but not limited to, Asian Organized Crime. These include the production and sales of narcotics, car theft, automobile exportation, chop shop operations, crimes involving electronics, money laundering, illegal gambling, lottery scams, skimming, and possibly prostitution. The Windfall Connection does commit violent crimes such as robbery and murder, but on a much more seldom basis as to keep the organization's true nature under wraps. Since we are attempting to portray a secret society in West Coast America in the 2020s, a lot of violent crime will be well thought out and properly weighted for its worth. Asian Organized Crime Groups focus on generating money undisturbed. Violent crime, especially in a city like Los Santos, will garner unwarranted attention, even more so with the various other Asian groups in the city. Law Enforcement has proven they'll use a broad stroke to crackdown on all Asian criminals in Los Santos and the disruption of other groups' cash flow is something the Connection wants to avoid at all costs. The Windfall Connection is meant to be a story heavy group that focuses on characterization, human behavior, and emotional development. Your writing in game should reflect your character as a human being, first and foremost, who happens to be a criminal or head of business. The opposite circumstance should not be practiced — a criminal or business owner whose characterization comes second. If your primary focus is shooting or robotically working deals while barely interacting with the group IC, this is not the group for you. There should always be a balance and our roleplayers should try their best to give their character realistic depth. Those who belong to this group should try their very best to separate OOC and IC interactions. Narrative drives all, and as a show of good faith, I am personally embodying this ideal by making it clear up front that OOC management of the group is a responsibility kept completely separate from IC dealings. If my own character falls from grace through roleplay, I will not allow OOC privileges to provide me an unfair advantage. I will still help with upkeep for the group, or hand off the responsibilities to someone I know will handle them properly. I value story above all else and when it is skewed by OOC scenarios, the enjoyment of the entire experience is diluted. I want to try and avoid that at all costs, and I hope everyone who is interested in this group joins me in trying to uphold that ideal. If this group ever becomes an official faction, CK rights will not be carried out like other factions. Winged 有翼的 will have full autonomy to acquire CK rights for those that belong to their particular group / cell. However, no CK rights will be held across groups and no Champion 状元 or Winged 有翼的 will hold CK rights over another. This enforces the council mentality and breeds trust and respect among our members from the very start. Lastly, we personally do not tolerate any kind of disrespect, bullying, or toxicity to any of our members. We want this to be a friendly, open-minded community that focuses on writing and having fun. We do not care where you stand IC; if your OOC behavior is appalling, you will be removed from this community and the council will decide on a way to move the narrative forward without you in the most realistic and seamless way possible.

This thread will portray the character development of Michalis Leventis, a member of the Dabizas Crime Family.

This thread will serve as Harold Lino development thread, I'll be posting day-to-day activities of my character so enjoy the show!

Jewish Organized Crime in America (Overview) Unlike Italians, American Jewish crime is decentralized, having never opted for a commission or heirarchy. In modern times, organized crime is cultivated, enforced and led in territories by families, most often claiming ownership over such territory from the "Jewish Golden Era" of the 1960s, post Vegas- and the onset of Cuban capital investments. The grandchildren of these men, have continued the legacy of enforcing a Diasporic Jewish hold over Las Vegas, New York and Miami despite the massive and successful Cosa Nostra wipeout by Rudy Giuliani in the early 2000s. With a Zionist, Diasporic ideology in the bedrock of their adhesion, Jewish organized crime has become incredibly intertwined with legal business, become one of the largest global "grey" powers, according to Reuters International, 2021, attributed with the exportation of small arms and Israeli contraband, including weapon accessories and acid-wash, high grade MDMA. The Jewish Branch - Amsalem's Crew Starting off in Israel, The Jewish Branch quickly expanded their business in the country, promoting illegal Gambling in a small family-run restaurant as a way to earn money. They further expanded their business via drug and weapon racketeering. This caused them to quickly grow in numbers and power. As they expanded so did their illegal networks, eventually smuggling drugs and weapons to Europe via clandestine ships and aboard planes. With their interest set in America, The Jewish Branch hasted to send their members as a crew led by the Amsalem duo, quickly expanding their business and forming new connections within Los Santos they rapidly started dealing not only drugs but weapons too. As the crew started to regain power and obtaining legal assets within Rockford via their illegaly obtained money or by infiltratating their members in already established companies in order to reach positions of power keeping their operation behind the already established legal businesses as a mask. Las Vegas Conference - Weiss Family From an older generation, an age where aforementioned men were of certain relevance, the Weiss family has developed into a major force of judgement, arbitration and order in Vegas. As time went on, and Vegas built into the city it's known to be now, the Weiss family