Baker1991 Posted December 2, 2021 Share Posted December 2, 2021 Do you have a back story or insight to the origins of the commission? When/How it was created and by who? Gustavo Gambetti, Giuseppe Pavano, Giuseppe Messina, Antonio Polizzi, Vincent Bianco? Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071739667 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baker1991 Posted December 2, 2021 Share Posted December 2, 2021 2 minutes ago, Baker1991 said: Do you have a back story or insight to the origins of the commission? When/How it was created and by who? Gustavo Gambetti, Giuseppe Pavano, Giuseppe Messina, Antonio Polizzi, Vincent Bianco? Gustavo Gambetti was replaced by Sonny Cangelosi but when and how? Was he killed? Did Sonny take over amicably? Guisepe Pavano lived til the early 80's when valvona took control, pavono must have been pretty old by the 80's if he controlled the family 50 years prior? Ofcourse we know Messina's story but whatever happened to him after he left Liberty? Antonio Polizzi was replaced by Carmine Lupisella in 1969? Is that right? And lastly Antonio Bianco? Giorgio Ancelotti must have been boss by 1972 for his nephew to be his Underboss. Very curious to know if you have any insight to any of this? Ofcourse without giving away to any spoilers to mob rules Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071739679 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted December 2, 2021 Author Share Posted December 2, 2021 I have my own ideas, but if you're inspired by this, then why not begin crafting your own stories? Probably a lot less intensive for everyone for me to just fill in the details piece by piece. That's usually the way good pieces of fiction work isn't it. Rather than overloading people with everything from the start. I mean had them details of Vito Corleone's early years already been out there, then you probably wouldn't have been inspired to begin putting them together yourself. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071739780 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baker1991 Posted December 2, 2021 Share Posted December 2, 2021 1 hour ago, The Notorious MOB said: I have my own ideas, but if you're inspired by this, then why not begin crafting your own stories? Probably a lot less intensive for everyone for me to just fill in the details piece by piece. That's usually the way good pieces of fiction work isn't it. Rather than overloading people with everything from the start. I mean had them details of Vito Corleone's early years already been out there, then you probably wouldn't have been inspired to begin putting them together yourself. Yeah okay sorry fair enough, would have loved to have the opportunity to ask Mario Puzo for all his insights though Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071739834 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted December 3, 2021 Author Share Posted December 3, 2021 11 hours ago, Baker1991 said: Yeah okay sorry fair enough, would have loved to have the opportunity to ask Mario Puzo for all his insights though One thing that Rockstar has always done is remained pretty scant with the details. This is what allowed for so many tie in stories to be created here for GTA IV. With the arrival of online there's a requirement there to flesh out certain details but they've still remained fairly shallow with the lore. Could be intentional or could be that they don’t know what they're doing, who knows. Over the years I've noticed this with a lot of different forms of media, even with obvious plotholes, people who love a certain franchise will often bend over backwards to try and right wrongs, connect the dots and fill in the blanks. What we've seen here lately is a renewed burst of different writers all putting forward their differing interpretations of character backstories and in-universe versions real world events. This is something that I've come to appreciate more than just setting out my interpretations in long form and nailing my colours to the mast. One thing I've also learned with this topic is that something that made perfect sense for a time can often change dramatically in your head as you take in other perspectives on things and gain supplementary information. That's another reason why I'd rather just break things down into chunks and present them as they become relevant in certain settings and stories. Many of the changes over the years have been minor, but I don't want to constantly have to keep going back and making edits to things so that they fit into the wider canon. That being said, I'd love to see how you interpret all of this, either in a post or in a full blown topic. Hopefully then we can all begin to nurture a culture of many creators rather than a dominant few. