All posts by quidproquo

Gotham City: The Underworld

Gotham City, Locations,

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Crime is a way of life in Gotham.   Some would argue that without the criminals Gotham City would be nothing more than another blip on the map, barely getting by and on the verge  of collapse, another casualty of the growing Rust Belt of the Midwest.   Yet, it has not gone the way of Blüdhaven.  Instead it persists, it flourishes and thrives, but not without its own challenges.   Challenges that contribute to and undermine the continued success of Gotham as this success is not only due to the efforts of the scion of the Wayne Family, but to the activities of the many criminal families that have made Gotham their home.

For many years the criminal element in Gotham went unchecked until it had spread like a cancer across the entire city until it became part of the city’s very lifeblood.   Most would be hard pressed to find some level of government or business that was not indirectly connected or influenced by the criminal element of Gotham City.    The sad truth was that the economy of the city was intrinsically tied to the criminal activities that occurred inside and outside of the cities borders.

Unlike most cities organized crime in Gotham simply did not have a grip on the city it had a strangle hold upon it, its citizens and anyone that dared to cross its borders or do business with its denizens or associates.

Anyone looking to make a name for themselves better know who the important players were,  less they suffer the consequences of their actions.

The Families:

  • Falcone Crime Family (Sicilian) – Run by Carmine “The Roman” Falcone, who maintained a stranglehold over all of Gotham City’s crime before the rise of ‘masks.’ Carmine is still the King of Gotham’s criminal underworld, due to his connections in both government and law enforcement, but in recent years he has faced challenges on many fronts that have in turn emboldened some of the families and gangs to work outside of his control. The Falcon Family sits upon the throne of Midtown and while that hold remains they are unmovable as the real criminal power in Gotham.
  • Galante Crime Family (Italian) – Run by “Boss” Galante, who controls most of the East Side of downtown Gotham known as East Park Side. The Galante is known as the enforcers of Carmine entire Empire. Over the years the Galante Family have been the harshest to masks infringing on their personal territory and as such as the ones sent in first to stabilize any other territory.
  • Maroni Crime Family (Italian) – Brought to prominence in the 1950s by an original mafiaso out of Italy, Luigi “Big Lou” Maroni was known to be a firm yet fair Boss in Gotham. The Maroni Family came to Gotham at the request of Carmine, specifically for the job of cleaning up Granton (Grant). Now Granton is part of Uptown, one of the least deadly parts of the entire city. Big Lou recently fell upon ill health and his son Sal began to run the Family’s day to day operations. Sal Maroni is a much more ‘By the Numbers’ sort and while profits for the family have seen a spike in rising under his guidance, they have also kindled a lot of heat between the Maroni and Dimitrov Families.
  • Odessa Crime Family (Ukrainian) – A smaller ‘family’ the Odessans are hold great sway within the Falcone empire, as they handle the arms supply for the entire city. Unlike most of the other families, the Odessa Family is not based out of any one place in the city but instead ship directly to various Gotham ports from outside of the City.
  • Riley Family (Irish) – Run by Sean “the Irish” Riley, in control of South Point. The Riley Family has maintained a stranglehold on South Point since the very beginning of Gotham City’s original founding. South Point is a a bit of misnomer among the government and law enforcement types, because while they supply the rest of Gotham’s Families with a great deal of their import and export in guns and large arms, they have also maintained a strict order in their borders. Crime is very low in South Point. Those who eek out a living there are not extorted or treated unfairly. So the police are in a point of being unable to remove them, out of fear of what might replace them. In recent times the Riley family has been fighting a very private internal struggle in South Point with the Sabatino Family
  • Sabatino Family (Italian) – Once upon a time the Sabatino Family ruled Gotham City, they were in fact the first organized criminal family in the city having come over from Italy on the same boat as the Waynes. They saw a marked decline in power during the Untouchables Era, serving as a foil for many of the original Gotham Mystery Men in the sixties and seventies. When the Falcone Family began to rise in the 1980s they were largely powerless to stop it and were as a dissolved down to controlling a small portion of South Point known as Randall. As a stop-gap the Sabatino Family heir was married to the daughter of Sean Riley. When the marriage failed, it plunged all of South Point in to an internal struggle between the Sabatino and Riley Families. This struggle for control has so far remained bloodless but for how long remains to be seen.
  • Dimitrov Family (Russian) – Run by Yuri “The Russian” Dimitrov, the Russians appeared in Gotham sometime during the Cold War era and were directly connected to the Falcone ascension to absolute power. It is rumored that the Russians were handed North Point as a reward for their help in Carmine’s rise, but North Point originally was considered part of Granton and belonged to the Maroni Family. In recent times Sal Maroni has rekindled the bad blood that has been beneath the surface all these years in an long term bid to retake North Point for the Maroni Family. The Dimitrov Family has a reputation for bloody and ruthless tactics, which is in itself one of the main reasons that the larger Maroni Family hasn’t won their struggle in short order. Yuri’s connections to the Odessa Family are vital to keeping the Falcone Empire stocked with arms and so Yuri himself is one of the most protected people in all of Gotham.
  • Golden Dragons (Chinese) – Based in the China Basin, and lead by a mask known as ‘Lynx’ the former street gang has seen a rise in both influence and prestige with the ascension of masks and capes in the city. While they remain in the China Basin, many believe that is their choice and not because any of the nearby rivals present a threat to their power.
  • Penguin’s Gang (Mixed) – The Penguin, otherwise known as Oswald Cobblepot, was one of the first Masks to rise in Gotham. Unlike others, Oswald has the ‘beak’ for business and went about his rise to power in such a way as to present a profitable venture to the Falcone Empire instead of presenting an opponent to fight. Cobblepot took over Sandy Hook island quietly, by starting the Iceberg Lounge. The Lounge is a casino and restaurant, from which Cobblepot extended his influence in to building Sandy Hook up. Currently the small island is the entertainment capitol of the city, with not only the lounge but the Gotham Stadium within their bounds as well.
  • The Blackgaters (Mixed) – Originally composed of all African Americans, the Blackgaters have existed for decades but were rarely recognized as a major power within the city. Their foundations began with the creation of Blackgate Prison in the forties. Through the years has become membership has comprised of mostly former inmates. As the equal rights movement swept the country, it’s impact was felt most by the Blackgaters in that their influence soon began to balloon with non-black members. As their numbers grew, so too did their impact within the city to such an extent that Gotham P.D. chose their area to place their “Major Crimes Unit.”
  • Intergang (Unknown) –  Lead by Bruno Manheim and his enforcer Johnny Stitches, the Intergang is new to Gotham City but not to the United States as they are considered to be the major criminal enterprise in Metropolis. Their move in to Gotham is the first sign of expansion. Based out of Cobble Hill, the Intergang is currently very small but extremely well organized to such an extent that the Galantes have not been able to eradicate or bring them to heal for the Falcone Empire yet.

