Organized Crime in Southowilson
Unlike most major cities in the modern era, Southowilson is not dominated by a single organized crime outfit. Unfortunately for law enforcement and the citizenry, Southowilson is divided among a large number of international organizations of varying power. The Sacpan Triads are the largest such group, and though quite powerful they cannot be said to dominate Southowilson. As a result, the city is frequently wracked by violence as the countless ruthless groups battle to control this valuable gateway city.
The Triads: The Triads are collectively the most important crime organization in NorCal. If unified, they would easily overpower all of the other power groups in the city, possibly even the local government – fortunately for their rivals, the Triads are factionalized and internally divided. Triad gangs generally operate all prostitution, gambling, and extortion in their regions. Freelance criminal operations are often allowed, but the Triad will demand a usurious cut of any freelance operations in their turf. They frequently dominate legitimate businesses as well, especially entertainment, construction, labor pools, and equipment rental. Street gangs in Triad turf generally must turn over a share of their booty to avoid interference. Triad soldiers, called 49’ers, are usually well equipped and can be distinguished by their frequently black overcoats and sunglasses. The Triads divide the city among five "societies", who have a hierarchy of status among them.The largest Triad society is the "Red Dragon Society", which controls much of central Downtown, including parts of the Harbor and the southern quarter of Glory Lane. It also has extensive holdings in the Central Projects. The Red Dragon “Shan Chu” (leader) is generally accepted as the senior leader by other Triads, as they are strong enough to maintain distance and peace with the American Club. They are able to call upon assets from SACPA, thanks to family ties to the Triad gangs of Hong Kong.re a group of ethnic-Chinese dominated syndicate loosely connected to the vast criminal empires of SACPA.
The "Jade Fist Society" controls the New Cali Arcology, Laramie District and the northern end of Glory Lane. They are the most belligerent society, having come into conflict with SDI in recent years. The leaders and members of the Jade Fist are connected to the Singapore Triads, traditional rivals of Hong Kong. They are expected to push for the top seat within a few years.
The "Righteous Brotherhood of Enterprise" Society controls the Garfield and Wilson Districts on the north end of town. This society has no direct overseas ties, being a largely local organization. As such, they have a better reputation with law enforcement and the media as a more “moderate” organization. They are generally considered less homicidal than the other gangs, but they have large enough numbers to maintain healthy respect from the other societies.
The embattled "Fire Lotus" formerly dominated the region south of the bay, districts such as Ikebara and Lindsey. Recent years have been hard for the society, as collective encroachment by rival syndicates and internal strife have whittled the organization down. They lost all control of the territories in the south, and now only control the territories in McKinley District. This consolidation has ironically meant that their remaining holdings are now more secure than in the past, and the new leadership cadre is ready to begin retaking past losses. Fire Lotus still retains some business assets in the Refinery District that provide helpful revenue.
Finally, the "Black Cat Brotherhood" controls the East Projects, among other things. Originally a part of the Red Dragons, the Black Cats split off ten years ago in a fight that was eventually settled by mediators from SACPA itself. They are the smallest Triad, and the most desperate for recruits. They remain independent largely because nobody really wants to control their turf badly enough to risk the fighting.
The American Club: The “American Club” is a traditional mafia-style crime organization with roots going back to pre-war crime syndicates in the old USA. Despite the dissolution of the USA in the chaos after the Third World War, the American Club remains a significant presence in all of the post-American nations, including NorCal. In Southowilson, the American Club maintains a much lower profile than the other groups. They are not as heavily invested in the street action, preferring to focus local energies on the corporations, the government, and industry. As a result, the American Club has subtle tentacles involved in much of the city. It also expends a great deal of effort and energy remaining invisible, a stark contract to several of the flashier ethnic-based organizations. Turner Plaza, the North Industriplex, the Montezuma Fuser, Grizzly Point, and other focuses of money and power are all Club-dominated, often without anyone being aware of it. The American Club retains direct ties to the mother organization in Chicago (American Federal Republic), and occasionally pays lip service to the cause of North American reunification.