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071740165 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steshy Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 To be honest, If I had the money and being a scripter, game designer and people to create a video game, I would take your story and recruit you also give you credits. I‘m so amazed by this well written and beautiful story, wish this was an actual game, nowadays we got only crap games which are all over the same game types. Tysm for creating this Nefarious Money Man and Ivan1997GTA 2 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071794884 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 On 2/13/2022 at 9:30 AM, Steshy said: To be honest, If I had the money and being a scripter, game designer and people to create a video game, I would take your story and recruit you also give you credits. I‘m so amazed by this well written and beautiful story, wish this was an actual game, nowadays we got only crap games which are all over the same game types. Tysm for creating this Thank you. Much appreciated Steshy 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071796104 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco Bonomo Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 Always happy to see that this concept still gains fans. It's honestly one of my favorites. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071798142 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted February 20, 2022 Author Share Posted February 20, 2022 On 2/18/2022 at 6:38 PM, Francesco Bonomo said: Always happy to see that this concept still gains fans. It's honestly one of my favorites. It's great to see yeah. Still kind of hard to believe it's the third most viewed concept on here For anyone who's interested the top ten are: Grand Theft Auto: Lincoln State by Dragonex100 (225.7k) GTA: Blood and a Four Leaf Clover by Akavari (152.8k) Grand Theft Auto: Family Ties by Yours Truly (134.7k) Grand Theft Auto V: Vice City by SammiiDoogles (123.9k) Grand Theft Auto Las Venturas by Omnia sunt Communia (121.8k) GTA: The Code of The Streets by Me Again (111.4k) Grand Theft Auto VI: Vice by Tyla (102.9k) GTA: World by killdrivetheftvehicle (80.7k) GTA: The King Of The City by LuisBellic (79.6k) Grand Theft Auto IV: From Russia Without Mercy by The Lolwut Pear (77.7k) And then just missing out is Grand Theft Auto IV: London by Tyla (again) with just under 71 thousand views at the time of posting. Interestingly enough the majority of these were posted in 2009 or 2010 when the buzz was still alive after the release of GTA IV and it's episodes. Only two having been posted in the last 10 years. GTA: World is probably the most popular in recent times having been posted in 2017 and actually dwarfs all of the others in terms of views per year. So a well done to killdrivetheftvehicle I think needs to be extended as well. Ivan1997GTA, Steshy and Slezzy 3 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071799045 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Cast Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 (edited) On 11/26/2021 at 4:14 PM, Baker1991 said: What about Fast Philly Santucci? He was released in 2007 and heads one of the gambetti's best earning Crew with members such as Peter Gravelli, it was even said he would have most likely taken the position of Underboss on 2 separate occasions had he not been incarcerated at the time? Therefore would he not step up to be the boss with his 20 years on Zito? Also he mentored Zito, so I feel he would agree to this? It’s a shame what happened to Santucci here. It actually reminds me fondly of an occasion around this time of year, back in the late ‘90s or early 2000s, when I took some time out from my Vice City vacation to catch up with him for a scoop. It was a bright and sunny day in Tequesta but I’m sure Santucci would much rather have been back home in the miserable and snowy LC. With his lawyer Selina Spellman at his side, “Fast Philly” strode up to the federal courthouse with a shopping bag full of licensed sportswear and a smile on his face for what he knew would most likely be a losing fight. "I think we got them on the law," he told me with a wry grin, "but I don't know if justice will prevail, because they got me listed as a big time gangster from Liberty.” The last part he really emphasized, since I had previously alluded to the fact on numerous occasions. Mainly because I knew it to be the unequivocal truth, and so did the federal prosecutor and three suited agents gunning for him at that very moment in time. Santucci was a stone cold killer and a lifelong hood. If I remember correctly, he was there for a bail revocation hearing. I mean it must have been, because a couple of months prior, the feds in Liberty City had tacked on racketeering charges to those already filed in Tequesta, and he had been confined to his home in Broker, with an ankle bracelet monitoring his movement and a wiretap monitoring his telephone calls. He’d been free on bail when the second set of charges were lodged, but, citing the new charges, prosecutors then tried to revoke his bail. A judge in Liberty had ruled that house arrest would suffice. But the feds took another shot at him and claimed he violated his bail terms by committing further crimes, specifically, conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods. I