Irish Psycho, American Muscle | Ryan 'Heff' Hughes

Mantle · March 23, 2021

Disclaimer: Based on a REAL person and a real story with some minor changes. Do not come to me with bullshit 'not realistic', chances are you've no idea what you're talking about.

Ryan 'Heff' Hughes:

Spoiler

Hughes grew up in a poverty stricken drug invested area within South Dublin. International headlines plagued with The Kinahan Cartel and their billion dollar drug trafficking organization was almost a token of pride for those living in Crumlin, a small lower-class area in South Dublin, home to the cartel. It was virtually inevitable for kids and teens growing up to not get their hands dirty in some form of crime.

Ryan 'Heff' Hughes (above)

Hughes was born into a massive family, with six uncles and five sisters, two of which were rooted in the United States. He was funneled into the system of crime from a young age from simply being associated with cousins already dealing small amounts of drugs. Heff was known for having a quarter inch fuse that was ready to blow at any minute, so nobody really crossed him. A small criminal history quickly tainted his record, for things like stealing his own parents car, possession of class A drugs, public disorder. However, there was a much more serious role being played. Ryan was moving drugs for the cartel and was connected with some top criminals known in Ireland and Europe. With the drug life comes all sorts of issues and unfortunately for Heff, his was a money problem. Unpaid debts began to quickly stack up. Gambling money that was owed to those above him.

The shop that Hughes worked at was vandalized and torched by criminals, as a warning for not paying his debt and his mothers home was broken in to and she was beat to an unconscious state, as a second warning. Criminals gave him a very serious threat, 'the next time, you're dead', there was nothing he could do. It was the equivalent of a gold fish against a shark. He was out of his league.

He gathered funds which he used to purchase a one way ticket to the United States. and made connections with emigrated family members located in Los Santos. For his Irish-American family, it was like accepting a doctor in to the family. For people so proud of their heritage, they accepted Ryan in with open arms. He entered Los Santos on a short term visa but quickly stayed over the return date. Finding a job was simple. Walk in to the local Irish bar, ask for a job and he was in once the accent was heard. He made connections with Mexican immigrants that his family introduced him to, these Mexicans were specialists in creating fake identities that would secure him of 99% of standard stops or interactions with law enforcement.

Leaving your home country doesn't mean you left behind your way of life, however. Ryan still had a hunger for money and knew all about criminal life. This was only the beginning of something much, much bigger...

Irish-American Backstory (Brief):

Spoiler

For a tiny island, Irish heritage has stamped its foot in American history. When the famine hit Ireland back in 1845, over one fifth of the Irish population unwillingly left their country to save their own life. This is not the sole time Irish people left for America in massive numbers, however, it is the largest. Among those who left, they left families behind. Although it is typically printed in history books how African-Americans built America to what it is today... sometimes, the golden nugget of information - the facts, are pushed in front of people. A small population transformed the land of the free into what it is today. Small cities quickly became powerhouse business havens - and it wasn't possible without those Irish emigrants who worked day and night to make minimum cash to send back home to their starving families.

Ghettos quickly became overwhelming by Irish-Americans, as with poverty comes crime. Irish-American mafias and street gangs started to plague the country and spread from east to west like wildfire but back in Ireland, families remained and after almost two hundred years, people still keep close connection to those overseas and vice versa.

Edited March 27, 2021 by Mantle