focused their efforts on import and export, using the cross-over town in the middle of the desert as a hub for continental exchange. As Nevada's gun laws are extremely lax, an upsurge of firearms being found at the border, leaving Nevada has increased since Alexander Weiss has been rumored to take over for his ailing father. The Weiss Family invested heavily into commercial real estate in Las Vegas, surfing the casino wave until their assets were substantial enough to establish a kosher food and goods manufacturing and distribution service. Forging a Criminal Syndicate Alexander Weiss, upon establishing proper channels for distribution of gun show hauls, decided to return to Los Santos. Back in Los Santos, Amsalem and his crew have established themselves down in Rockford by obtaining a decent amount of asstes throughout the area and/or by crafting some sort of agreement with the already pre-established owners. After scooping, Alexander approached Amsalem in order to initiate him into the Vegas Conference, thereby extending and expanding the network of Jewish organized crime through, using Rockford as their main base of operations for distributing, the now imported cargo from Las Vegas, across Los Santos. With the new partnership between Weiss and Amsalem and with the support not only from Vegas but also from Israel, the Rockford Crime Syndicate was established. The newly formed Syndicate allowed them to not only have a significant increase of manpower but also resources as new supplies would arrive in clandestine Ships and trucks that would await at the borders of Los Santos to be unloaded into smaller vehicles. They wouldn't choose the illegal route as their only way of money making either, they were quick to invest their money in various legal assets as a mean to increase their profit, and consequently have their money laundered. But Vegas wouldn't just come with a set of material possessions, along came new and fresh ideas as the group haste themselves to create a way of promoting illegal gambling throughout Los Santos, setting these games in clandestine houses/garages, along with new fresh ways of extortion. ABOUT USOUT OF CHARACTER CK RIGHTS OBTAINED UPON ROLEPLAYING AND/OR POSTING IN OUR TOPIC, AND SUBJECT TO BE ENFORCED AT DISCRETION OF THE FACTION LEADERSHIP. RECRUITMENT IS STRICTLY IN CHARACTER, but you are welcome to join our discord for hints on how to find us or by contacting us directly. The applicant is expected to have UNDERSTANDING OF AMERICAN ORGANIZED CRIME. Contact us directly by messaging Kadius#8745 / Inon#2163 Or join our discord https://discord.gg/xVpDcCkpFy

Golden Dawn Greek Organized Crime Beginnings - Basic Synopsis Golden Dawn is a rather small group of Greek migrants from Greece itself or the east coast, primarily Philadelphia, that have come together to emulate the prosperity and success of the Philadelphia Greek Mob before crackdowns weakened their influence back east. The history behind this group stems from two directions; political exiles and those who fled the rapidly deteriorating Philadelphia Greek Mob. In 2008 and 2015, a crackdown on the nationalist "Golden Dawn" party of Greece began, resulting in various arrests due to their alleged ties with organized crime and harboring neo-fascist beliefs. This resulted in an exodus of dozens of party members into neighboring countries and North America, primarily the west coast. These people stuck together and organized themselves in communities in Los Santos, the hubs being Alta, Hawick, and Burton. Since their arrival, multiple arrests have been made on these individuals with charges such as murder, theft, racketeering, and fraud being the most common. Though, no real connection could be traced to any further organization. Originally, Golden Dawn kept a firm grip on their nationalist beliefs, but it has slowly dwindled since its beginnings. They have adapted to the nation they live in, but still do hold a strong sense of community and identity to their Greek culture. Though small, their influence mainly stems from their business with larger and more powerful organized crime groups, such as Armenian and Italian Organized Crime. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [Philadelphia Inquirer - 2005] Two murdered in Bucks County; Alleged connections to criminal operations in the city A Report coming in from the Pennsylvania State Police this morning as two corpses were discovered in Bucks County. The individuals have been identified, but their families have requested their names be withheld from the public. The Pennsylvania State Police have disclosed to the public through a press conference this morning that these individuals were affiliated with Greek Organized Crime in the city. The Pennsylvania State Police has affirmed their efforts to work on bringing the individuals responsible to justice and irradiating organized crime within the city, which has seen prosperity and general isolation from law enforcement since the late eighties. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Present day - Los Santos: Golden Dawn With the crackdown in the east and political exiles congregating in Los Santos, organized crime groups have organized with influences from both Philadelphia and Greece itself. The traditional familial structure of Greece is upheld while the secrecy and path of collaboration from the Philadelphia Greek Mob are the keystones in this new group. Little is known about the structure or its members, as much like La Cosa Nostra, this group operates behind the shadows of society. However, as of recent this group has begun to make their presence known. Authorities have begun to catch on to their areas of operation (Alta, Hawick, and Burton) and their ties with other - larger - groups. The bulk of their operations today include contact killing, fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, and arms trafficking.