made it inside past a sea of other reporters just in time to see his lawyer Ms. Spellman introduce into evidence a Liberty Penetrators jacket and a Swingers shirt which, unlike the sweatshirt the feds produced, all had official tags and markings. She actually had more goodies in her bag, but Judge Larry Bevacqua indicated he had seen enough. Spellman said her client might have some civil liability at a push, but added that bail had never been revoked in a federal case for allegations not involving drugs or violence, nor was Santucci a threat to flee. Judge Bevacqua revoked Santucci's bail nonetheless. He did however give Santucci a 24-hour reprieve and allowed him to fly back to Liberty City and surrender to prison authorities there. "At least the airline ticket won't go to waste," said old Phil, who carefully gathered up his particulars while deciding whether to appeal Bevacqua's ruling or not. He was stand up guy ‘til the end. And he ultimately never appealed, preferring to just remain quiet and do his time. Like a man. R.I.P. Edited November 17, 2022 by Jimmy Cast Nefarious Money Man and Ivan1997GTA 2 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071812149 Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coconut Kid Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 Give this man his Pulitzer! Nefarious Money Man and String 1 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071812236 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Cast Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 On 3/10/2022 at 8:25 PM, The Coconut Kid said: Give this man his Pulitzer! I suspect you may be jesting. But if not, you are incredibly kind. A Pulitzer is a bit of a stretch, but I have in the past been shortlisted for a George Polk. Can you tell me, are more of these anecdotes something that people would be happy to see? Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071817815 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted March 15, 2022 Author Share Posted March 15, 2022 2 hours ago, Jimmy Cast said: I suspect you may be jesting. But if not, you are incredibly kind. A Pulitzer is a bit of a stretch, but I have in the past been shortlisted for a George Polk. Can you tell me, are more of these anecdotes something that people would be happy to see? In principle I don't have a problem with this. I'd love to see other forms of creativity here and it would be good to see some of my characters being adapted in different ways. It's also interesting to see somebody mix different influences and such. Would this be a topic of it's own or which form would it take? Ivan1997GTA 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071817990 Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coconut Kid Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 I'm glad MOB has given his blessing. Your anecdotes are something I would be very happy to see more of. Having an awarded career organised crime journalist on board could be a great way of bringing the news stories from this post to life... Jimmy Cast 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071820817 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 On 3/19/2022 at 3:12 AM, The Coconut Kid said: I'm glad MOB has given his blessing. Your anecdotes are something I would be very happy to see more of. Having an awarded career organised crime journalist on board could be a great way of bringing the news stories from this post to life... I had actually been planning at one point of maybe typing those out, but if the man himself were to do it, I would be honoured to say the least Jimmy Cast 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071823003 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Cast Posted April 13, 2022 Share Posted April 13, 2022 On 3/22/2022 at 1:49 PM, The Notorious MOB said: I had actually been planning at one point of maybe typing those out, but if the man himself were to do it, I would be honoured to say the least I don't know about that exactly, but I may just have something in the works Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1071837880 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted March 11, 2023 Author Share Posted March 11, 2023 This is sort of a weird one, but I just thought I'd post it for any of you who remember the guy above me and have been following his posts. Back just over a year ago, he got in contact and said something like: "thanks for the shout out in your fantastic fiction blah blah blah..." "...I want to start a blog on here." And of course I gave him my full support. Apparently however, his latest issue got some people's backs up and was taken down by mods. Next thing he knows, he's hit with a ban and so he sends it to me through email on an alt account which he apparently pulled from my Google Drive from when I posted some vehicles... He asked if I’d post it for him and said it would be his last post on here because he was about to expose some IAA sh*t. Not really sure what he meant, but anyway, here it is (in its