The Lombardi Family is a major faction in Atlantic City in Fallout 76, introduced in the Expeditions: Atlantic City update part one, Boardwalk Paradise.
Background[]
The Lombardi Family originates from the pre-War mafia, though it is distinct in that it was founded in the 21st century, by Quentino and Concerta Lombardi, immigrants from Italy. Rallying locals from the neighborhood, Quentino established a crime family with the traditional, Italian-only policy of admission.[2] The mobsters were not aware of the role Concerta played, as she stayed in her brother's shadow, whispering in his ear to get him to do what she wanted, slowly building up the Lombardi might. Quentino was impulsive and temperamental, motivated primarily, if not purely, by vice and whim. Concerta became the level-headed, decisive tactician as a matter of necessity, to avoid being sentenced to begging for scraps on the street.[3]
Thanks to her efforts, the Lombardis became a significant presence in the city before the Great War, and the mob's position strengthened in the wake of the Great War and flooding due to Carly Day's ineptitude. The mayor lost a majority of her staff to the war and subsequent developments, leaving her unable to secure an adequate food supply and simply burning through the stockpiled rations. By February 2078, the supply was already thinned out and the mob started to assert its position against Day, openly refusing to pay taxes.[4]
When the taxes ran out, the situation changed to the mafia's benefit. With most of her staff dead or resigned, she gave the mob free reign to pressure farms on the outskirts of Atlantic City to provide food for the city. She was effectively setting them loose, against the better judgment of her peers.[5] Self-interested mafiosos became little more than raiders with style, preying on the farmers for years as they left the city to fend for itself, caring only about themselves and the odd rich trader who perused the Casino Quarter, spared devastation during the floods.[6][7] The situation lasted into February 2085, when a raiding party entered Timothy Lane's farm, only to be met with shotgun shells. This turn of events left the mafia unable to respond as the Lanes marched on city hall and removed Carly Day from power, reorganizing the Atlantic City Municipal Government.[8]
The Family, as it was now known, despised this interference and Timothy Lane. However, the worst they could really do was come up with a seemingly derogatory nickname for the government, Munis,[9] as the Lanes moved quickly to restore food supply, set up water purification, reactivate generators to provide power, and provide all the necessities citizens task their governments with doing.[10] Lane escaped forward, and their indispensable role in making the city habitable and welcoming to travelers and traders ensured the desire for retaliation waned.[11]
Lane opted for collaboration, rather than suppression. Realizing that Atlantic City was, is, and likely will remain a city of vice, he entered an alliance of convenience with the mafia. While the Munis take care of running the city, including services and EMS, the mob will be free to operate as it sees fit regarding vices,[12] and the Showmen will be given free reign as to entertainment. In return, they will pay taxes to sustain city operations. The alliance formed the foundation of AC's success, despite griping and competition between the three factions. The mob especially tries to get out of paying taxes, but the IRS and Buttercup usually resolve the situation with ease. The civilized hell of Acee continues to survive and even thrive.[13]
The Family is also preoccupied with internal power struggles and banking on the discovery of the Devil's Blood by Antonio Russo. The two issues are related, as Russo was the protege of Don Quentino Lombardi, head of the Acee mob, and his discovery and defeat of the Jersey Devil and its blood allowed the mob to create an incredibly addictive narcotic, sold at a high price only to the most affluent of high rollers coming into Atlantic City. Russo and Gene created a formula mimicking the original's effects and allowing for the use of synthetic materials for production, which made it more affordable to produce, but no less expensive.[14] Russo made everyone in the Acee mob rich and was slated to succeed Don Quentino as godfather, if it wasn't for his sister Concerta. When the Don passed, his sister ensured only she and Antonio knew about the fact. Posing as the middlewoman between her brother and the mobsters, she marked Russo for death. Antonio fled Atlantic City with his family, setting up a nightclub in Appalachia, faking senility. Concerta does not leave loose ends, however, and a hit gone awry attracts Vault 76 dwellers into Acee to resolve its issues.[15]
Beyond competition for power, the situation has started to deteriorate in general, with many changes occurring within the organization.[16] Called "desperate times", it seems to have warranted cooking the books to reduce the amount of dues going to the other factions[17] far beyond the expected, reasonable level of cheating.[18] This is an unprecedented change in Lombardi policy, in fact, and risks open war.[19]
