We're donning our fedoras and packing our tommy guns, because the Empire of Sin release stream starts soon! Join us as we count down the hours together with amazing guests from Romero Games! Stream starts at 16:00 CET, on twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive
Boss Spotlight: Frank Ragen
Frank Ragen has a face only a mother could love… if she were blind. Luckily, it doesn’t bother Frank too much. Having a mug that improves after being punched a couple of times is good for business. There’s no fight too big or too small for Frank, and personal stakes are low when he’s got nothing to lose. If someone needs a few strikes around the diamond, or a few heavy handed promises of what’s coming if bonds aren’t kept, Ragen’s the guy to call.
Frank’s meanness is ingrained, bred into him from the streets he grew up on. You can’t change the nature of a killer instinct. Intimidation and shakedowns are familiar currency, and both run through his blood. Frank’s a local and he keeps the community close to him.
His venture into social clubs began with Ragen’s Athletic and Benevolent Association, where Frank set up a club for delinquents like himself to play professional baseball. All members had a knack for swinging baseball bats, but it didn’t take long to realise they were better at hitting heads than home runs. Frank is smart enough to play to his strengths and the club became a group of closely knit fists for hire operation named Ragen’s Colts. Always on the lookout for new recruits with the right attitude, and a face that don’t break so easy, Ragen has built himself a considerable following, large enough to threaten people with the motto, ‘You hit me, you hit two thousand’, and be taken seriously. These are the type of people who specialise in protection and squeezing money from whomever owes them. Visiting establishments to test the strength of the owner’s lapels, or the durability of ornate furniture is all in a day’s work for Ragen and his gang. If the situation calls for more, they’re happy to crack skulls like piggy banks to see what’s inside.
Ragen and his Colts hold a lot of sway in Chicago. Being a local boy who can get things done for people, Frank has many politicians, law enforcers and neighborhoods in his pocket. He’s all but running the city from behind the scenes. He’s an ambitious man, always looking on how to build and expand on what he’s already got. Frank wants to be front and centre for a change, and he’s got his eye on major league success. With an army of willing cronies and influence behind him, all Frank needs is a plan, and he’s never been short of one of those.
RAGEN’S COLTS WEEKLY MANAGER’S MEETING
Date: 12th January 1920 Venue: Back Of The Yards HQ Members Present: Gunner McPadden, Ralph Sheldon, Yiddles Miller, Dynamite Brooks, Tiny Franklin Absentees: Harry Madigan, Chuckles McManaman Minutes Kept By: Ralph Sheldon
AGENDA:
The minutes of the last meeting.
Procurement of an Alderman for upcoming election.
Expansion of enterprise into bootleg alcohol.
Retaliation for the ambush of Danny Higgins.
The eradication or absorption of the Woodlawn Neckties.
MINUTES:
Of the five establishments we put the squeeze on since last meeting, three have settled their outstanding monthly debt. Two separate clients are holding out, citing financial drought. A motion has been carried to implement operation Toasted Marshmallow. The operation will split into two branches spearheaded by Dynamite Brooks and Tiny Franklin.
An Alderman, initials J.G, has procured the service of the Colts for his upcoming re-election campaign. The Colts will work to secure votes and victory in a quid pro quo and financial arrangement with the Alderman and City Council. Note: The Alderman’s suggestion of a half-now-half-later payment scheme has been rebuked by Frank Ragen who insists on payment upfront. Motion passed unanimously.
Frank Ragen showcased a three month plan to break into the trailblazing bootleg industry, and set the Colts on the forefront of prohibition enterprise. Motion passed unanimously.
Retaliation for the ambush and hospitalization of Colt member Danny Higgins has been delegated to four members under the management of Yiddles Miller. The rebuttal is to be heavy, and is left at the discretion of the members orchestrating the operation.