entirety): Trials and Tribulations of the Ancelotti crime family In March 1983, Alberto Rizzo Sr. was on shaky ground with Giovanni Ancelotti as a result of his troubles with bribery and the U.S. Immigration Service. Following his uncle's incapacitation, Ancelotti, who had been on the run following threats to his life by notorious rebel faction leader Sally Pazzo, was slated to take over the family upon his scheduled return in 1978. But witnessing the elder Ancelotti's health begin to fail and wanting to speed up his return to the streets, Rizzo got in-contact with someone who turned out to be an undercover Immigration agent that got him jammed up for bribery. And as a result, the infamous Ralph Serpico advised the FIB that Nicky (Caps) LoCascio was the acting captain of Rizzo’s crew and it was on its way to becoming permanent. During this time other family members were also seen visiting LoCascio's house, which was being used as a meeting place to discuss family business. Nicky would have to wait a bit longer to become a caporegime, but it highlighted that LoCascio was highly looked upon by the family’s patriarch and was ready to move up the ladder, already having begun taking orders from Ancelotti to be relayed to the rest of the family. Although Alberto Rizzo got off lightly on the bribery charge and was eventually promoted to underboss, he was again arrested in October of 1985 and caught a 14-year bid in prison as a result. All of the sudden the top positions were open, and it was time for the new generation to move up. Nicholas LoCascio would finally have a seat at the big table. He was no longer going to get his hands dirty. His aspirations were much bigger than that. For the Ancelottis at large however, the years 1986 and '87 were an absolute catastrophe, with the family having been rocked by several big racketeering convictions in which almost all of the old leaders were given hefty prison terms. Giovanni Ancelotti wanted to keep power moving smoothly however, so he designated LoCascio as the family's street boss and he essentially ran the family with several powerful capos, who became part of a rotating panel and assisted in the day-to-day running of their criminal enterprises. The intuitive administrator however thought it unwise to have a known family capo visit his home on a daily basis and instituted an extra layer of insulation in the form of his powerful relative Larry Rizzo Sr., who then began carrying instructions from Ancelotti to LoCascio. A short time later Patrizio “Pat” Alongi was added to the administration panel, at which point Billy Benevento was promoted to be the acting captain for LoCascio’s crew. By the summer of 1987, with the Messinas having been kicked from the commission, two of the remaining four families were using three men panels to govern their respective borgatas, which Pavano boss Vittorio Valvona didn't like. He was himself using an acting boss, but wanted only one individual to speak for each family. The Ancelottis sent back a message to Valvona saying that any individuals in the “acting” capacity would be capable of sitting in Commission meetings, but Big Vito wasn’t the only boss displeased with the way the administration was set up. Around this time, Nicky’s luck with law enforcement finally ran out and he was indicted that September for conspiring to receive hijacked television equipment in a case involving some VCRs and a petty thief. As it turned out, the VCRs were actually purchased as part of a sting operation orchestrated by the FIB. It was pretty baffling given his position at the time, but I guess wiseguys are always looking out for a score, however big or small. Luckily for him though, despite the conviction carrying a 5 year sentence, he ended up serving only about 10 months. The following summer, Nicky was still on parole and was noticeably absent from numerous family meetings. As a result, he was unexpectedly demoted from the Acting Boss position and was put in as the family’s Consigliere for his unwillingness to assume responsibility. Ralph Serpico reported that Billy Benevento was appointed the Acting Boss and furthermore, Frankie Beverley was placed as the acting captain for Nicky's crew and later took over on a permanent basis. Ancelotti reshuffled the administration often and Nicky probably didn’t think much of this move. Soon enough however, Nicky would lose his ability to think. During that summer, LoCascio had also met with Gambetti Boss Jon Gravelli and other high ranking members of that family to discuss the fact that they suspected he was trying to muscle in on their interests in the Garment District. Ralph Serpico also speculated that Nicky fell out of favor because he was refusing to step down as Consigliere in favor of Pat Alongi, as ordered by Ancelotti, oblivious to the fact that Alongi's close friend Benevento was building and consolidating his power base. Sometime during 1989, LoCascio met with Serpico, Teddy Sciandra, and several others to discuss the atmosphere and the tension the family was facing and the fact that Benevento was