Mombasa Clan: The third most powerful syndicate in Southowilson is the Mombasa Clan, a huge extended family ruled by “Big Daddy Mombasa”, the patriarch of the western bay area. Big Daddy is rumored to be an insane African warlord displaced by the unification of Azania in the 2060’s – though never confirmed, he enjoys the fearsome mystique this provides. Clan operations are usually controlled by one of Big Daddy's many sons; these men are rotated and replaced fairly frequently, and posts are awarded largely on merit. Big Daddy Mombasa's elite troops, the "Marleys", are feared even by the Triads – these are troops recruited from the Caribbean, well funded and trained to special operations standards. The syndicate has complete control over the African and Caribbean immigrant populations as markets and targets, running the illicit operations therein. They have international connections to the Caribbean, Africa, and South America. The Mombasa Clan has uncontested control of the Caribs and Suisun Point, and some influence in Ikebara, Lindsey, and Stavangrad Districts. They also operate small gangs in the Central Projects, directly under the nose of the Triads. They would dominate Lindsey District completely, but the local resistance limits Mombasa expansion somewhat in that area.
Chavez Syndicate: The Chavez Syndicate has ties to various crime gangs in SoCali and South America, making it the dominant supplier of natural chemicals like neo-cocaine. The Chavez Syndicate is directly affiliated with the Espada Z gang, providing talented muscle in the form of the infamous dashing Latino swordsmen. The Chavez have uncontested control of the South Projects and the eastern third of the Central Projects. They operate most of the various vice operations in their turf, and supply the other syndicates with small amounts of natural drug ingredients. Their other primary asset is smuggling connections and routes. They are able to move vast amounts of materiel and people up from SoCal, Aztlan, and the Mexican rump states. As a result, they have a constant source of revenue and reinforcements. Legitimate Chavez assets include investments in a number of Glory Lane businesses, and some ties to SAR-based Megacorps. After years of internal strife, the Chavez Syndicate finally appears to have acquired strong leadership under the now-matured Luis Chavez, who learned painful lessons from his earlier campaigns.
Southowilson Diversified Interests: SDI styles itself as a corporation, maintaining an office front downtown, as well as having an open media presence. Established in 2090 by a wealthy “Orbital’ investor calling himself "Tycho Fujiwara", SDI has managed to build a small crime empire through the use of skilled freelancers, access to high technology, and the assistance of powerful allies of convenience. SDI is one of the most sophisticated and technically savvy outfits, characterized by small operations throughout the city rather than massive swaths of real estate. Because SDI lacks a large pool of loyal soldiers, it tends to make far more use of freelancers and small numbers of highly skilled operatives and high technology. SDI must play the game carefully, as it lacks the massive resources of the larger gangs, and would likely lose a war of attrition against the larger crime organizations. SDI currently controls the SAC, Old Harbor, and the central part of Glory Lane, watched closely by Triad neighbors.
Minor Groups: Southowilson is home to a number of other minor crime syndicates that do not have the turf or brute strength of the larger organizations. These disparate groups control small, scattered territories around the city, and must tread carefully. These include:
Yakuza: The Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) is a network of ethnic Japanese gangs that operate throughout the Southowilson area. They cooperate when faced with external threats, and all maintain headquarters in “Amur Station”. The Yakuza are known for savagery in battle, preferring melee weapons and martial arts to firearms when possible. Most of their territories are located in the central part of Southowilson. Most overlap somewhat with Triad turf, leading to fierce competition. In other parts of the world the Yakuza are major players, but in NorCal they remain bit characters due to simple demographics. Nevertheless, the ferocity and tenacity of the Yakuza in Southowilson cannot be underestimated.
BC Mafiya: A large number of “True Russians” emigrated from Russkaya Amerika in the last few decades, drawn by construction jobs. The criminal gangs that came with them have established themselves as minor players on the northern side of town; Stavangrad, North Harbor, and North Industriplex all host small BC Mafiya groups. They mainly specialize in catering to, and exploiting, the large number of laborers in these communities, and will happily work with other organizations.