The Seoul Family Gang or Seoul Money Gang (SMG) Boyz is one of the newer Asian cliques to come out of the Little Seoul neighborhood. It's primarily made up of those with Chinese and Vietnamese backgrounds with a smaller Korean and Japanese presence. It's rumored to have began in the mid-2010s: teenagers that attended the local high schools first running as the Vespucci Boyz before later transitioning into the Seoul Family Gang in 2019 as they began to gain in numbers and criminal consciousness. The clique has almost never prioritized gang banging as much as they have financial gain. Like many other Little Seoul street gangs with Asian backgrounds, they don't claim a single street: they consider the entire neighborhood their domain. Investigators claim that the Seoul Family Gang are partially to blame for the influx of narcotics and violence in the Little Seoul neighborhood. Additionally, a shooting was documented on December 15, 2021, where a woman was left in critical condition on Ginger Street outside of the Sunset Apartments building. Locals were unwilling to speak on the matter but an unnamed passerby claimed that the incident happened over a fist fight that transitioned into an attempted stabbing. Rumor has it that this violent act was an attempt at self-gentrification. The Los Santos Police Department have yet to make an arrest but bear suspicion on the outfit. We aim to portray a realistic Asian American gang operating in the Little Seoul area. While it's implied that the majority of the gang are Chinese and Vietnamese, we accept all East Asian characters. Newcomers should create their character somewhere between their mid-teens and early twenties. The goal of the group is to enrich and break the current norms of Asian American roleplay in the server. It is therefore heavily development-oriented and aims to capture the true essence of Asian Americans by veering away from the heavily sterilized take that the scene has been hindered by. With this said, we do not want run-of-the-mill gangbangers. We hope to incorporate a wide cast of characters: whether it may be loosely affiliated friends and girlfriends or, ultimately, hardened criminals serving time behind bars. Feel free to check us out and ask questions: https://discord.gg/qEk6hucBWd

Crystal Empire on the rise The number of domestic lab incidents is increasing at a significant rate in the United States, with the largest increases in the South and Midwest. In March 2009, there were 966 meth lab incidents nationwide, compared to 756 incidents in March 2008 and 596 incidents in March 2007. In the South, meth lab incidents for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida show an increase of 254% from 63 in March 2007 to 223 in March 2009. Methamphetamine labs cost State and local governments significant tax dollars and other resources that could be better spent elsewhere. A study conducted by the independent Rand Corporation in 2009, based on data from 2005, estimated the economic cost to society of methamphetamine use at between $16.2 billion and $48.3 billion. The study found that most of the expenses due to meth use are a result of the “intangible burden that addiction places on dependent users and their premature mortality and from crime and criminal justice costs.” Meth Lab Incidents Nationwide in 2009 Meth use and meth labs also cause injuries or death to children and public service officials. Environmentally toxic dump sites created by meth labs deflate property values and overwhelm medical services, often as a result of uninsured individuals seeking medical help. There are many ingredients used to make methamphetamine, most of which are easily available. One essential ingredient, used by both large and small-scale labs, is pseudoephedrine, found in many cold medications. In 2005, Congress passed the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA), which required that pseudoephedrine (PSE), ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine5 be placed “behind the counter” and that transaction logs account for sales of these substances from retail outlets. Ephedrine and PSE are precursor chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine. Number of Labs Increasing Despite passage of the CMEA, the number of domestic clandestine meth labs has recently been increasing. Traffickers have adapted to the CMEA and found ways to circumvent the retail sales provisions of the law. Because the CMEA had no provision requiring log books to be electronically connected, traffickers began sending multiple individuals to several retail outlets throughout the day to make single purchases up to the daily limit. This process, known to law enforcement as “smurfing,” allows criminal groups to obtain large quantities of PSE for methamphetamine manufacturing. Smurfers can purchase multiple packs of PSE for between $7 and $10, then sell the products to lab operators for up to $50 per package. As with many drugs, there are regional variations in the prevalence of methamphetamine manufacture, distribution, and abuse. Data from the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program show that the percentage of arrestees testing positive for meth is highest in the western region of the country. And San Andreas has experienced an increase in “super” labs in recent years, from 10 in 2020 to 15 in 2021 