With the emergence of the bootlegging gang The Woodlawn Neckties, operating in Colts territory, the vote to eradicate or absorb the gang has been put forth to the table. Motion to absorb the gang has been passed four counts to one on the merit that absorption greatly aids the objective of item three.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS:
Dynamite Brooks would like to express how impressed he is with new recruit Francie Callaghan. He referred to Francie as “One to watch” after she showed great initiative on a recent debt collection operation. To quote Brooks: “She ain’t afraid to get her hands dirty, and I was blown away by the new and creative uses she found for an adjustable wrench”.
A message from Chuckles McManaman has requested his wife Darla take his place in the Colts for the duration of his sentence in the can. Motion passed on the strength of Ralph Sheldon andFrank Ragen who witnessed her beat down a pickpocket at last year’s Christmas party.
Date of Next Meeting: 19th January 1920.
Meeting adjourned at: Eleven thirty P.M.
Watch the Chicago Chronicles video where we meet Frank Ragen here: [previewyoutube="Ht2uhv-gQ0M;full"]Empire of Sin | Chicago Chronicles | Part 6[/previewyoutube]
And the winners of the Short Story Contest are....
Crew, we have ourselves a batch of winners! A while ago, we announced the Empire of Sin Short Story Contest, where the participants all wrote original short stories that were related to the general theme and tone of Empire of Sin. We were posilutely blown away by the entries and after having read them all, the jury has finally picked their winners!
After careful consideration and a whole lot of elbow grease the jury was able to choose 10 favorites, all of which will be published on this website in a near future. And from these 10, to comply with local law, (gotta keep our operation up to code so the copper’s won’t come sniffing around!) we randomly picked our 3 winners.
So let’s all join in applause for our three winners:
Alan Sennett
Brittani Powell
Mike Demski
Our heartiest congratulations, Alan, Brittany and Mike! You’re all the bee’s knees.
Video: The Real Empire of Sin | A Brief History of Prohibition
What was 1920's Chicago actually like? Empire of Sin Game Director Brenda Romero sat down and had a chat about the real history of Prohibition with a Pulitzer-prize finalist, Daniel Okrent - author of Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition.
[previewyoutube="zGGsHgOVUAg;full"]
Empire of Sin: Chicago Chronicles Stream
Alright, so we've made it this far. What happens now? Join us on Thursday for another gameplay stream, where Ian and Chris talk more about the mid- and endgame of Empire of Sin! Stream starts at 17:00 CET, as always, on twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive!
Boss Spotlight: Sai Wing Mock
Chinatown, New York: Sai Wing Mock approaches Tom Lee - his gangland rival - on the street and asks outright for a 50-50 stake in his criminal enterprises. Lee laughs in his face and tells him where to stick the request. Mock’s retaliation for being publicly denied? He burns down one of the boarding houses of Tom Lee’s On Leong gang and a few days later, beheads another On Leong member in the middle of the street. Now, Mock is bringing this attitude with him to the streets of Chicago.
Mock is backed by the loyal and vicious members of the Hip Sing Tong. Lovingly referred to as Hatchet Men, these are the type of people who carry axes up their sleeves to do the dirty work. A hatchet sends a clear message. Sometimes they even leave the message embedded in the victim's skull.
As a boss, Mock keeps a six shooter strapped to his belt along with his axe. The man is a walking contradiction when it comes to self preservation. Sure, he wears a chainmail vest underneath his clothes, but during the height of his gang war in New York he was known to crouch in the middle of the road during a gun battle, close his eyes, and fire blindly in the direction of the oppressors. Fitting then, that Mock made his name in gambling rackets before coming to Chicago.
An expert strategist, Mock now knows the value of being feared above anything else, believing that it is more effective to have a reputation for violence than actually being violent. This is something he leans into, sporting sinister long fingernails to make everyone aware that he is above all the grimiest of a gangster’s dirty work, having plenty of underlings to carry it out for him. How else could he have become so feared? It seems obvious that his methods are perfectly suited to the wildness of gangland Chicago. Let’s hope for his enemies’ sake, they can keep their heads.
Sai Wing Mock - Newspaper article on notorious gangland attack
The following article is taken from a small newspaper, based in New York, from the day after the On Leong boarding house was burned down.
