Please note that information within this document is subject to change as family members are established and roleplay develops.
- Antonia “Mama” Benedetti had her own husband killed.
- The Morello’s and Benedetti’s have an unspoken rivalry to see how many of the Ayin Ha’Ra they can take out -- they have an old chalkboard in the basement of the Trattoria tallying up their kills.
- If you’re targeted by La Mano Destra, a dead bird will show up on the pillow where you sleep or doorstep outside your house, an omen of what’s to come.
- Enemies of La Mano Destra are “taken for a swim” in the Chelsea Wharf -- which, in layman’s terms, means they are shot and thrown into the harbor.
One half of La Mano Destra's proverbial coin, the Bendetti family is as elusive as their cousins. In order to know more about them, first, you must understand Antonia "Mama" Bendetti, the matriarch of the family and the glue holding the collective together.
Antonia "Mama" Benedetti NPC
At 68 years of age, Antonia Benedetti may be lovingly referred to as 'Mama,' but it's not for her kind and nurturing nature. Shrewd, cold and cunning, Mama is the matriarch of the Benedetti family, one half of Bramford's La Mano Destra. She's a first-generation Italian immigrant and mother of six, with a nostalgia for her homeland that she translates into cooking and an unyielding mind for business and success. Once married to Jacopo "Pretty Jack" Benedetti, it was hard to tell exactly who was calling the shots between them. Antonia, ever the brilliant leader, played the part of the motherly, supportive wife for many years prior to his death -- but when he passed, it became clear that she had been the one directing all along.
Frederico Benedetti Deceased but notable.
Mama’s younger brother married young back in Italia before relocating to Bramford alongside his sister. Mama’s right hand during his lifetime, he was never the mastermind behind any of the family’s successes. He was the bullet in the gun Mama held and the attack dog at the end of her leash. Though there’s no evidence that his death was a result of gang violence (as it appeared to be a typical mugging), there are whispers that the Ayin Ha’Ra had something to do with it. It is said, that this singular event was what united the families against their common enemies.
In a sense, Lorenzo Morello has taken up the mantle of Mama's attack dog, though he has more sway in the politics than Frederico ever did. When Frederico passed, the position as Mama's right-hand was essentially filled by Lorenzo as opposed to another Benedetti as there were already too many voices of authority at the head of La Mano Destra's table.
He left behind two children: Antony Benedetti and Cato Benedetti.
Marco Esposito NPC
A second-generation immigrant from Sicily. It took a surprising amount of time for Mama to accept Marco into the family, but eventually his fervent devotion to the family and love of Mama’s second-oldest daughter Olivia won him her favor. Now he is essentially what Mama “lovingly” calls her Shepherd - or, in layman's terms, the pimp to all of Mama’s lambs. As much of the Benedetti’s illegal affairs is in human trafficking, he is in charge of security and protection. Though he does not spend much time in the field these days, it’s not uncommon to see him lurking in one of the Trattoria’s back booths sorting (what would easily appear to be) the business’s petty cash. He and Olivia's two sons can be seen running amok in the Trattoria from time to time.
Maria Benedetti Deceased at age 36. NPC
Eldest of Mama’s daughters. There was no secret that she and Lorenzo Morello were in love, though the details behind their relationship remained mostly secretive, as did the reason behind her death.
*** Mama’s is closed on Sundays, as this is when “the Family” gets together to share a meal and go over the week's affairs. Is also known to close at a moment's notice if ever something were to happen and an impromptu “Family Meeting” needs to be held.
*** Family Meetings always involve copious amounts of food, good wine, and loud laughter. Essentially a gathering of vibrant personalities, gossip, racial slurs, and planning.
- MOCKY/MOCKIES - (in regards to the Ayin Ha’Ra, a slur for Jews) First used in the 1930s, possibly from the Yiddish word makeh meaning "plague".
- PINCHED - to get arrested/made.
- THE BOYS - the police.
- DINNER WITH THE COUSINS - when talking in terms of meetings, this is always in reference to the Sunday Family Meeting, specifically one in which the Morellos will be present.