and 17 in 2022. On Feb. 22, 2021, state and local law enforcement agencies got a scary message from the feds: The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) could no longer pay to clean up methamphetamine labs, which had risen to near-record levels in recent years. By that time, most jurisdictions had already written their budgets, which didn’t include picking up the federal government’s tab for cleaning up meth labs. The feds’ money, however -- roughly $10 million under the Community Oriented Policing Services program -- had ran out just halfway through the fiscal year. “To say that it opened up Pandora’s box is an understatement,” says Tommy Farmer, director of the San Andreas Meth and Pharmaceutical Task Force, which had the nation’s highest number of meth lab seizures in 2021. “All of a sudden, the state and local agencies were faced with this bill. We didn’t know what to do.” Skyrocketing Use These organizations have also diversified their precursor chemical use, shifting among suppliers and chemicals to keep authorities off balance. The criminal groups produce most of the methamphetamine using what is known as phenyl-2-propanone, or P2P. There are two main methods to produce P2P, and the criminal groups have oscillated between them, investigators say. It’s also unclear where these groups are getting the chemicals to make P2P. The most recent seizure data from 2018 from the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) cited China as the source of some of the largest recent seizures of precursors, and Mexico as the place where the largest seizures took place. The DEA's 2020 Drug Threat Assessment also cited China and India as sources for precursors, but counterdrug officials contacted by InSight Crime said the chemicals were coming from many other places as well, including Germany. The explosion of methamphetamine also appears to be another marketing triumph for the criminal groups, which seem to be learning from other experiments with drugs such as fentanyl. The potent synthetic opioid is regularly camouflaged in fake OxyContin, Xanax or Percocet pills. The pills are a softer entry point for users, who prefer the prescription drugs and are unaware they are even taking fentanyl. The deception plays a role in skyrocketing use of the drug, as well as startling number of overdoses it causes. But methamphetamine is catching up. In 2019, the last year for which there is data, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) chronicled 16,167 methamphetamine overdose deaths -- up from the 3,627 overdoses related to the drug in 2013. Adderall is used in the United States to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but is widely abused. Often referred to as “the study buddy,” as many as five million people take Adderall annually without a prescription, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. The potential for growth, in other words, is huge. Indeed, the criminal groups marketing methamphetamine appear to be tapping into numerous markets, including the opioid market, and using the same well-established distribution networks to deliver their goods, counterdrug agents say.

This thread will follow the development of "Javier Santiago", a dishonorably discharged marine who is finding his way into the life of organized crime.

Early LifeVladimir Dimitrovich Bodrug was born in Tiraspol, Transnistria on April 24, 1997 into a mixed Romanian, Russian and Ukrainian family headed by parents Dimitrie and Natalia Bodrug (nee Ciobanu). Vladimir was raised as an only child in Tiraspol by his small family; he was brought up in the Borodinka neighborhood that rests along the Dnister River. Both his parents were workers who provided for their family; Dimitrie, also a twice-wounded Transnistria War veteran, was a factory worker at the October Industrial Unit. Natalie was a primary school teacher. Life at home was fairly normal for the Bodrug family, with arguments and fights kept to a minimum, and abuse being totally absent. From 2003, at age 6, Vladimir traveled to Russia over the years with his parents when their financial situation was permitting. He visited relatives who lived in Moscow and St Petersburg, with most of them being guest workers in Russia at the time.Vladimir attended School №17 in Borodinka, graduating with honors in 2014, aged 17. While attending secondary school, Vladimir's father died from liver cancer that was caused by prolonged exposure to industrial chemicals. This exposure took place during his 20 year long career in Tiraspol's manufacturing. Following his secondary graduation, Vladimir took up a series of jobs in the service industry. These jobs included working as a supermarket cashier and fast food cook. Quality of life for Bodrug family considerably fell after his father's passing, as he had the most lucrative job with the greatest benefits. Fearful of falling further into poverty, Vladimir became criminally involved in Borodinka while working legitimate jobs. He participated in a series of petty petty thefts over several months, led by his old friends. The money earned from these activities were spent on groceries and bills for the utilities and cable television at home. Vladimir was never apprehended for his criminal activities. Military serviceFrom 2015 - 2016, Vladimir was a conscripted soldier in the 4th Motorized