Underworld Lodging Goes Up In Flames
Firefighters Called To Action As Two On Leong Dirty Doer’s Among The Perished
Mott St., New York-- This morning the air above Chinatown is thick with the smoke of gangland tyranny. The seedy goings-on of the criminal underworld carving its dark path into the everyday, and rearing its ugly head for the good citizens of this city to witness in all its grimness.
Battle The Blaze
A well known boarding house, with shady ties to the underworld, caught fire last night around ten thirty. Firefighters attended the blaze shortly after reports that it had engulfed the roof, and though being alerted quickly, arrived to find the inferno spreading to the front of the building. Ferocious and unrelenting flame caused alarm for innocent inhabitants of the adjoining tower blocks.
Seedy Ties
The boarding house in question has come under the scrutiny of law enforcement in the past. The target of minor raids for gambling and boozing, it’s also a suspected hub for petty criminals with ties to the secretive On Leong tong, and has kept local law enforcement busy. Among the perished were two alleged lieutenants of the On Leong crime syndicate, giving police reason to believe that this foul act of debauchery was deliberately orchestrated by members of the rival Hip Sing Tong - alleged to be controlled by a Sai Wing Mock. When asked for comment today, the chief of the precinct noted: “We have a number of eye witness reports stating that Mock Duck recently approached the alleged leader of the On Leong Tong and challenged him for control in his criminal enterprise. It's because of this we have cause to suspect this [fire] may be an act of arson in retaliation for being denied his wishes.”
Neither Mock, nor the witnesses to the exchange could be tracked down for comment, though law enforcement officials have confirmed that the taciturn businessman has an alibi for the time alarm was raised on the blaze.
Hatchet Men Chop Down Rivals
As if the shock and devastation of the inferno was not enough to rattle the peace among the locals, this reporter learned today that not long after the rip roaring fire burned the building to a cinder, another death was reported. A known member of the On Leong syndicate met his gruesome end in the streets of Chinatown at the hands of two men armed with lathe hatchets. Police officers state that the rival Tongs have the run of the streets, with local civilians terrified into compliance. A local peanut vendor, close enough to witness the incident, has firmly told police he did not see or hear anything. This statement comes despite the fact that splatters of blood were found down the back of the man's clothes.
A Superficial Peace
Sai Wing Mock and his Tong are now said to be the head rulers of the Mott street area and beyond. Mock is said to be a polite and respectful businessman, but given the atrocities he is alleged to be linked to, these descriptions may be gleaned from the duress of a public under the grip of fear.
Watch the Chicago Chronicles video where we meet Sai Wing Mock here:
[previewyoutube="ubXJh7C0DbE;full"]
Dev Diary: Your starting crew
You arrive in Chicago, a whole city for the taking - but you’re outnumbered. Fortunately your previous efforts left you with enough to hire a couple gangsters and keep some pocket change.
At first there are only a handful of gangsters who are willing to work with you. Your reputation hasn’t made it here. That will change soon. As you take over the city your notoriety will increase and so will be the available roster.
Gangsters come in one of five professions: Hired Gun, Enforcer, Demolitionist, Doctor and Con Artist. Here’s the lowdown:
Hired Guns are marksmen by trade. What they lack in brawn they more than make up in accuracy and critical hits. Over time they can learn how to use new kinds of weapons or develop talents like Run & Gun, where they can move and shoot in the same action, or Gun Em’ Down, where they can fire a single shot at every enemy target within range.
Enforcers can really give a beating, and take one to boot. Just give them a bat, crowbar, or brass knuckles and they'll be happy. The best thing about those? You don’t have to stop to reload. Among the new talents they can develop are Draw Fire, which you can use to distract enemies away from your other team members and Meat Hook, which can pull enemies towards them.
Demolitionists are the best at using explosives. Call on them to raze buildings down, or chuck some grenades in the heat of combat. With talents like Break Shot, which has a chance to disable the opponent’s weapon or Time Bomb, where they throw a bomb that explodes in 3 rounds, they can drastically change the course of the fight.