- DINNER WITH MAMA - a Benedetti-only meeting.
The Trafficking Business - Potential Trigger Warning
The Benedetti’s have long since held the reins of the human trafficking business within Bramford, even before the fragile alliance with the Morello family. It was good, in a sense, that their businesses focused on different mediums, allowing them both to rise in success with very little resistance. With both powerful businessmen and corrupt law enforcement in their pockets, the Benedetti family has generated surprising revenue in bringing people from overseas.
How the operation works:
Modena, Italy is where Mama, Jacopo, and Frederico were raised and because of this, they have a lot of connections and relatives to assist them with their business.
The people who transport people from Modena to the US are called the Autisti, meaning “drivers” and are paid a commission for the number and quality of the people that they bring over.
Trafficked people are either sold on the black market as mail-order brides or brought into the seduction and sex business as strippers and prostitutes. They do NOT partake in anything underage AT ALL. Mama is a mother, after all.
How the operation works:
- Targets are located - there are a couple of different ways that people are found to be trafficked. Either taken unwillingly, sold by relatives, or people volunteer in order to be able to send money home to their families.
- Targets are “groomed” - addicted to drugs and essentially instructed on the proper ways to “please” their new spouses, these targets are quickly manipulated into the image of what they are to be sold as.
- Targets are transported to Modena from all over the world, given new names and new identities, and then shipped to Bramford to be given their new “jobs” - whether that means being purchased as mail-order spouses or sent to become strippers and prostitutes under Mama’s umbrella will depend on the situation and the individual.
- Once in Bramford, they are brought to the “casa sicura” -- or the safe house, where Marco and a handful of selected Morello and Benedetti assist with the transfer.
Modena, Italy is where Mama, Jacopo, and Frederico were raised and because of this, they have a lot of connections and relatives to assist them with their business.
The people who transport people from Modena to the US are called the Autisti, meaning “drivers” and are paid a commission for the number and quality of the people that they bring over.
Trafficked people are either sold on the black market as mail-order brides or brought into the seduction and sex business as strippers and prostitutes. They do NOT partake in anything underage AT ALL. Mama is a mother, after all.
Interested in getting involved in either the Benedetti's or just La Mano Destra in general? It's fairly easy. Though family-oriented and built, they'll accept loyalty from anyone who can prove it. That being said, there are quite a few ways for someone to get involved, if they're interested in playing a part!
- Become one of the family. Mama has quite a few children, 4 of which are still playable -- two males and two females -- should someone be interested in adding to the drama. The males are the middle children between two pairs of sisters. They are fiercely protective of Mama and the family and can essentially be considered guard dogs by some. All the children are between 20-35. The only requirement is activity and a genuine interest in developing the plots.
- Literally anyone else in the family. There are a plethora of cousins on both sides -- both the Morello's and the Benedetti's -- which can be developed. Want to make your own family? Go for it! There's nothing stopping you from stretching your plot brain here.
- Random other people to become members. Just because you're not related doesn't mean that La Mano won't take you in -- but they won't trust you as much. If you're looking to develop a character and work from the bottom up? This is definitely the way to go. Adopting lost children is something that Mama does best, and the family itself boasts about protection and togetherness -- pretty much the epitome of a dangling carrot to someone from a lost and broken home.
- Becoming a contact/valued non-member. There are quite a few Factions within Bramford that La Mano is interested in maintaining positive relationships with -- namely, the BPD. Have a cop? A detective? A politician? Are they trying to get their pockets lined with easy money? All it'll take is turning a blind eye to crime and any dirty cop or politician is able to make Good Friends with La Mano Destra.
- Victims. Paving their way to superiority in the drug and sex trafficking markets has not been an entirely happy, prosperous route. They've left plenty of victims in their wake -- from prostitutes to strippers to drug addicts and parentless children, La Mano Destra doesn't really pay much mind to the lives they ruin along the way. It's just as easy to become a victim of this family as it is to join it. Have someone with a tragic backstory that needs a villain? La Mano Destra's got your people!