Organization[]
Like other mob organizations, the Acee Family is a strictly hierarchical, autocratic organization subordinated entirely to the godfather, with a mean nepotism streak. Don Quentino Lombardi was the godfather before the Great War and survived the nuclear holocaust in one piece, with his sister keeping the mob focused on maintaining its power and influence (which included loosening admission standards and letting non-Italians join).[2] Below the godfather are the capos (short for Caporegime, usually translated as captain), responsible for various aspects of the family's operations,[20] commanding mafia soldiers, the lowest ranks. Caporegimes are typically Italian, in keeping with tradition.[2] Antonio Russo, Quentino's protege, was responsible for drug manufacturing and distribution, for example.[21]
The Don intended for Russo to succeed him ahead of his sister, as the Acee Family follows the misogynistic traditions of the mafia and excludes women from succession.[22] The disenfranchised Concerta failed to convince her brother to break with the traditions brought over from Naples, though she remains determined to become the mob's first godmother. She worked around these traditions by maintaining that her brother is alive, just infirm, and acting as his spokesperson - in reality easing into the role of leader and preparing to break with the conservativism of the mob.[23] The conservativism extends to casual conversation and more than once have mobsters come to blow over the honor of their mothers.[1]
The absence of the Don is slowly but surely straining the family's unity, and the emerging competition for power is causing hastier and less thought-out decisions that risk tearing apart the peace deal at the heart of Acee.[24] While Concerta makes a good show, Fabio Mondadori is starting to suspect that something is amiss and is looking for support for his bid for leadership.[25]
Most of the mob's operations are concentrated at The Neapolitan Casino and Quentino's Night Club, itself a mafia safehouse and headquarters dating back to the pre-War times.[26] As the locations are prime hunting grounds for anyone seeking to exploit high rollers, treachery and backroom deals are common. Sal Sticky Fingers is a prime example, as he is constantly trying to come up with a scheme to get rich and gain the respect of his peers, which usually backfires. He has learned to keep them under wraps and the others ignorant to ensure that nobody interferes or punishes him.[27]
Outside relations[]
One of the three major factions in Atlantic City, the Family is cooperating with the Munis, though not without a significant amount of griping and attempts at tax evasion. While most look down on the Munis, there are secret admirers among the mobsters, who realize that the Munis are essential to their success and continued operations. Most are afraid to speak openly, however.[28] As part of their duties as the equivalent of pre-War police, the Family actually does police drunken civvies, street thugs, and other miscreants, though they tend to show preferential treatment towards their own people and turn a blind eye to their misdemeanors.[1]
Recently, the relations between the Family and the other factions have become strained, as Concerta told Billy Beltbuckles to falsify accounting records to minimize dues owed.[29] The Showmen have realized this and Concerta received advance warning from Mother Charlotte, her close friend, about the matter,[30] while Buttercup's auditors already began the hunt for missing dues, with violence imminent.[31]
Known members and associates[]
Quentino Lombardi, godfather- Concerta Lombardi, shadow leader
- Fabio Mondadori, consigliere/capo
Carmine Bertucci, capo- Billy Beltbuckles, accountant/chief operating officer
- Sal Sticky Fingers, mobster
- Stanley Soriano, mobster
- Patrizio Lupinacci, mobster
- Joey Cuomo, mobster
- Fast Nicky, merchant
- Patrons, hitmen
- Doorman, casino guard
- Mob believer, warehouse guard
- Mob denier, warehouse guard
- Gene, chemist/associate
- Antonio Russo, former capo for chems (in exile)
Interactions with the player character[]
The Lombardi Family are one of the three factions in Acee and have numerous interactions, including:
- Tax Evasion expedition, helping Billy Beltbuckles evade the crackdown by the Showmen and the Munis.
- Regent of the Dead quest, affecting succession.
Variants[]
Mob assassin[]
The mob's snipers, mob assassins are armed are appropriately armed with sniper rifles.
Mob collector[]
The melee experts of the mob, they have a vast arsenal of melee weapons at their disposal.
Mob demolisher[]
They are mobsters armed with M79 and Auto grenade launchers.
Mob destroyer[]
They are mobsters armed with missile launchers, dealing even heavier explosive damage.
Mob enforcer[]
As the mob's shotgun specialists, they wield pump-action and Double barrel shotguns.
