Shortly after the conclusion of the second world war, organized crime enjoyed something of a renaissance in Philadelphia. Rough men returned from war, jaded by their adventures in Europe and the Pacific, and resentful of life in the racialized neighborhoods to which they were returning. For many of the Irish in Northeast Philadelphia, the appeal of organized crime far exceeded the monotony of wage slavery and eight hours on some shop floor. The working class roots of Northeast Philadelphia grew people tough and cynical, and made the wealthy neighborhoods surrounding them appealing targets. In short order, the K&A Gang arose.
The K&A Gang-- short for the Kensington & Allegheny, the intersection where the gang originated --began as a network of loosely affiliated burglary rings. Small groups of Irish gangsters would dress in suits and burglarize wealthy homes, particularly in Philadelphia's Jewish neighborhoods. They did so unarmed, as armed burglary carried a much heftier sentence. The suits, they reasoned, would help defray suspicion should they be caught out in the open. It worked. Between the post war period and 1970, the K&A gang operated almost entirely off the proceeds of their burglaries and subsequent liquidation of stolen property.
In the 1970's, the money to be made from burglary was on the decline. The economy was in the tank, and people were once again desperate. It was then that the K&A Gang turned to narcotics, particularly to amphetemines. By the 1980's, Philadelphia was in the running as the Meth capital of the world, a fact fueled heavily by the K&A Gang and its affiliates. With the violence and armaments necessary to defend a drug market, the K&A Gang became more appropriately known as the Northeast Philly Irish Mafia. They branched into typical organized crime activities; loansharking, racketeering, illegal gambling, and so on. They also began official ties with the Irish Republican Army, funneling cash and arms in both directions.
Today, the Northeast Philly Irish Mafia is experiencing a crisis of self. The city has cracked down heavily on the Meth trade, putting the mob at odds with others in the business, such as the Warlocks MC. And the peace process in Ireland has put an end much of their arms smuggling into and out of the country. The old standbys are once more coming into fashion, as sports gambling, racketeering, loansharking, and burglary once more form the meat of the mob's income. They would love a new gravy train, however, and are on the lookout for the Next Big Thing.
The K&A Gang operates in distinct cells. A Cell that handles a diverse set of criminal activity is called a Crew. A cell that operates a single illegal activity is called a Ring. Crews tend to have more members than rings, take on more risks, and thereby reap more prestige and more rewards. This organizational structure dates back to the founding of the organization, when they operated as a loose knit confederation of burglars. Today, there are some in the organization who feel a more standard mafia structure should be adopted, though no single leader has yet emerged that the majority of Crew Chiefs feel deserves the role.
Status 1: Associate
Status 2: Member
Status 3: Enforcer, Ring Chief
Status 4: Crew Chief
Status 5: Mafia Boss (None at Present)
Joining the K&A Gang
The K&A Gang or the Northeast Philly Irish Mafia as they are known are an organization that upholds the pretense of gentleman criminals. Sure, they murder, steal, traffick in drugs and weapons, and generally flout most moral conventions held by civilized society; but they do it in suits and ties, hold the door for people, and always tip their hats. Those who join the gang are expected to keep their noses clean and their behavior-- around the public, at least --above reproach.
With that said, if you're playing a member of the K&A Gang, you're not playing a Good Guy. You're playing a member of a ruthless organized crime syndicate with affiliates in two countries. You can act like a boy scout. But you aren't one.
Being a member in the K&A Gang requires the following stats:
Status (Crime: K&A Gang): 1
Larceny: 2
B&E or Lockpicking Specialty
Streetwise: 2
Weapons or Drugs Specialty
The following stats are suggested, but not required.
Your community is no longer an immigrant community. The Irish form the solid part of the foundation of Northeast Philadelphia's neighborhoods now. And while the insular nature of that community is fading, and sons and daughters begin to move away into a world that long since learned to accept their presence, the old neighborhoods are still a bastion of Irish-American culture and crime.
These days, the neighborhoods are seeing new waves of immigration. Homes once owned old by an aging and dying Irish immigrant population are no longer being inherited by second, third, and forth generation family members. They're being sold. It's changed the complexion of the neighborhoods, and to some extent their character, but not their essence. Northeast remains heavily working class. And the K&A Gang has learned to make new alliances. Their longstanding alliance with the Philly Greek Mob remains an uneasy one, as does their ties to the Philly Black Mafia. But they admire the hustle of just about anyone in their game, and are willing to make it work if the newcomers are willing to share.
The K&A have long held traditions, and a rich history. They have much to be proud of, and quite a lot to lose. There are some in the organization who feel it unwise to continue to split the take with so many players in the Badlands. There are some who feel they ought to make an example out of some group. The Greeks, perhaps. Or the Warlocks. Still others point out that the realities of immigrant crime communities are what they are. Adapt or die. Irish immigration is a thing of the past, and the community will only dilute further with time, and the time to build the foundation for a new future for the organization is now. While there's still time.