unsatisfied with the temporary nature of his very powerful position and wanted LoCascio to begin polling the other captains and building support to depose Ancelotti and become the official Boss. What we now know is that in November of 1989, Ancelotti ordered his death, but whether LoCascio was on the side of Benevento or if he wanted to regain his power with the help of Serpico is unknown. On November 28th, Tony DeBatt picked up Nicky LoCascio from his Garment District office in Algonquin to drive him to the Alderney home of Ancelotti made man Johnny “Coffee Cake” Cafagna. Parked inside the garage, LoCascio proceeded to enter the staircase to walk up the stairs. But, to his shock, Teddy Sciandra and Ralphie Serpico stood at the top of the stairs and unloaded their weapons on him. Nicky died then and there, slumped against the wall, but his name was far from forgotten. He would continue to torment his murderers as they heard his name echo in federal courts. The first act of business was to clean up the crime scene and bury the body. Johnny and Joey Cafagna would stay at the house to clean up any evidence, while Jerry Licciardi and others would carry away Nicky’s corpse. Ralph Serpico dutifully notified his handler about what took place and expressed surprise given Nicky’s popularity and how unusual it was to kill a Consigliere. But Serpico would also go on to explain how annoyed Gravelli was at Persico’s constant shuffling of the administration and forced the Ancelottis to appoint a permanent hierarchy instead. In response to Gravelli's requests, Giovanni promoted Benevento to be his street boss. And although this pleased Gravelli, Benevento eventually grew tired of being on the streets, while his boss lived in luxury and this led to a war. Years later, Teddy Sciandra told a federal court jury in chilling detail about the bloody mob war between the Ancelotti and Benevento factions that left 11 dead, and how he personally killed 13 others, including a woman, during a life of crime, in a flat, almost inaudible monotone as his mother sat and listened impassively. "Sometimes I was just there; sometimes I was the shooter; sometimes I would wrap the body up," said Sciandra when federal prosecutors asked about the different roles he played. The former consigliere — the family's highest-ranking convert — also recounted how his failed effort to kill Benevento was the official start of the family war. Which besides littering the streets with bodies — including two bystanders — was also bad for his loan sharking business. "It was harder to get around to collect your money. Guys were shooting at each other," he said. In a week of testimony, he linked three reputed capos and two soldiers — all alleged Ancelotti faction allies on trial for murder and racketeering charges — to slayings and other war crimes in a space of just a few months in 1994. Before Sciandra finished, one of the reputed capos in question, Tommy (Twitch) Caruso, was severed from the trial when his blood pressure shot up so high that doctors feared he would have a stroke. But Sciandra nevertheless tied the others — capos Lawrence “Little Larry” Rizzo, Jimmy "Junior" Rizzo, and soldiers Alberto "Baby" Rizzo and Aldo Mangiapane — to murder conspiracies that could have meant life in prison, if convicted, had they not been thrown out on appeal. The bone of contention of course being Sciandra’s former string puller's status as a decades long informant who had allegedly enlisted the help of the federal government in gaining the upper hand in the war. During cross-examination, Sciandra also admitted that he lied all his life, even to the FIB after he began cooperating, as defense lawyers tried to convince the jury that Sciandra was lying about their clients to save himself. He conceded that he hoped to avoid at least some of the life sentence he faced on his guilty plea to racketeering charges and, for the most part, spoke softly and calmly stuck to his guns, even while admitting to defense lawyers that he snorted coke, cheated on his wife, and had an affair with the daughter of a gangster friend. Early on, Sciandra detailed his induction into the Ancelotti family for killing LoCascio, his promotion to capo a year later, and his elevation to consigliere by the spring of 1994. A meteoric rise which illustrated the talent shortage for executives in the mob at the time, akin to an assembly line worker becoming chief operating officer in just a few years. And like any corporation that doesn't take the time to train top managers, the mob was losing its market share, as Sciandra and dozens of other defectors left it grasping for life and new leaders. One charge that stuck however was a single count leveled against Alberto (Baby Al) Rizzo, who allegedly used a Broker car service as a base for a loan sharking operation which used bills for taxi fares to hide high-interest payments from loan customers. This was because, in an attempt to air seal the case, the FIB also used another informant as a pretext for agents to raid the Hove Beach office of Roman Chariot