Post by AST Fiona on Aug 8, 2014 21:20:13 GMT
Seattle's Underbelly
As of August 9th, 2014.
Street Gangs
Street gangs are the groups that operate on the level of streets and neighborhoods in a city. There tends to be a lot of them, many of which don't hold territory larger than a couple of blocks. They tend to be populated by younger folks with a high rate of jail time for both misdemeanors and felonies. The small gangs come and go, but the three biggest gangs persevere.
The Jokers: Based out of West Seattle, the Jokers are known for pulling pranks and well-planned heists. They are the most active taggers out of the major gangs. They are backed by a Mexican drug cartel and primarily move cocaine-based products on a street level, though they also mix meth locally and can get their hands on anything you'd like. They are known for their robberies more than their drugs, but the drugs are their primary business. Leader is a black woman named Lashonda and her husband Jerome.
Nightfall: Based out of downtown, Nightfall was hit the hardest out of the three gangs by the rioting, but they also made a lot of profit on looting and on protection money. They try to be dramatic and dark and are dangerous enough most people don't tell them it's melodramatic. They are backed by a Colombian drug cartel, but tend to outsource the moving of the drugs to other local gangs. The leader has aspirations of ascending to organized crime, but most of the gangsters don't understand the difference and still work street level crime, mostly extortion rackets and muggings. Leader is a white man named Montgomery "Spinner" McClaine.
Willoughbies (Sweet Majory's Willoughbies): The Willoughbies cover the Aurora corridor and have a thriving prostitution and slave trade ring. It's all local and most of their participants are high on something. They move drugs as a side thing, but have chosen to avoid connections with the drug cartels directly. Despite the name, Marjory, the founder, no longer runs the gang. Her lesbian lover knifed her one night and took over. Leader is a Latina lady known as Madame Gracia.
Organized Crime
More discreet than street gangs and having connections to other cities and countries, organized crime groups cover more territory and are more professional. Posturing matters less than results. Individual cities are just assets, not home. Sometimes quiet assasination is the way to go. Seattle has a thriving underworld due to its ports and proximity to Asia. The major groups active in the area are as follows.
Triad: They hve majority control over the docks and base out of SoDo because of it. They cover the largest territory in the greater Seattle area, from Everett to Tacoma in varying levels of control, and have the largest representation. Local leader is a chinese man named Cho Fang, who is hoping to prove himself here and rise up in the ranks back in Hong Kong.
Yakuza: The second largest group active in the area, the Yakuza in the city are based out of the International District. They have more of the people and local connections on their side, but they lack the Triad's wide-sweeping territory and international trade network. They control certain areas, like the International District and parts of North Seattle, very well, but aren't as powerful outside of those areas. Leader is Masamune Kenichi, who is aging but experienced. He maintains power via reputation and personal connections.
Bratva: The Russians operate mostly on the East Side, leaving Seattle proper to the other Asian organized crime groups while still making good profits. They do a lot of white collar crime in Bellevue in particular. They also compete with the Triad for control over SeaTac. Leader is a hard made woman named Natasha Nikolavich, who hopes to slowly grow the Russian interests in this area.