Mob guard[]
Mob guards appear during Tax Evasion, protecting the goods that need to fill the nearby trucks outside the Neapolitan Casino, if that objective is active.
Mob gunner[]
As the mob's automatic weapons experts, they wield handmade rifles and SMGs.
Mob muscle[]
As the mob's heavy weapons experts, they wield a variety of heavy weapons, including .50 cal machine guns and miniguns.
Mob racketeer[]
The handgun specialists of the mob, they wield a variety of pistols.
Mob torcher[]
As the mob's pyros, they wield flamers.
Appearances[]
The Lombardi Family appears only in Fallout 76, introduced in the Expeditions: Atlantic City update.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Vault 76 dweller: "Do the Family or the Showmen ever respond to your calls?"
Anna Barone: "Ha! If they aren't the cause of them, sure. They're both supposed to enforce the peace in the city. Kind of like pre-war police. They're only good at that when it's civvies having a drunken fight or some street thug trying his luck. Otherwise, it's two Showmen fighting over who's the best performer. Or two Wise Guys throwing hands after the decency of someone's ma came into question."
(Anna Barone's dialogue) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Vault 76 dweller: "Is the Family an Italian organization?"
Concerta Lombardi: "You certainly have a funny way of stating the obvious. Yes and no. Our "business" was established by my brother, who is an Italian immigrant like myself. He gathered all of the locals from our neighborhood and the rest was history. For a long time, he liked to keep things "in the family" so to speak. However, after the war, it's quite hard to have an Italian-specific organization in a world where most people have been razed by the hand of god. So, he is more...open now, with recruitment. You don't necessarily have to be Italian to join the Family, although most of the capos are. That's mostly due to the fact they've been here from the old days."
(Concerta Lombardi's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "You've been calling the shots this whole time?"
Concerta Lombardi: "I have indeed. My brother was older, but certainly not wiser. He was always an impulsive, temperamental person, driven by vice and whims. I had to be the level-headed one. The decisive one. The tactician. If I didn't, we'd be begging for scraps on the street. I won't lie and pretend I'm some selfless do-gooder who was trying to protect him. I looked out for myself, first and foremost. But everything I did, was with his best interest at heart. I hope you can believe that, if not anything else."
(Concerta Lombardi's dialogue) - ↑ Community center terminal entries; Abandoned terminal, Personal Logs, [February 14th, 2078]
- ↑ Community center terminal entries; Abandoned terminal, Personal Logs, [May 18th, 2078]
- ↑ City hall terminal entries; Don Ropiequet's terminal, 2/19/2085
- ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "So what happened then? How does a farmer become a mayor?"
Mayor Timothy Lane: "By convincing my livestock to vote for me. No, in all seriousness, the situation in Atlantic City after the bombs was grim. The previous mayor was a woman named Carly Day. She was elected mayor during the before times, and it just carried over. But she was doing nothing, letting everyone starve and crime skyrocket. People were getting desperate. Soon, there wasn't enough food even for the kingpins. That's when the Family came knocking at my door."
(Mayor Timothy Lane's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Did the Family try to rob you?"
Mayor Timothy Lane: "Keyword there is 'try.' My wife's an engineer, and managed to keep the soil on our land purified. We had some of the only viable crops in the area. The Family wanted it all for themselves. They were pretty surprised when I took all but one of their raiding party out with my shotgun. Then, it became more of a negotiation. The one fellow I left alive told me about how bad things had gotten in the city proper. I knew if I didn't do something, Atlantic City would crumble."
(Mayor Timothy Lane's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Why do people call you guys Munis?"
Mayor Timothy Lane: "I can only assume it's short for 'Municipal Government', which is what we are. So at least that's correct. It was a derogatory term spread by the Family and the Showmen to mock us. They think we're just a bunch of goody-two-shoes. Maybe we are. But I fail to see how that's a bad thing. I'd rather be a Muni than a maniac or a mobster."
(Mayor Timothy Lane's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "What is the civilian government responsible for?"
Frieda Lane: "To be blunt, we handle basically everything. Electricity, food, clean water, trade, medicine, security... We make sure the people of Atlantic City are taken care of. It's exhausting work, but no one else is going to do it."
(Frieda Lane's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "How did you come into power, then?"
