Mafia

At one time the greatest organized crime syndicate in the world, the Mafia has slid into, at best, a second-tier position, remaining strongest in Europe and a faded power in North America. Distrustful of magic and metahumanity, built on ethnic divisions that no longer matter, and having seen their power base in both government services and unions vanish under privatization and feudal capitalism, they have simply been passed up by the world around them. Some have managed to adapt, adding metahumans and magicians to their ranks, but most continue to hold fast to the ways of old. The Mafia is engaged in a surprising number of legitimate businesses that are used to launder illegal money, and many of the older hands have found that these businesses are profitable enough that they can ease into retirement rather than hanging on to the death as in older days. Indeed, several small corporations are spawned from Mafia families who have largely gone legit, often in the casino, banking, or vacation industries. Due to their worldwide reach and complex financial arrangements, the Mafia have long been focused on assorted Matrix-based crimes and are, arguably, the most capable of the major crime syndicates in this field. Senior Mafia dons leave such matters to underlings, insisting that you can never do away with the personal touch of personal interaction. Mafia strongholds are found in western and central Europe and the eastern UCAS and CAS. Eastern Europe has largely fallen to the Vory, but the Mafia continue to send resources to the region to fight back. There are minor operations in North Africa and Latin America, but these are pale shadows compared to their strongest regions.