Limousines on Mohawk Avenue and cart away books and records that were subpoenaed by a federal grand jury as the informant, Emmett Greene, and his family were whisked away from their home and given new identities under the federal Witness Protection Program. It later transpired during the case that the car service — so called because it used several Chariot branded limousines — had also been used as a money laundering clearing house and to shuttle drug customers to and from a local nightclub. One mitigating factor was that Greene was a crook too. In fact, the guy was as crooked as the day was long. He stole millions of dollars from friends and relatives, was about to be uncovered, and, in another manifestation of his remarkable ability as a conman, sold the government a bill of goods too. The FIB, the U.S. Attorney's office, and Greene's attorney declined to comment. But one law enforcement source conceded, adding that he had decided to cooperate after agents learned from informants that the Ancelotti mob had put out a contract on his life. The source declined to say whether Greene wore a wire or if the car service was bugged and none of the informant's investor victims or their lawyers could be reached for comment. According to investigators however, Greene, who was Rizzo’s accountant, had given investors returns as high as 24 percent for about seven years, then turned his assets into cash that he took with him when he disappeared. A trustee, appointed by the federal bankruptcy court to seek out and attach any assets Greene had, also later told us that he found several of his properties, but none in which the equity was larger than the mortgage, which led to suspicion that he may have been legitimate when he started, but once his investments turned sour, he used funds from later investors to pay interest to his early ones until the money dried up and it turned into a Ponzi scheme. Meanwhile, a few subpoenaed mobsters and associates showed up in court and quickly left when prosecutors refused to give them immunity to testify before a Broker grand jury said to be looking into the mob war. And even in the midst of the ongoing trial, both Ancelotti and Benevento loyalists were holding fast and defiantly showing that they were in it for the long haul. Word was that the Lupisella and Gambetti families were backing the Benevento faction but were pressing for a negotiated end to the conflict. Likely because it was not only having a detrimental effect on Ancelotti rackets, but their operations also. Ironically, years later, the Roman Chariot car service was eventually taken over by Serbian immigrant Roman Bellic. But whether he was tied to other known Serbian criminals in the city or why he didn't retain the former name of the depot is unknown. As for those other known Serbian criminals, I intend to speak about them in due course. Akaviri, String and Slezzy 1 1 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072102933 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akaviri Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 And here I was reading about Roman's Cab Depot, thinking he was secretly in on all this racketeering dirt to which we had no idea. It could have made sense, oweing Vlad so much money that he would be coerced into using his Cab Depot as a proxy for drug distribution and money laundering on behalf of the Russian mob. This was a totally unexpected article and graveyard bump but it's nice to see the old girl back on the front page! It still holds up so well after all this time. Might as well give it another read for old times sake. I wonder if the Houser boys have ever read anything from This Forum of Ours. To think the discarded vignettes they threw into the LCPD database would be incarnated into such a deep web of fanfiction. "These guys are off their nuts" E Revere and Nefarious Money Man 1 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072103121 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 On 3/11/2023 at 2:35 PM, Akaviri said: And here I was reading about Roman's Cab Depot, thinking he was secretly in on all this racketeering dirt to which we had no idea. It could have made sense, oweing Vlad so much money that he would be coerced into using his Cab Depot as a proxy for drug distribution and money laundering on behalf of the Russian mob. This was a totally unexpected article and graveyard bump but it's nice to see the old girl back on the front page! It still holds up so well after all this time. Might as well give it another read for old times sake. I wonder if the Houser boys have ever read anything from This Forum of Ours. To think the discarded vignettes they threw into the LCPD database would be incarnated into such a deep web of fanfiction. "These guys are off their nuts" I think they definitely pay attention to it and although it may have been my own arrogance clouding my judgement... one of the first things I noticed was how many similarities there were in the first part of Franklin's story to The Code of The Streets. Throw in the whole corrupt law enforcement