Organized Crime in Night City generally falls
under the influence of three notable groups.
The Triads, Mafia and the Yakuza.
The Triads, originally from Hong Kong and
Taiwan, have successfully migrated their unique
style of violence to Night City. In Night
City, the influence of the Triads manifests
itself in two ways, triad gang members roam
the streets looking for prey usually in the
form of unsuspecting tourists or deviants.
The second component consists of the Tong
Counsellors and information brokers, who were
more concerned with control and maintenance
of profitable commercial interests. They oversee
street profits, such as drugs, prostitution,
gambling, and other questionable activities.
The Chinatown of Night City, little China,
is where the Triads dispense their own form
of justice. Little China consisted of light
commercial properties, small shops and apartment
complexes, which were originally marked for
demolition and urban renewal. Not having the
corporate clout of other communities such
as the Japanese, the Triads made life as difficult
as possible for those attempting to renovate
the area, fearful that it might simply turn
into another combat zone. On more than one
occasion, the Triads have been known to dice
people then spread the kibble sized remains
around the neighbourhood to act as a warning.
Prior to 2077, the boss of the Triads was
David Ling Po. Born in Hong Kong, he emigrated
with his family to the United States in 2014.
A graduate of Stanford University, in every
respect Ling Po was a model businessman and
pillar of the community. But behind his mask
of respectability, Ling Po was head of the
Weng Fang Tong, the largest and most powerful
Triad organization in the United States. The
Weng Fang controlled all gambling, loan sharking,
and prostitution in Little China. Almost all
gangs operating in the area were on Ling Po’s
payroll.
Compared to other criminal syndicates who
prefer to operate from the shadows or with
discretion, the Triads prefer to maintain
a high profile, and have a proclivity to overreact
to any form of provocation, so it may be wise
to play it cool if you want to do business
with them.
The Mafia, are considered to be the single
most powerful organized crime network in the
US. A position achieved through violence,
corruption and hard work. While they maintain
many legitimate businesses, the bulk of their
profit’s stems from illegal activities.
In Night City, they operate from the shadows
of legitimate organizations. This ability
to remain elusive, makes the mafia highly
dangerous.
The Mafia provides the Italian community with
a wide assortment of goods and services, ranging
from special offers on surplus cyberware,
money loans and arbitration of domestic disputes.
It is because of this support of domestic
issues that the Mafia receives loyalty from
their communities. Payback is a key element
of their modus operandi, and it represents
the way of life when asking for information
and low-grade services.
Despite many foreign interests operating in
Night City, the Mafia maintain their position
through political corruption. They can offer
clients a phenomenal amount of assistance
with their careers, in addition to financial
aid.
Incurring the wrath of the mafia, usually
means a swift ending for their prey. The Mafia
still uses a contract system, when placing
a hit on an individual. Ultimately the decision
to eliminate someone comes from the Godfather
who will choose a specialist solo or netrunner,
whom he trusts to take care of business. There
are many rumours that it was the Mafia who
had Richard Night, the founder of Night City,
assassinated on September 20th, 1998, in his
penthouse suite at Parkview Tower.
Yakuza translates into Good for Nothing. It
originates from a Japanese gambling game called
Sammai Karuta or Three Card. Similar to Blackjack,
one needs to get 19 points instead of 21.
Thus, drawing an Eight (Ya) Nine (Ku) and
Three (Za) you get 20, which was good for
nothing. Yakuza originated in Japan, but have
established themselves where Japanese corporations
have been successful.
It has been commonly held by the Yakuza, that
there are only two paths they may follow,
prison or death. Based upon the ancient Japanese
principles of Giri Ninjo or strong obligations,
the Yakuza operate in Night City as they have
traditionally done in Japan.
Yakuza rely heavily on the Japanese Bosozuka,
also known as motorcycle gangs, composed of
bloodthirsty cyberware enhanced members.
The family aspect of the Yakuza cannot be
overemphasized, as this facet is a recurring
theme in their criminal lifestyle. One of
their rituals is Demukai, a ceremony carried
out when a Yakuza is released from prison.
The gang shows up to greet them in limousines
and expensive attire, welcoming their own
back into the gang. This is symbolic, in showing
society, that they were unable to reform the
Yakuza’s convicted brethren.
The Yakuza’s deal in a myriad of activities,
including gambling, transportation, real estate,
night clubs, restaurants, bars and moneylending.
While many of these are considered legitimate,
the Yakuza do not hesitate to use underhanded
methods such as intimidation, violence and
corruption to achieve their aims.
Yakuza do not accept failure and have a ceremony
to deter such behaviour. Known as Yubitsume,
or ritual finger cutting. A small silver knife
is placed over the finger and the Yakuza leans
forward, their body weight causing the knife
to snap the finger off cleanly. The amputated
finger is then placed in a bottle and sent
to the superior as a gift, albeit in Night
City where one can replace your entire arm
quite easily, this gesture might no longer
hold the significance it once did.
Thank you for Chippin’In.
