The Mafia Gazette

For All The News That Is News (E&OE)
Editor In Chief: Carmela DeAngelis
Managing Editor: William Randolph Hearst

Special War Edition


SONNY BLACK: THE NEW BOSS OF ALL BOSSES

The Chicago hoodlum had been making eyes at the Editor across the hotel lobby and he clearly seemed unhappy with something.

When he approached he was brief and to the point.

"Any questions you decide to come up with.. Send them here."

This was Frankie "The Maniac" Green, a young Chicago up-and-comer with a reputation as a heavy drinker and a party guy.

Mr Hearst was taken aback but distinctly recalls that he responded:

“I will do that, I take it the good councillor isn't around right now?”

Frankie Green then took out a cigarette case and matching lighter, lighting a Lucky Strike cigarette as he did so.

“He doesn't speak directly to the press, the press talks to me, I talk to Mister Tencredy, ah Capice?"

He then removed his black glove and offered Mr Hearst a cigarette from a badly scarred hand. Mr Hearst politely declined.

In this exchange what wasn’t said was more important than what was, and Green’s not-so-subtle intimidation of the newspaper editor was nothing new. What Green didn’t know was that the newspaper was desperately following up on reports that the Chicago family was to be hit and hit soon. Indeed the Editor had heard rumours, unconfirmed, that New York were finally moving in on the remnants of the old Chicago crew, still standing after a mid-war peace deal. If true, the rumours somewhat lengthened the odds on Mr Tencredy ever speaking to the Gazette.

As it turned out, they were indeed true.

In some ways it felt like a resumption of older hostilities, the third or fourth round in a much longer fight that New York was winning hands down, having already rubbed out four Bosses in quick succession including 50k, Carlo Gambino, Mickey Costelle and Vito Corleone.

In the wake of “Sinister” Sonny Black’s incredible victory a stage was set for rebuilding. It’s unknown if the Commission met in the weeks that followed, but it is believed not. From the ashes, Sonny Black began to blood a new crew in a return to the old ways. Every promotion to Made and ever member put “on the books” was done so via secret meeting. Back came the burning card of a saint, the gun on the table and the pricked trigger finger. Every Made Man and Woman promoted in New York went through this same ceremony, a guarantee of absolute loyalty to the patron of their family.

However Sonny Black still survived multiple assassination attempts after the war ended. Hired gunmen and ambitious hoodlums alike began to try their luck and Sonny Black began to consider who, if anyone, was behind these attacks.

While no specific evidence has been found by the Gazette, it’s known that suspicion began to fall on Mr Bennett, Las Vegas Capo and leader, and Councillor Tencredy, Carlo Gambino‘s successor in Chicago. Both were believed by the New York leader to be working in the shadows against him, distrusted in a climate where trust is crucially important. Viewed as holdouts from the old Commission, their loyalty was always seen as dubious by New York and so Sonny Black began to strengthen his family in the expectation of a future confrontation.

It didn’t take long and soon he had a retinue of brand new enforcers, replacing those lost in the last war, most Made soldiers and the rest associates, well on their way to being Made. They included Mr Grimey, Bonnie Blackout, Mister Wishbone, Lennox, Benny Hinn, Agostino Nero, Éclair, Paul, Jack and Ernie Black, Luke Bianchi, Horatio, Harrow and Buu.

Together they made the Black Hand Crew, sons and daughters of the fallen in the long street battles against Miami, Chicago, Las Vegas and New York, before they themselves took the city. Among them, specialist gunmen, the Who-Errs, imported from foreign shores, added to Sonny Black’s strength.

As Sonny began to beef out his family, focusing on the military wing with members spreading guns, bullets and bodyguards out amongst nominated hitmen. The other families were largely quiet.

Sources suggest Black had long mulled hitting Las Vegas first, where the provocations were believed to have been strongest. Bennett ran a smaller operation, was not a flamboyant Boss and had a smaller crew. Less likely to be missed, his murder was seriously considered. Another pressing reason was that, several weeks before, Las Vegas Made Man Regg1e III, then only a hoodlum, had approached Emilia Ricci, suggesting that it was time that the run of Sonny Black “came to an end.”

When word reached New York of his approach, his fate was sealed.

Yet eventually something changed Sonny Black’s mind. No-one knows quite why, but he decided that Chicago were a more pressing threat. The authorisation was passed down that Councillor Tencredy was to be hit and hit fast and New York hitmen began assembling around Tencredy and his possible escape routes. The old Chicago Consigliere was, to the best of New York’s knowledge, unaware that they were plotting his death, but others, including Chicago Made Man Peter Licavoli and his son had noticed a build-up of New York forces in and around the city of Chicago. The New York boys were travelling together in groups and Licavoli, before his untimely death at the hands of a Federal Agent, became utterly convinced that war was coming, although as word spread like wildfire no-one was sure of the target, just that something was going down.

A main New York hit-team, led by Sonny Black, got into position, while other killers fanned out into other cities in the event Tencredy fled. One small window of opportunity was lost and Tencredy disappeared from sight of the killers.