Doctors can heal during combat and lower the chance of your gangsters taking serious injuries. Outside of combat they boost the passive heal of nearby gangsters. As if that wasn’t enough, they can learn talents such as Knee Cap, which aims directly at enemies’ knees to slow them down and Miracle Elixir, which cures and gives them an extra action point for a couple of rounds.
Con Artists can move farther and faster, and when raiding a racket can coax a little extra cash out of the safe. Their talents include Flush, which causes enemies to move out of cover and Kill chain, which gives you an extra action point if your shot kills.
Hiring gangsters is easy if they’re already willing to work with you. Just pay their upfront fee! The trick is keeping them around. You see, you’ll have to hand them a share of your profits. As your empire expands, your profits rise and better gangsters become available. Are you sure you still want to keep your initial crew around?
Before you do anything you might regret, be sure to check who they know. After a while, when your gangsters trust you enough they’ll start introducing you to their friends. Then you can cut them loose.
So, how many gangsters do you want to start with? The safest option would be two. The starting money covers their initial fee and whatever’s left can be used to pay their shares and convert rackets you took over. Did you think that was going to be cheap? You have to spend money to make money.
You could also ignore my advice, look for three cheaper gangsters and hope the enemy factions build the racket types you need or keep all the money and try your luck as a lone wolf, scoping what rackets are currently for sale.
I’m sure you can already imagine interesting combinations from the descriptions above, such as:
Doctor + Hired gun: Use Run & Gun to get close and personal to the enemy, shoot and retreat so that the Doctor can patch you up!
Demolitionist + Enforcer: Use Break Shot to disable their weapons and then Hook Shot to pull them towards you!
Con Artist + Doctor: Doctors can use snipers so hit them from a distance and let the Con Artist run over to finish the job.
Part of the fun of Empire of Sin is discovering these combinations and I won’t rob you of that pleasure. See? I’m generous. Don’t forget that each boss also has a unique combat ability which will make you approach combat from a different angle. Build your crew around them, and good luck!
Empire of Sin: Chicago Chronicles Stream
Fancy another Gameplay Stream, boss? Join us on Thursday to learn more about missions and characters in Empire of Sin with Ian, Katie and Maciej! Stream starts at 17:00 CET, on twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive
Extra, extra! Join the Empire of Sin Discord!
Word on the street has it that there's an Empire of Sin Discord server around. It's a swell ol' place to discuss all things Empire of Sin, and to keep up to date with what's new!
Angelo Genna is a real gangster’s gangster. Sicilian born, he came to Chicago with all the darkness and superstition that comes with the reputation of the island. It’s not far-fetched to say he’s feared amongst some of Chicago’s most aggressive businessmen. Genna sees it as great leverage to capitalize on, furthering his own business prospects. Local tryhards could learn a few things from Angelo on how best to take advantage of a booming underworld enterprise.
A stone-cold professional, business is first for Angelo, though he’s not afraid to cut down competition when the need arises. He didn’t get the nickname “Bloody” Angelo for being forgiving in business. A bad meeting with Angelo and his brothers doesn’t just mean closing shop. It means a messy death, too.
Genna has been leading and delegating since he was born. A typical middle child, he’s the negotiator between his five brothers and knows how to get the best out of each of their special talents. Having spent most of his life perfecting that skill, running the family business comes as second nature to him, and he is adept at getting what is best for his family from any business deal.
For him, blood is thicker than water and liquor is thicker again. Angelo is extremely loyal to his family and to those he has a professional relationship with. It works both ways, though, and he expects fierce loyalty in return. Should anything turn sour, or if any associates adopt conflicting ideals, then the fallout is one of a scorched earth policy. Angelo’s five brothers are more than willing to back him up, eager to fulfill any messages that have to be sent.
Angelo just wants the best for him and his family first, and this gives him a hunger and ambition that’s hard to match. Now he’s got eyes on the wider Chicago area to claim his domain, and the whole family is behind him.
PHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN ANGELO AND AL CAPONE
File: #01472 Chicago Police Dept.