Mayor Timothy Lane: "I made my way down to the city proper, and marched on in to City Hall. Met with Carly Day. She wasn't willing to listen to reason. So, I gave her an ultimatum. Either she agrees to start doing her job, or gets the hell out of Dodge and lets someone else do it. In a moment of divine inspiration she...chose to flee. No one else wanted to take over her job. You've got the threat of the mafia breathing down your neck, and the Showmen were just forming around that time, too. So, I stepped up to the plate. And that was the start of Atlantic City's rebirth."
(Mayor Timothy Lane's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Like...?"
Billy Beltbuckles: "Well, we run all the casinos and basically own the Entertainment District. So there's that! Gambling and hotels? Check! We also regulate the flow of booze and chems in and out of Atlantic City. Nothing is made or sold without our involvement. Some may say they're dicey industries, but I can assure you that we keep everything aboveboard!"
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "How does the Mayor's Office deal with the mafia and the Showmen?"
Mayor Timothy Lane: "With an immense amount of patience. They're both more concerned with making money above all else. They're meant to keep the peace on the streets if any... emergencies come up. Heh. Usually they're the ones causing trouble. That, and they love to weasel their way out of paying their taxes. Buttercup takes care of that."
Vault 76 dweller: "I'm surprised the government is allied with organized crime."
Mayor Timothy Lane: "Atlantic City is a city of sin and vice. That's just its nature. We don't aim for heaven, but rather, a civilized hell. When you live in hell, do you try to change the Devil, knowing another one will just take its place if you succeed? No. You work with it in an attempt to mitigate its evil. That's just what life in Atlantic City is like."
(Mayor Timothy Lane's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Devil's Blood is made from the actual blood of the Jersey Devil?"
Antonio Russo: "It was, initially. Nowadays it's just formulated with synthetic materials to achieve the same effect. Even the synthetic shit is expensive to get your hands on. Hence why it's so...exclusive."
(Antonio Russo's dialogue) - ↑ Antonio Russo: "I became a rich man off of his blood. And so did every Wise Guy in AC, thanks to me. Quentino was over the moon. And that gavone Concerta couldn't do a thing about it. That is, until Quentino bit the dust. It was unavoidable. But, like the little viper she is, Concerta saw that as her chance to strike. No one knows he's dead, 'cept me and her. So she decided to rule in his place, and say that everything is coming from his mouth still. 'Cause of that, I never became godfather, and she painted a target on my sorry ass. So I tell Evelyn this nonsense about starting a club in Appalachia. Said it's a real happening place. Pfft. We pack it up and boot it. And yeah, that's around when the 'senility' act started up. I thought Concerta would let up if I looked all innocent. But she saw right through it. So now I'm here in this dump."
Vault 76 dweller: "So if you created Devil's Blood, does that mean you have a pure sample?"
Antonio Russo: "It just so happens I saved a vial of blood. So yeah, I do. If what you're saying's true, we've gotta get this to Gene ASAP. So yes, I've gotta go back to AC and become a walking target. I'll gather everything we need. Go get Abbie. She probably wants to see you over me anyway."
(Antonio Russo's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "How did you even get this job?"
Billy Beltbuckles: "My pop's a capo. He gave it to me. 'Course, he didn't tell me about all the 'extra' responsibilities I'd have. Sometimes I doubt he even knows. Things have changed a lot lately."
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ Billy Beltbuckles: "My job itself. I don't think I can do this. I thought being an accountant was all about money. Turns out, it's not. I handle the money. But there's been uh, expectations put on me that I wasn't aware of. 'Desperate times call for desperate measures', they said. Except it all flows downhill to me, and it's not really my wheelhouse. I could really use your help taking on these extra responsibilities. And then my dad won't be mad at me!"
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "You don't seem too sure about that."
Billy Beltbuckles: "Uh, well, look. Between you and me, I don't do any of that. I thought that's what this job would be when my pop gave it to me. But man, was I wrong! They want me to cook the books so they don't have to pay up to anyone. We're not supposed to cheat the others. Not this bad, anyway. Things have changed here lately."
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Why does everyone want you dead?"
Billy Beltbuckles: "Isn't it obvious? I've been forging numbers and hiding their dues to get the Family out of paying. This is unprecedented. The Family's never cheated them this much before. But it's not intentional! I'm just...I'm just following orders. I'll be sleeping with the fishes too if I don't do this."