Then something unexpected happened. New York learned that the cat was apparently out of the bag. Long-time Chicago associate Bellatoni had taken a rap-sheet from Wise Guy. Tencredy and most of his top people weren’t to be found anywhere. Had the deadly plot been leaked? Had they all gone to ground to prepare?

With no targets and a possible counter-attack imminent, a strategic decision was taken by New York to instead press ahead with a war against Las Vegas and a hit-team including Agostino Nero, Lennox, Bonnie Blackout and Luke Bianchi travelled west, killing two Las Vegas Made Men, including Regg1e III, a Wise Guy and a goomba.

If the intended effect was to have Chicago breathe a sigh of relief, it worked. Chicago, apparently believing they weren’t a target, did not attack New York. And as New York and Las Vegas went to the mattresses, everyone else went home as usual, albeit warily.

The following day Tencredy still couldn’t be found and the New Yorkers, impatient, began their assault on Chicago, which met with immediate success as they devastated the families’ middling to high ranks in a withering hail of fire.

Chicago Boss Trickier was shot and wounded and fled to Atlanta, while Capo Jimmy 3 Fingers was shot dead in Chicago. As the one-sided fight continued, Chicago finally got on the scoreboard, as New York Made Man Benny Hinn was hit twice in the neck through 4 bodyguards by bullets intended for Sonny Black. New York then killed Chicago Captain Lucifer Morelli, before catching up to and fatally wounding Trickier in Atlanta.

We can also exclusively reveal that top LA members, including Capo Charlie Savage and Boss Alexei Volkoff, were on some level involved in the fighting in Chicago, with claim and counterclaim doing the rounds as to the exact nature of their involvement. Volkoff claims he intervened after being shot at, killing Chicago Wise Guy MilkyBarKid, while Emilia Ricci was apparently warned by Councillor Tencredy to stop Savage from harassing Chicago people, including a rumoured banker for the family, Dion O’Bannion.

The guns stopped and were silent and as the smoke cleared, Chicago were down and down badly. On the positive side of things, they still had some of their big ranks in place, but they had still taken a lot of losses, perhaps too many.

For several hours things were quiet, then Chicago struck back, New York Made Man Mister Wishbone got the worst of a tangle with a Las Vegas Wise Guy, taking a bullet to the head in Miami.

New York continued to decimate the Las Vegas and Chicago ranks before a third fatality hit the Black Hand as Agostino Nero, creeping through the Chicago streets in the early hours of the morning, was shot multiple times by Councillor Tencredy, emerged from hiding. The “Cat Strangler” was pronounced dead at exactly 2am.

And they were to lose a fourth Made Man later that afternoon as Lennox was shot and killed while attacking Mo Black, a tough Las Vegas low-ranker in Los Angeles.

New York hit back hard, killing White Goodman and Johnny Flatnose on the afternoon of May 15th.

All though the 16th, things were largely quiet, save for sporadic gunfights.

And in the morning and early afternoon of May 17th, MrBennett and Councillor Tencredy emerged and the main battle began. Along with thirteen bodyguards killed in total, New York lost three Wise Guys including Buu, Horatio and one of the Black boys, reputed family Underboss Ernie.

However Chicago was finally defeated as Councillor Tencredy was hit multiple times, dying in the street along with Bennett, two family leaders killed in one fight, along with Chicago’s final ranked Mafioso, Made Man adge.

What does this mean for the future? The early suggestion is that Chicago’s waning influence on the commission is finally at an end. With God Himself in retirement and his old Chicago family destroyed, to the last man, a decision will need to be taken in the near future as to who, if anyone, fills the city.

In Detroit, Aldo Raine has asked for a Commission meeting which presumably also will involve Holy Wench from Miami and Emilia Ricci in LA as four bosses remain from a Commission that in past times had several. Top of their agenda is expected to be auths for the remaining cities. Misty has been confirmed as the new boss of Las Vegas and several street bosses have also been put down recently. What part will God Himself play in this process, if any? Sources close to the aging Godfather suggest there is concern that Sonny Black is eliminating anyone with a remote connection to the old Godfather when he was in power, as he seeks to consolidate his hold over the nation. Conversely sources close to Black suggest he has little interest in controlling cities beyond his own, so long as they stay in line.

As with all things, time will tell who is right.


WAR STORIES: THE TALE OF FRANCIS GALVIN


It was perhaps fitting that his story was told by a Francis, sat in the corner by the fire. Francis was a great story teller. His memory wasn't great so he often got facts wrong, but he made up for these small inconsistencies with a glorious ability to embellish.

"Let me set the mood for this story. God Himself has just entered retirement as the Godfather of the city of Chicago, leaving his criminal empire in the less than capable hands of Carlo Gambino. Sonny Black parted ways from The Cult at this point to establish his own crime family in the city of Detroit. The East Coast something or other was a family in the process of being run into the ground due to the incompetence of its head, Vito Corleone, who was wildly unpopular with everyone else in the country.