Status: Open investigation Date of exchange: 01/08/1920 Date of transcript: 01/09/1920 Stenographer: G. Avery
The following is a verbatim telephone conversation garnered by way of a wiretap between Angelo Genna and Alphonse Capone. The wire tap was planted on Genna’s private wire at his residence in Little Italy and the telephone call is inbound from Capone, from a location unknown to police.
[Recording begins]
Genna: Hello?
Operator: Good evening. A call from a Mr. Halsted in the South Side district, do you accept?
Genna: [Low voice, away from telephone receiver] Who the fuck?…[into receiver] Yeah. [Clears throat] Yeah, put him through.
Soft clicking on the line, breathing noise.
Genna: Hello?
Capone: [In a feigned accent] Mr. Genna? You made me very angry.
Genna: Two things Halsted: Who the fuck are ya? And why should I care?
Capone: Your liquor made me blind. I wanna be compensated.
Genna: It made ya dumb at least. Ya got any idea who you’re talkin’ to?
Capone: Pay me or I go to the feds.
Genna: [Laughs] Who gave ya this number?
Capone: I ain’t afraid to be a rat. Fifty thousand or I tell the whole of Chicago that the piss you call liquor is poison.
Genna: [Low voice away from receiver] I ain’t got time for this. [Sighs, then into the receiver] Alright here’s what’s gonna happen, Halsted. You’re gonna hang up. Then you got about thirty minutes to crawl back into whatever [raising voice] fucking sewer ya came out of, before me and my brothers find ya.
Laughing on the line.
Genna: [Shouting] Ya hear me? When we find ya, you’re gonna be thankful you’re blind so ya can’t see what we do to ya!
Genna: Al? [sighs] Oh for chrissakes. The fuck is the matter with you?
Capone: [Breathing heavily] Woo! I got ya blood pumpin’ huh? [laughs]
Genna: …This how ya spend your time, Al? I’m busy over here.
Capone: C’mon! Ya gotta learn to laugh, Genna.
Genna: You gotta be funny for that to happen.
Capone: [Laughs] How’s business?
Genna: Can’t complain. It’s good, could always be better.
Capone: So Gabriel wasn’t just talkin’ shit.
Genna: [Clears throat] You spoke to Gabriel?
Capone: He’s the reason I’m callin’. He’s been, uh… tourin’ some of South Side’s establishments.
Genna: Is that so?
Capone: Yeah…and he got to know some of the locals in my place earlier.
Genna: Shit. How many guys?
Capone: Too many to call it a fair fight.
Genna: Goddammit Gabriel. Is he hurt?
Capone: You kiddin’ me?
Genna: [Laughs] Yeah…stupid question.
Capone: Look, those guys probably had it comin’. But he had ’em uh…repainting the walls. Not to mention some collateral damage.
Genna: How much damage?
Capone: Nothin’ I can’t replace with a little loose change. But I’m tryin’ to run a classy joint here… Ya understand?
Genna: So what, you and I gonna have a problem now?
Capone: I ain’t sayin’ that… not this time at least-
Genna: What are ya sayin’?
Capone: [Coughs] C’mon Angelo, you’re a smart guy. Smart enough to know that if he keeps going like this, it’ll start to smell like trouble… for everybody.
Genna: [Sighs] Uh-huh.
Capone: Maybe just put a leash on him, alright?
Genna: I’ll put a leash on him, when someone puts a muzzle on you, eh?
Capone: [Laughs] Alright, that’s my one warning. It’s more than everyone else gets, ’cause I respect you.
Genna: Alright…well ya made your little telephone call. I’ll take it from here.
Capone: I knew you’d understand.
Genna: Hey, where are you callin’ from?
Capone: Why’s that matter?
Genna: I can hear something…
Capone: Hear what?
Genna: I don’t know, like uh…a clicking or somethin’. Interference. You can’t hear that?
Soft static and breathing noise on the line.
Capone: Do y’self a favor Angelo, take some time off. You’re going nuts.
Genna: What and leave the whole city open for you? Get the fuck outta here.
Capone: [Laughs] Ya can’t trust nobody, huh?
Genna: G’night Al.
Transcript Ends.
Watch the Chicago Chronicles video where we meet Angelo Genna here:
