Operation: Kefauver - Log 1
Aug. 21st, 2022 02:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xp_changeling posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsX-Force meets to discuss the rising tensions between the families of the Maggia.
Kevin poured himself what seemed to be is hundredth cup of coffee of the week (which was a lie since this was number 61) before pointing at the article on the screen behind him. The shootout at the Berber junkyard was the flavour of the day for the New York tabloids - three dead and several injured in what was reported as an attempted takeover of the business. Since the men had all been from rival Maggia families, GANGLAND WAR? - a favourite headline for papers that like to make money - was splashed over the article.
"So, looks like it isn't just Rushman moving on her family with the Karnellis' help. Word is the five families are pretty unhappy with each other."
"If it bleeds, it leads," Doug noted. While there weren't dead bodies in the splashy cover image, there were definitely spatters of blood, and the typical police caution tape, along with tags marking the various holes left by bullets in the walls of the junkyard's storage shed. "So, attention-grabbing headline aside, how close are the families to outright war?" Obviously anything that weakened the more distasteful corners of the organized crime world was to the benefit for them, but the devil as always would be in the details.
"Odds are in our favour," Felicia replied, still but for the idle spinning of one of her rings with her thumb, hand in her lap. "There are nuances that could sway things, but given they've moved to loud public spectacles over the more quiet alternatives, making a point, speaks to short fuses and bad choices. Or last resorts."
"We can use the escalation. It's a lot easier to work with, even just to track, loud than it is quiet."
Topaz, being who she was, had gathered physical copies of as many tabloids as she could find running the story - which was to say all of them - and was scanning one of them as the others spoke. Details were mostly the same, but sometimes one paper could pick up something another missed. She was taking notes, tapping her pen against the steno pad. "They seem very busy destroying themselves," she noted idly, stopping on one particularly exaggerated quote from someone who swore there had been at least fifty bodies (there hadn't). "Not quite as terribly as the papers would have everyone thinking, but is it really news if it's not sensationalized?"
"Well, the papers do not have always the contacts we do. Sometimes yes. But mostly no." Marie-Ange said. "I want to know who is trying to move into the holes that the Maggia leave. If they are fighting each other, they are going to leave cracks in their territory. Who is stepping in? Where does this go and what sort of chaos is it going to bring? What are the Russians doing, or the Triads, or less organized groups?"
"It’s mostly low-level thugs opening their coats and flashing their big guns at each other," said Emma from the end of the table. "It’s like watching the worst kind of nature documentary and it makes my head ache when I go skimming. Their thoughts are all so dreadfully grubby. But there’s definitely interest from a number of the higher ups in a few crime factions to see if they can move in. Mostly the Russians; there’s a couple of Kapitans who ache to be Polkovniks and they’re seeing a chance to expand into new territory and move up the food chain."
"At the risk of sounding like my father, I remember when we had enough sense to keep our business out of the news." Sarah stood back against the wall, a notebook tucked under her arm. "I don't know if this mess is because someone new doesn't know the rules or if we've got someone from the outside stirring the pot, but this is not business as usual. Something doesn't add up here."
"Open warfare is a pretty big step and not conducive to business. So it's either ego or a powerplay involved. Let's get digging. There's going to be a couple of people driving this. Identify them, this should start to make sense real quick." Kevin said to end the meeting. There was work to do.
Kevin poured himself what seemed to be is hundredth cup of coffee of the week (which was a lie since this was number 61) before pointing at the article on the screen behind him. The shootout at the Berber junkyard was the flavour of the day for the New York tabloids - three dead and several injured in what was reported as an attempted takeover of the business. Since the men had all been from rival Maggia families, GANGLAND WAR? - a favourite headline for papers that like to make money - was splashed over the article.
"So, looks like it isn't just Rushman moving on her family with the Karnellis' help. Word is the five families are pretty unhappy with each other."
"If it bleeds, it leads," Doug noted. While there weren't dead bodies in the splashy cover image, there were definitely spatters of blood, and the typical police caution tape, along with tags marking the various holes left by bullets in the walls of the junkyard's storage shed. "So, attention-grabbing headline aside, how close are the families to outright war?" Obviously anything that weakened the more distasteful corners of the organized crime world was to the benefit for them, but the devil as always would be in the details.
"Odds are in our favour," Felicia replied, still but for the idle spinning of one of her rings with her thumb, hand in her lap. "There are nuances that could sway things, but given they've moved to loud public spectacles over the more quiet alternatives, making a point, speaks to short fuses and bad choices. Or last resorts."
"We can use the escalation. It's a lot easier to work with, even just to track, loud than it is quiet."
Topaz, being who she was, had gathered physical copies of as many tabloids as she could find running the story - which was to say all of them - and was scanning one of them as the others spoke. Details were mostly the same, but sometimes one paper could pick up something another missed. She was taking notes, tapping her pen against the steno pad. "They seem very busy destroying themselves," she noted idly, stopping on one particularly exaggerated quote from someone who swore there had been at least fifty bodies (there hadn't). "Not quite as terribly as the papers would have everyone thinking, but is it really news if it's not sensationalized?"
"Well, the papers do not have always the contacts we do. Sometimes yes. But mostly no." Marie-Ange said. "I want to know who is trying to move into the holes that the Maggia leave. If they are fighting each other, they are going to leave cracks in their territory. Who is stepping in? Where does this go and what sort of chaos is it going to bring? What are the Russians doing, or the Triads, or less organized groups?"
"It’s mostly low-level thugs opening their coats and flashing their big guns at each other," said Emma from the end of the table. "It’s like watching the worst kind of nature documentary and it makes my head ache when I go skimming. Their thoughts are all so dreadfully grubby. But there’s definitely interest from a number of the higher ups in a few crime factions to see if they can move in. Mostly the Russians; there’s a couple of Kapitans who ache to be Polkovniks and they’re seeing a chance to expand into new territory and move up the food chain."
"At the risk of sounding like my father, I remember when we had enough sense to keep our business out of the news." Sarah stood back against the wall, a notebook tucked under her arm. "I don't know if this mess is because someone new doesn't know the rules or if we've got someone from the outside stirring the pot, but this is not business as usual. Something doesn't add up here."
"Open warfare is a pretty big step and not conducive to business. So it's either ego or a powerplay involved. Let's get digging. There's going to be a couple of people driving this. Identify them, this should start to make sense real quick." Kevin said to end the meeting. There was work to do.