Infantry Brigade. He completed his basic and Infantry School training in Tiraspol and Bender, respectively. Halfway through his service, he voluntarily transferred to the Intelligence Company after receiving a Commissioned Officer's recommendation. He spent the remainder of his service training and serving in Tiraspol, where he experienced a white collar working environment. Vladimir's performance during training and at his units afterward were rated as being "Above Average to High" by his superiors, up to the JR Officer level. He had minimal conflicts with his peers and was never charged with any service offenses. He was honorably released from the Transnistrian Militia with the rank of Corporal.Later activitiesFollowing his military discharge, Vladimir made arrangements to emigrate to the United States on a permanent basis. He acquired Green Card family sponsorship from his uncle, Mircea Bodrug, who had resided in Brooklyn, NY for 15 years and who had since acquired U.S. Citizenship. In the meantime, Vladimir traveled to Russia for employment and education. While lawfully residing in Moscow with student permits, he attended the Polytechnic College № 47 in the Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo District, he lived with his cousin, and uncle Mircea's son, Ivan Bodrug who had criminal ties to local drug gangs. Vladimir's own progress through his education was hampered by his cousin's criminality. This happened because Ivan was consuming drugs such as marijuana, magic mushrooms and cocaine inside of their shared apartment. Additionally, other drug dealers and even prostitutes would visit the residence for social gatherings and parties that Ivan hosted.After just a year of combined studies and employment as an apprentice mechanic in Moscow, Vladimir aborted his schooling due to the instability at home. During this process, Vladimir and his cousin Ivan had a massive falling-out and went no-contact with each other. Bodrug returned to Tiraspol in 2018. He attempted to find work as an automotive mechanic, but found little success. He was eventually hired on as an automotive assistant, with his employer assuring him that he'd receive educational accreditation for his work at the vehicle body shop. However, this turned out to be false and his employer lied to him. He was laid off after just three months of employment, having been terminated after the probationary period ended. Bodrug was then forced to live back at his mother's house while unemployed, living off of her comparatively low wages as a school teacher. Living at home caused great embarrassment and shame for Vladimir, and for the first ever time, he and his mother started arguing and fighting within the home.Recent immigrant in the United StatesVladimir emigrated to the United States in 2019 directly from Tiraspol. He settled in Brooklyn, NY and began working with his uncle, Mircea Bodrug. Tensions between the uncle and nephew were very strong from the start, with Mircea having suspicions about Vladimir's time in Moscow. Mircea always denied that his nephew was a drug addicted criminal, and falsely accused Vladimir of being lazy and lacking the motivation to succeed at schools. Regardless of the daily arguments and fights between the two, Vladimir was gainfully employed at his uncle's little construction company. He worked a regular 9 - 5 job while earning $20.00 USD an hour. While smartly saving his own earnings, his uncle Mircea was contrasted by his gambling addiction. This addiction led to him being heavily indebted to Russian criminals from Brighton Beach. Vladimir's family connection in Brooklyn, NY was cut after his uncle accused him of stealing from the business. His uncle Mircea claimed that his store's recorded earnings didn't match up with what money he physically had inside the business. His other employee, an American local from Borough Park, backed him up by claiming that he personally witnessed Vladimir steal money . Vladimir countered by saying that his uncle's gambling addiction, and problems with Mafia-affiliated loan sharks, is what caused the financial losses. This fighting went on for weeks before Bodrug's uncle fired him and banished him from the company, and in addition, kicked him out of their shared house in Brighton Beach. This left Bodrug alone and by himself in the streets of Brooklyn.Move to Los Santos and involvement with organized crimeVladimir resorted to working construction around Brooklyn while living with friends throughout 2020. His employment was stable but his living conditions were not, as most of these friends suffered from drug and alcohol problems. He lived in the disreputable areas of Brighton Beach that were most infamous for Russian Mafia activity. It was here that he first experienced American urban poverty, which motivated him to migrate elsewhere for better opportunities. Towards the end of 2020, he had finalized his plans to move across the United States and to Los Santos. He used the majority of his life's savings for the move, and even had to borrow money from overseas family in Transnistria to cover some of the costs.Bodrug arrived in Los Santos, SA in 2020 and has lived and worked in the city ever since. His jobs have included work as a taxicab driver and he has gotten involved with the criminal underworld as a way to keep himself off of the streets.