The chief critic of Vito Corleone was a man named Francis Galvin. This was an oft drunk and abrasive man who worked for Sonny Black in Detroit. Francis had a plan that would result in the riddance of the Miami "family" from the country, as he understood Vito Corleone to be simple minded and quite predictable. One evening in a Detroit jail, a made man working for Vito fell asleep. Francis got himself thrown in, thanks to some friends on the force, where he then entered the opened cell and stabbed Aqeel in his squishy face, instantly killing him. He was later seen wandering the streets in Chicago carrying an open bottle of alcohol, drunk.

Sonny and his right hand man, known as Roadrunner, scrambled to find out who had committed the unauthorized murder, wanting to settle the score and send Aqeel's murder to an early grave. However, Vito, stuck in a lifetime moment of stupidity, went on the warpath over the death on an inconsequential man, Aqeel, committed by a drunk and disorderly Earner, Francis Galvin. Galvin was located and killed easily in his drunken state before Vito then switched his sights to Lord Lucan, the next weakest target. Lucan fell quickly, having never been able to practice his skills in armed combat before, and it was apparent that Vito was putty to the now-dead Galvin's hand, allowing himself to be molded and handled from beyond the grave.

Seeing Vito for what he was Sonny and Roadrunner set up a plan to further use him, getting some girl with sub-standard thumbs to draw Vito and Carlitos Way to follow her into Detroit, leading them into a trap. Here Vito Corleone and his second in command die.

Roadrunner and two other high ranking members of Sonny's family then traveled to New York to kill Vito's surviving member, a man known a sal. A long and tedious gunfight ensued, with sal eventually getting in a lucky shot past Roadrunner's protection as well as past the bodyguards of the others who had traveled with Sonny's deceased RHM. Sonny Black enters the scene, but sal is already gone. Enter the next family, run by Carlo Gambino. Here was a man hand picked by the Godfather as the successor to once was the largest criminal organization in the country. A man who decided to take his power and squander it in amazing fashion. Here was a man that Francis Galvin also judged to be a chained dog barely restrained, chomping at the bit to show off his strength and remove himself from the shadow God Himself had cast. Carlo soon falls victim to the gun of Sonny Black as well. Santano, a Boss from Gambino's group, is rumored to have been begging for his life but his pleas were unheard over the deafening roar caused by the number of bullets cutting through the city streets. Soon he is dead too.

But have the other families learned a lesson yet? No. They weren't very quick learners.

Enter 50k. Over confident? Yes. Arrogant? Probably. Thinking of finishing off an injured dog? Most likely? In any event, he decided to throw in his support to form the Axis of Stupid. Yet another victim of Galvin's drunken scheme. Shots are traded, with Sonny eventually returning to his own home for a break, having put in serious fucking work in killing 2 very rash Consiglieres.

It was at this point that phone calls were made in attempts to appease to Sonny Black. And Sonny Black listened, granting Councilor Tencredy's wishes, having inherited Chicago's criminal empire from the dead Carlo Gambino. It is believed the conversation went as such:

"Hello. Sonny? This is Tencredy. You'll probably kill me in a fight so I'm just going to toss in the towel now and, just reiterate, I am NOT with that guy." He is reportedly pointing to the dead body of Carlo Gambino here, so amazingly frightened that he forgot he was on a phone and Sonny could not see what he was doing.

Even 50k contacted Sonny, asking to not get shot anymore. Again, Sonny Black listened, granting 50k's wishes. Thinking the fighting was over, Sonny rested, recuperating from the fighting earlier. Unknown to him though, 50k's family members did not stop the fighting. Going out of their ways to attack Sonny's much weaker and younger members. It was here that one of Sonny black's bravest members attempted to come to the rescue. Flying to New York at the requests of other family members to help another associate of theirs that was trapped and under fire. As soon as he landed, the man he had intended to save died. The next moment, heavy rankers and hitters still gunning for Sonny's family emerged from hiding to pounce on the brave little goomba. It was a trap. The brave little goomba perished, possibly the greatest hero of the entire conflict. So it is believed.

With the fighting continuing despite 50k telling Sonny it was over enraged Sonny. He could not believe that he had been tricked into letting down his guard. He emerges here from his getaway house, more or less healed, to continue the fight where he had left off... and been led to believe it would end. Shots are again traded over multiple cities between Sonny Black and 50k and his surviving members, who had dishonored the supposed truce. This exchange eventually comes to a climatic end.

50k was dead. His empire wiped from this Earth through the heroic endeavors of Sonny Black.

Last, and very much least, Mickey Costelle got his organization based out of Las Vegas involved. With his second in command, Dino Amoretti, and himself attempting futilely to provide aid to a 50k who was well aware of his own mortality at this point. Their aid, which the dead-Galvin had calculated was inevitable but that would count as little to nothing, was just that, with Dino dying quickly to Luckeh's now well heated pistol and Mickey dying not too long after, along with the rest of his criminal family.

Galvin, the drunk, took advantage of peons who had managed to lead families. Sonny Black, the brave and valiant family head who put himself in near constant danger in an attempt to protect his family against overwhelming odds, ended it all.

A champion of men. A Consigliere to be proud of.

And that is the Tale of Two Cities... And everyone else who decided to get themselves involved and killed.


The Gazette is accepting all war stories worthy of the name, mail William Hearst or Carmela De Angelis for details.