This is a 2 part question.... 1. What are some methods mob families waged war against another mob family? 2. What were some reasons mob families waged war against another mob family?
Research - its your friend (Gangster by Lorenzo Carcatera is a good novel to get started with) but in short 1) gun fire, bombs, knives, poison, beating, informing, torture 2) turf, drugs, money, matters of 'honour' or 'respect'
The above and: 1) Stealing assets (intel), boycotting their rivals in whichever way possible, conspiring with other families behind their backs with secret meetings. 2) Mistrust, power gain, staying ahead of the game. It's not always a matter of being the "head" but rather not being obliterated by the enemy, since the politics behind what they are selling is by nature rather unstable. Honor and respect is a concept fed to the rookies in order to keep them in check. All rules are meant to be broken in a war. What matters is being the winner. That is what gains fear and respect by others.
This is true - but i was thinking more of the 'respect murders' you often see between gangs where deadly feuds can develop out of really trivial offenses like who stepped on who's sneaker or who looked at who's girl. That tends to be more of a street gang thing than proper OC because at the bottom end the 'bangers haven't got much else to insist on, or anyway to insist on t except with balls and a gun.
Thanks!.... so i was wondering does it make sense for me to show whenever my character rages war against a family instead of just telling it? For Example, my character has a meeting with his crew and he talk about wanting to get into the cocaine business. Instead of striking a deal with a dealer he decides to steal product from another family. Do i show my character and his crew stealing this product? I ask this because nothing significantly happens during this heist, of course there is obstacles like getting through the rival family warehouse guards and transporting the cocaine but nothing happens if you know what i mean. Like nothing happens to the character or his crew during this heist, (no one is shot, no one is killed. no new information is gained), they go to the warehouse, gets into fight with rivl family soldiers, beat them, steal cocaine and transport the cocaine to they warehouse, so im wondering it is worth showing.
If nothing significant happens why mention it at all ? Come to that why not write it so something significant does happen ?
Thanks! You say "what matters is being the winner" basically being the top family over all other rivals..... So is that a strong story goal? The characters want they respected families to be top dogs in the organized crime business and will do anything to get there and stay there?.....
You have a point.... I mention it because its how they got they start into the cocaine business by stealing they product from a rival family and selling it on they territory which in turn brings in profit in which they can afford more weapons and start living a luxury lifestyle... So you see how the heist has an impact on they life but nothing happens during the actual heist.