Organization:

  • Falcone Empire:   The ‘Empire’ of Carmine Falcone consists of the several “Families;” Maroni, Dimitrov, Galante, Sabatino, Riley and Odessa. These families are lead by a “Boss” who reports only to Carmine Falcone. Midtown is controlled directly by the Falcone Family and as such has seen much in the way of a boon from the criminal empire. For example the Red Hook district, which was once considered the Gotham Slums in the fifties is now considered a more or less upscale area to live. One exception to this rule is the Fort Clinton (called simply Clinton by citizens of Gotham), which has some of the highest crime rates in the entire city. Many attribute this to the proximity of Clinton to the Narrows and therefor Arkam Asylum.
  • Non-Alligned:  Many smaller gangs exist within Gotham City’s boundaries. Most of these gangs are allowed only because they pay tribute or are indirectly controlled by the Falcones or one of the subsidiary families. Examples of this are the Blackgaters a highly organized group of ‘thugs’ and the Golden Dragons which has it’s origin in an upscale speed-biker gang, both of which work pay tribute to the Familes in order for their unmolested existed in portions of the city that the Mafia considers beneath their notice. While other groups, such as the Penguin’s Gang and Intergang exist by way of legit business ventures and Masks at the head of their groups that provide them with insulation and power outside the means of the normal mafia families.

——-

– Thank you, Ben, for putting this together.

 

Return to Gotham City.

Boroughs & Neighborhoods of Metropolis

Locations, Metropolis, Uncategorized,

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Metropolis is divided into six boroughs, and occupies three islands and areas along the coasts of the Hobbs’ and West Rivers. On islands are the boroughs of New Troy, St. Martin’s Island, and Hell’s Gate.   On the riverbank is Queensland Park along the West River to the south, and on Hob’s River to the north are Park Ridge and Bakerline.

The Six Boroughs

Bakerline

Bakerline is primarily a middle-class housing community and is the home of the Olsen family.

Neighborhoods in Bakerline

Lafayette
Oaktown

Hell’s Gate

Information coming soon.

Hell’s Gate and Queenland Park are home to the city’s growing immigrant population.

New Troy

New Troy is located in the heart of the city. It represents the hub of Metropolis’ central business district.  New Troy is the largest borough in Metropolis consisting of a skyscraper island bustling with commerce and business.

The Daily Planet Building is the most recognizable landmark in the Metropolis skyline. Located in “Planet Square,” it is particularly known for the Daily Planet globe atop the building. Other prominent skyscrapers include the Emperor Building , the Newstime Building (home of the national Newstime magazine, and LexCorp Tower, headquarters for Lex Luthor’s company.

Besides the Financial District, notable areas of New Troy include Chinatown, Little Bohemia (the arts capital of Metropolis), and Glenmorgan Square.

New Troy Neighborhoods

Hypersector

The business and financial center of Metropolis. Most if not all of the real estate is owned by LexCorp.

Suicide Slum (formerly known as Hob’s Bay)

Originally known as Hob’s Bay, named after Elias Hob; an early Metropolis landowner, the area had been a prosperous, middle-class neighborhood at the turn of the twentieth century. With the beginning of the Great Depression, residents were encouraged to invest in Comet Arena, touted as a sports venue that “would bring fifty thousand people to the area every week of the year.” Instead, the developer disappeared with the contributed donations earmarked for the complex and the area began a descent into poverty and decay from which it never recovered. Now only City Hall and the chamber of commerce refer to the neighborhood as “Hob’s Bay”. To the rest of Metropolis, it is Suicide Slums.

Today, Suicide Slum, is a neighborhood that has been known to have a much higher rate of crime than the rest of the city. It is a down market area that many who cannot afford the apartments and penthouses of the main city live, the property prices of the Slums being lower due to the corruption.

The downtrodden end of Metropolis, Suicide Slums contains the Steelworks; factory of various technologies and the Ace o’ Clubs; a public watering-hole for information.

Suicide Slum was reputed as a lost cause that many Metropolis residents believe not even Superman can do anything about.

Park Ridge

Park Ridge and its subdivisions are Metropolis’s oldest suburbs.

Queensland Park

Queensland Park is primarily a suburban community consisting of single-family homes and brownstones. It is bordered by the West River to the north, and by the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The Eastern district is a neighborhood known as “Old City”, and was established as a Dutch settlement in 1634 by explorer Paul De Vries.

At the time, the settlement was known as De Vries Village but changed its name to Elizabethtown in the 1700s during British occupation. At this time, Queensland Park grew into a thriving seaport community with a central railroad network branching out to the surrounding areas. During the Revolutionary War, an American patriot from North Bridge named Peter Vernon destroyed the British navy’s access to New Troy, thus delaying their advance to the mainland. The Vernon Memorial Park was erected commemorating the event. After the war, Elizabethtown changed its name to Old City.

Queensland Park was the location of the original Daily Planet printing plant.  More recently Hell’s Gate and Queenland Park are home to the city’s growing immigrant population.

Neighborhoods in Queensland Park

Mount Royal
New Town

St. Martins Island

St. Martin’s Island is separated from the greater Metropolitan area, it is located in Metropolis Bay southeast of Bakerline and slightly northeast of New Troy. St. Martin’s Island caters to the wealthiest of the city’s denizens, with elaborate art deco homes and upper class neighborhoods.

Back to Metropolis.

Metropolis – Scientific Community

Locations, Metropolis,

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Metropolis is more than a world class city. It is seen as the premier city of the world. It’s where people go to make their dreams come true whether in the field of business, art or science. It is called the “City of Tomorrow” due to the numerous advances made in various fields of business that populate the city.

While known first and foremost for advances in the scientific field Metropolis is also a major center of business, culture and education. There are few places in the world that you can go where someone does not know the city’s name. It is the best that the United States has to offer and it has no peer. If Metropolis stops the world stops and takes notice.