angle and I was actually pretty satisfied. But the overall story of GTA V still hadn't a patch on IV. It was just so many things that they introduced to make the world feel much deeper. Really fleshed out the underworld as opposed to turning gangs who could easily have a deep and rich history into little more than cannon fodder. The Mexican Cartel especially was an absolute joke. I always kind of wondered about that Cab Depot. It seems like the perfect opportunity for a money laundering front. The Colombos actually used to have a club that was connected directly to a car service and they used to just do a ton of racketeering in the back. Going back even further, it also seems like a perfect in-game version of Paul Vario's place and at one point I had it pegged as an office for the mid-1980s Russian Mob. Roman doesn't really seem that entrenched in gang activity to go out and seek the likes of Jermaine and Jacob so perhaps he just kind of inherited a business that was already a front and just said f*ck it I'll keep this up in order to make the payments and bankroll as much of his gambling debts as he could. What they never really made clear is whether Vlad had a piece of the business or if he was purely a loanshark. Either way the manner in which he and the Albanians pester Roman is wiseguy 101. I always kind of laugh at how much Vlad is considered a nobody. Like the very threat of him being "Russian Mob" was enough to make Roman sh*t a brick. There's also very little doubt that the Dillon Street operation was giving a wad to to one if the families. But the biggest mystery in all of this of course is why Michelle wanted to infiltrate the depot for the ULPC. I mean why not just let the feds handle it? Could be paper thin, but the writing in much of the story is so good that I think it holds a lot of weight. I mean realistically they probably thought he was involved in something more. And it would need to be international for the company to be involved. Akaviri and E Revere 2 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072103848 Share on other sites More sharing options...
E Revere Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 @The Notorious MOB is it ever stated that she was interested in Roman's depot? I always figured she was just keeping tabs on Niko. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072103928 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akaviri Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 11 minutes ago, E Revere said: @The Notorious MOB is it ever stated that she was interested in Roman's depot? I always figured she was just keeping tabs on Niko. It's worth noting that Michelle was already undercover before Niko arrived. She had established a friendship with Mallorie. Perhaps she was tasked with Elizabeta originally? After all, that was when the hammer came down, right after the Snow Storm coke deal. Not sure why the IAA would be interested in Elizabeta specifically. She had links to all sorts of other groups. They may have been after Niko all along, if so I would imagine it would be related to Bulgarin. He seems like a proper asset/target with international reach. Maybe the Platypus was the mark, after all it had the diamonds and the heroin aboard. The captain mysteriously killed right after. Although in reality, a Mercedes packed full of heroin is a drop in the bucket for an international drug cartel. Why would the IAA be bothered? We'll never know for sure. I agree with MOB though. They gave us such a dense plot to be able to extrapolate all of these conspiracies and theories out of. By comparison, GTAV was such a letdown in that respect. It can't be said enough how poorly they depicted the gangs and their bosses. You'd be hard pressed to write a good story branched off the back of GTA V. There just isn't enough substance to work with. E Revere and Ivan1997GTA 2 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072103939 Share on other sites More sharing options...
E Revere Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 15 minutes ago, Akaviri said: It's worth noting that Michelle was already undercover before Niko arrived. She had established a friendship with Mallorie. Perhaps she was tasked with Elizabeta originally? After all, that was when the hammer came down, right after the Snow Storm coke deal. Not sure why the IAA would be interested in Elizabeta specifically. She had links to all sorts of other groups. They may have been after Niko all along, if so I would imagine it would be related to Bulgarin. He seems like a proper asset/target with international reach. Maybe the Platypus was the mark, after all it had the diamonds and the heroin aboard. The captain mysteriously killed right after. Although in reality, a Mercedes packed full of heroin is a drop in the bucket for an international drug cartel. Why would the IAA be bothered? We'll never know for sure. I agree with MOB though. They gave us such a dense plot to be able to extrapolate all of these conspiracies and theories out of. By comparison, GTAV was such a letdown in that