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The Dresden Files => DF Spoilers => Topic started by: Con on February 03, 2020, 01:00:24 AM
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Ok so admittedly I've been watching a couple of Michael Franzese's videos on youtube. Some first hand statistics he gives is that in 1986 he was cited as one of the top 50 mob bosses in America, by today he's the only one still alive.
So Marcone being on top for a couple of decades in real world is fairly unlikely. So I have a WAG, that Marcone in addition to positioning himself within the Accords, has managed to convince some of those human US factions we here about in the background to let him be the Unofficial Ambassador to the Supernatural factions.
It would secure his position as being all but impossible to prosecute, as he's too vital for the role he plays. Lucky Luciano and a few other Mob bosses had similar deals in WW2, or against Cuba.
This would be beneficial to the Nation not only because he's the only pure human on the accords, but also as a measure and step against Lara Raiths increase in power as well. As Thomas says Lara wants control, and even by Changes was able to bring a chopper into Mexico. Laras power has really only grown since the Fall of the Red Court, and the loose alliance against the Fomor.
Marcone would be seen as the devil they know. Even Harry views him as such.
So thoughts?
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It's a good theory.
I also put it down to Jim just using (and perhaps having) a very Hollywood-inspired idea about the criminal underworld. Marcone is your typical movie gangster. He does have some unique and unusual traits, but he fits an archetype. But the real thing is far more ugly and strange.
I do hope that Jim has a similar idea to yours and ties it up neatly about why Marcone is so protected from the law but I guess we will have to wait and see.
Although one wonders if it is all tied to his central mysterious feature of how is is both an excellent soldier, businessman, somehow got in connection with Vadderung etc.
I think there is still plenty more secrets in the Marcone box.
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Although one wonders if it is all tied to his central mysterious feature of how is is both an excellent soldier, businessman, somehow got in connection with Vadderung etc.
Marcone had been pursuing Harry as a supernatural consulted for the first few books, so presumably he started searching for such consultants. Other than Kincaid, there's relatively few honourable mercs who do longterm contracts. Vadderung and Monorc Inc. specialise in it. Wouldn't have been hard for them to approach each other and make a deal.
Gards if anything more bloodthirsty than Marcone. Suggesting he kill all the contractors who worked on his fail safe, panic room.
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So if we're talking historically, there are a fair number of mob bosses who had decades in control. I'm not familiar with this youtube video you're speaking of but there's several noteworthy ones who went past 30 years and tons with a decade or more.
If you're referring to 2020, then yes, organized crime has been in a serious decline and should only continue to do so due to added anti-terrorism and anti-crime cooperation between federal authorities and locals and other things, so I think the number going forward would be much reduced... but historically nah.
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I am betting that Jim Butcher was heavily influenced in writing Marcone by "The Fox," Johnny Torrio.
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So if we're talking historically, there are a fair number of mob bosses who had decades in control. I'm not familiar with this youtube video you're speaking of but there's several noteworthy ones who went past 30 years and tons with a decade or more.
And if you count organizations where there's an orderly father to son transition of power, plenty of mob families stay persistently powerful.
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I like the theory, Con.
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I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I've seen a lot of things to suggest that governments do target specific organizations while intentionally ignoring, or even helping, others for various reasons (sometimes intelligence/national security concerns). This is explicitly what Harry says is going on with at least some of the law enforcement community in Chicago.
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It's a good theory.
I like the theory, Con.
Thanks guys :)
It'd also help explain the rivalry Lana and Marcone have. Friendly rivalry as far as murderous factions go.
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Right! I wonder, who do you think will eventually win, Marcone or Lara?
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I forget which international Latin American gang was featured in Goodman Grey's short story, but I got the impression that the gang wasn't savvy to the supernatural. Marcone could have a sufficient edge on all his rivals simply by understanding the world as it exists. He had to deal with major supernatural threats in the first two novels and the Red's controlled one of the traditional areas of organized crime.
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Although one wonders if it is all tied to his central mysterious feature of how is is both an excellent soldier, businessman, somehow got in connection with Vadderung etc.
Pretty sure Marcone is heavily inspired by / modeled upon Johnny Torrio, "The Fox."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Torrio says:
...Torrio impressed authorities and chroniclers with his business acumen and diplomatic skills
(Torrio was also known as a soldier, btw!)
Add his early brushes with Ramps/Bianca and Sells/ the Shadowman, such that Marcone would realize the reality of the supernatural. So then he began looking for his own resources. Once Marcone began looking seriously, I suspect Vadderung arranged for Marcone to find him (find Monoc).
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Right! I wonder, who do you think will eventually win, Marcone or Lara?
Marcone is currently riding on enough plot armour that he is treated as an equal partner by the likes of Mab, Odin, and Hades, pretty sure he's got this.
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Well true enough, I suppose. I just want some smack downs in Peace Talks.
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... I just want some smack downs in Peace Talks.
All the omens and portents say that smack will happen.
Plus, it's Harry Dresden... how did Thomas put it?
"Patented anarchygasm" I think it was...
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I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I've seen a lot of things to suggest that governments do target specific organizations while intentionally ignoring, or even helping, others for various reasons (sometimes intelligence/national security concerns). This is explicitly what Harry says is going on with at least some of the law enforcement community in Chicago.
During World War II, the government worked with the mob in NYC, basically letting them protect the harbors and docks in the city from spies and sabotage.
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I mean in terms of Machiavellian schemes Marcone is ahead fairly significantly.
1. Marcone cornered the escort market, despite House Raith considering Porn and sex to be their territory.
2. Marcone figured out Lara is behind the throne.
3. Got Lara to sign the accords for him
4. Marcone defeated a Fomor lord and got whatever Intel Justin stole from them.
5. Marcone's representative got useful information out of Murphy in the Ghost Story meeting, while Lara's representative got her ass kicked.
6. Marcone manipulated Harry into Jury Duty, who then defeated the young House Raith operative.
So Marcone is ahead by far from what we know.
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During World War II, the government worked with the mob in NYC, basically letting them protect the harbors and docks in the city from spies and sabotage.
I'd forgotten about that.
@Con's #6: There could be internal White Court gaming going on there. It was a Skavis (maybe Malvora) who killed. Harry defeated the Raith operatives, but didn't take any of them off the board. He made them all stronger.
But Con's overarching point that Raith never comes out on top of Marcone is true.