With that in mind the criminal element in Metropolis goes beyond the organized crime that has a tight grip on Gotham City. Corporate espionage is the least of someone’s worries with the number of scientific firms that have made their home within Metropolis. While numerous most are usually acquired and absorbed into the larger firms that dominate the city.

Listed below are several of the key players in Metropolis that one would find notable not only for their accomplishments nor their contributions to the City of Tomorrow, but because their innovations and discoveries are often the source of many of the problems that the citizens run afoul of.

  • LexCorp – Originally organized as an aerospace engineering firm, LexCorp has become one of the world’s largest, most diversified multinational corporations. Under the astute – some would say, ruthless – management of its founder, Lex Luthor, LexCorp grew and prospered, absorbing scores of smaller businesses. Despite being the current sitting President of the United States LexCorp continues to prosper under the current CEO extending its reach across the globe. The success of LexCorp has been largely due to its diversified holdings, which has allowed it to weather the ups and downs of the economy. With holdings from financial institutions to breweries and its continued dominant presence in the scientific field LexCorp has continued to yield success and profits for its founder, Lex Luthor. From its meager beginnings on the top floor of the Daily Planet building to the 307 story LexCorp Towers which dominate the Metropolis skyline there are few in Metropolis or the world that have not been touched by the corporation. Often targeted as practicing unfair and sometimes monopolistic business practices LexCorp has continued to grow bigger and stronger while maintaining a lean and efficient workforce wish has pushed envelope in every field they found themselves involved in.
  • Hamilton Technologies – Based out of Suicide Slum Hamilton Technologies is a research and development firm owned by Professor Emil Hamilton, who had previous been employed by S.T.A.R Labs and the US. Government. Hamilton Technologies is notable for being connected with Superman due to the close connection between Professor Hamilton and the Man of Steel.
  • Project Cadmus – Project Cadmus is a scientific research center located just outside of Metropolis. It is primarily known for its achievements in genetic engineering and its human cloning capabilities. The project was founded by doctors Dabney Donovan, Reginald Augustine, and Thomas Thompkins. The Cadmus facilities were originally constructed in a large, abandoned aqueduct outside of Metropolis. The goal of the Project Cadmus is to push the envelope of genetic research sometimes to the detriment of its own members.
  • Stagg Enterprises – Simon Stagg is an inventor and the founder and CEO of Stagg Enterprises. His company is responsible for pioneering new, innovative methods in the fields of engineering, chemistry and genetics. Stagg Enterprises has offices in New York, Los Angeles and Metropolis. Stagg while brilliant and respected inventor has often found himself the target of investigation by numerous entities for methods that have been deemed unscrupulous at best and illegal at worst. Despite the labels Stagg as yet to be charged of a crime and continues to operate his business across the United States.
  • S.T.A.R. Labs – S.T.A.R. (Science and Technology Advanced Research Laboratories), is a research organization founded by a scientist named Garrison Slate, who wanted a nationwide chain of research laboratories unconnected to the government or any business interests. Slate succeeded not only on a national scale, but an international one as well: S.T.A.R. Labs maintained facilities in Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan as well as in the United States, with the total number of facilities numbering between twenty and thirty at last recorded count with its central branch being located in Metropolis in the borough of New Troy. S.T.A.R Labs is seen as one of the premier scientific think tanks in the world and continues to innovate without falling prey to aggressive nature of the government or private corporations. It like many other research firms has often been sought to be acquired by LexCorp and has consistently resisted acquisition providing an alternative to for those seeking work in the field of science. Like Hamilton Technologies S.T.A.R. Labs has also been closely connected to Superman providing assistance and expertise as needed.
  • WayneTech – Wayne Technologies is the biggest single branch underneath the Wayne Enterprises umbrella of companies. It has always been there but only in the 1990’s did it start to skyrocket as more and more innovations were made and new things were discovered. Few remember the scandal over thirty years ago where Wayne Technologies was involved in a covert espionage technology operation. To some Wayne Technologies has a bad name even though the PR office has managed to make the public forget the whole incident. The knowledge and the information gleaned from that operation wasn’t lost and with more research, WayneTech has become the forerunner in cybernetics and biotechnologies, rivaling LexCorp and Drake Medical.

 

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