respect. It can't be said enough how poorly they depicted the gangs and their bosses. You'd be hard pressed to write a good story branched off the back of GTA V. There just isn't enough substance to work with. Wow, you made me realize how ambiguous and interesting her role was, much more than I had ever taught. Akaviri and Ivan1997GTA 2 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072103942 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted March 13, 2023 Author Share Posted March 13, 2023 9 hours ago, E Revere said: Wow, you made me realize how ambiguous and interesting her role was, much more than I had ever taught. This part to me has always been ambiguous. Although I think it's a bit of a red herring to make you think she's a fed. They have a pre-existing relationship with Jacob, which also makes me think he's tied to some kind of JLP/Shower Posse expy. But even then, why befriend Mallorie specifically? Has to be something to do with Roman is my thinking. The first mention of them not being feds is when The Contact says he's not a homosexual and it's not stated explicitly that they're CIA until GTA V. Although it is fairly obvious. I could be wrong, but wasn't Mallorie's relationship with Elizabeta fairly weak? She tells Niko about her arrest moreso as gossip like "thank god you weren't involved in that" as if they weren't really close. Ivan1997GTA 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072104149 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slezzy Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 23 minutes ago, The Notorious MOB said: This part to me has always been ambiguous. Although I think it's a bit of a red herring to make you think she's a fed. They have a pre-existing relationship with Jacob, which also makes me think he's tied to some kind of JLP/Shower Posse expy. But even then, why befriend Mallorie specifically? Has to be something to do with Roman is my thinking. The first mention of them not being feds is when The Contact says he's not a homosexual and it's not stated explicitly that they're CIA until GTA V. Although it is fairly obvious. I could be wrong, but wasn't Mallorie's relationship with Elizabeta fairly weak? She tells Niko about her arrest moreso as gossip like "thank god you weren't involved in that" as if they weren't really close. Mallorie was smart I think, she knew already (most likely) Elizabeta‘s criminal activities and being most wanted by the LCPD, so that’s why in my pov she kept a distance from Elizabeta. I don’t think Mallorie would be that stupid and being involved much around her and her illegal activities. Also, she was with Roman and perhaps at that time found her new life and knew who her future husband will be. Akaviri, Nefarious Money Man and E Revere 3 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072104154 Share on other sites More sharing options...
E Revere Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 2 hours ago, The Notorious MOB said: she's a fed. Kinda going off topic here. I hated what they did with her in GTA V. I don't think she was an actual agent, ULP contact implies she's more or less in the same boat as Niko. "We gave her her life back." I find it inconsistent that she's a hardened IAA agent in GTA V. What do you think though? Was she an actual agent or an asset, some sort of CI? Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072104177 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 11 minutes ago, E Revere said: I find it inconsistent that she's a hardened IAA agent in GTA V. What do you think though? Was she an actual agent or an asset, some sort of CI? The five year gap between GTA IV and GTA V could have something to do with Karen. She didn't have enough screentime in GTA V, it leaves room of imagination. Maybe she has gone through so many jobs and government's propaganda it brainwashes her into a fully-committed IAA agent. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072104179 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Money Man Posted March 13, 2023 Author Share Posted March 13, 2023 (edited) She could be just an interrogator. Which wouldn't mean she's an IAA employee per se. She could've also maybe been stationed elsewhere and they said we have this job for you here, help us with it and you can live back in America, get a company Chevrolet and you can live in a nice part of Broker/Los Santos and screw around with suspected terrorists as much as you want. I find it kind of interesting that she threatens Karimov with sodomy with a flash light and tells Niko to tell her all his secrets when they get intimate as if she's the one pitching and he's playing catch. I don't ever remember him being particularly happy after nailing her so he could've been getting pegged in there for all we know. Edited March 13, 2023 by The Notorious MOB Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/461313-grand-theft-auto-family-ties/page/27/#findComment-1072104201 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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