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Who's in charge around here?"
Billy Beltbuckles: "Oh, that'd be Don Quentino! He's been our Godfather since before the bombs! He calls all the shots, and they're usually good shots too! People are pretty scared of his sister though. Concerta. For good reason. Let's see. In terms of capos, there's Fabio. Likes to talk a lot. There was also Antonio. He was handling our chem distribution. Haven't seen him in a while though."
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Tell me more about Antonio."
Billy Beltbuckles: "He was always super smart. Really ruthless, though. I usually steered clear of him. His family's kinda a mess. 'Cept for Vin. So yeah, people gossiped about him a lot. Not too long before he went missing, he'd gotten kinda funny. He started forgetting a lot of stuff. Acted real confused. Dunno what that was all about, but the others all looked pretty worried."
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ Succession
- ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "How is this even possible?"
Antonio Russo: "Heh. How about I tell you a story, kid? Suppose you know by now I was a capo. Big one, too. Not a drop of Devil's Blood flowed in AC without my say in it. I only got where I was 'cause Quentino took me under his wing. He was the godfather when I joined up with the Family. Up until recently. We was thicker than thieves, blood brothers. He didn't have any sons of his own. He'd made it very clear that when it came time to kick the bucket, I'd become don. And then when I croak, Vin would take my place. 'Cept he has a demon of a little sister. Concerta. She never liked me. Wanted to be don herself. Yet she can't be. For...obvious reasons."
Vault 76 dweller: "Why would Quentino make you godfather instead of his own sister?"
Antonio Russo: "It's...why you gotta ask questions that don't have an easy answer, eh? Being don, you've gotta make a lot of tough decisions. You've gotta do a lot of bad things. And... there's certain traditions we have to follow. Some of these traditions are very outdated. But they're followed nevertheless. That's how Concerta got iced out. If that hadn't been the case, who knows? Maybe she wouldn't have ended up...the way that she did."
Vault 76 dweller: "How has no one caught on that Quentino is dead?"
Antonio Russo: "Concerta has it spun that he's just weak from old age and can't make public appearances no more. Truth is, she's probably gonna come out as don sooner or later, but is trying to ease into the process. That is, if the Family accepts her. She's going to face some opposition, even without my beautiful mug around."
(Antonio Russo's dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Do the Wise Guys not get along with the Munis and the Showmen?"
Billy Beltbuckles: "We usually all get along. We have a peace deal. No one whacks each other without good reason. And when they do, it's on a very small scale, like a personal grudge. Never all-out war. We usually cover those things up. Things are just...a bit chaotic right now. No one really wants this. Between you and me, I think leadership is going in a bad, bad direction."
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ Billy Beltbuckles: "You didn't hear this from me, but Fabio has been saying stuff about becoming the new don. But how can he do that if Quentino is still don? Maybe he's retiring."
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Does the mafia own this place?"
Sal Sticky Fingers: "Don Quentino bought it up before the bombs. Prime real estate, it was. He fixed it up into somethin' like a headquarters for us. A place for the Family to lay low without the damn Munis up our asses wanting their 'taxes.'"
(Sal Sticky Fingers' dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "Do the others know you did this?"
Sal Sticky Fingers: "I operate on a need-to-know basis, kid. I only tell the other Wise Guys what they need to know. And, between you and me? They don't need to know. Once I start pulling in more caps, they won't be complaining. Maybe then I'll finally get some damn respect 'round here."
(Sal Sticky Fingers' dialogue) - ↑ Vault 76 dweller: "What's your take on the Munis?"
Billy Beltbuckles: "The Munis? If their auditors weren't always trying to ki-I mean, talk to me, I'd love them. They keep this city running and all of our customers alive. And we don't even have to lift a finger. It's great! Mayor Tim is in charge of 'em all. I've never met him personally, but I hear he's a great guy. You don't wanna mess with him though. He's tough as nails."
(Billy Beltbuckles' dialogue) - ↑ The Neapolitan Casino terminal entries; Billy's personal terminal, Lombardi, C - Need your help
- ↑ The Neapolitan Casino terminal entries; Concerta's personal terminal, [External] Charlotte: Missing Funds
- ↑ The Neapolitan Casino terminal entries; Concerta's personal computer, UNKNOWN USER: Missing Auditors
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