New York Noir - sexy noir mystery

[Caeli]

I was going to express interest, but it looks like you have more than enough for your 4-6 players, so I'll probably just keep an eye on the game thread once it gets started.

[Amelita]

     

Name: Andrea Mangano/Aliana Mila

Date of birth: May 1st 1920

Character archetype: The Wildcard

Biography: Andrea is daughter of Vito Mangano, Boss of the NY Mangano family. Born and raised in a cotton padded home, she remained clueless of how much different her 'family' was from others until it was literally shoved in her face at age sixteen when one of her father's rivals (Charlie "Lucky" Luciano) took her hostage as means of coercion into loosening a choke hold on the rival family's income, resulting in a small war which is not discussed in the Mangano household due to less than favorable results.

From that day, the pretty illusion her father had created around her childhood and family was replaced with the gritty reality of NYC's underbelly. There was no closing doors on it now, and having inherited her mother's fierce Italian temper and passion the girl took her place within the famiglia. Wanting to keep her relatively safe, Vito tried chaining her to a desk (not literally :P ) but she weaseled out of that by turning on the charm and taking advantage of the man's utter weakness for his youngest child and only daughter. Instead she found her way to a place where her father probably least wanted her: On stage in the 123 club, owned by a rival family.

Andrea adopted a stage name to keep from revealing her connection to Vito Mangano, Aliana Mila, but to make sure the lounge singer is not put in danger, Vito has two of his men in the club any time she's there to act as bodyguards/babysitters. This has been ongoing for the last few years, all while miss Aliana Mila earned quite a name as a performer.

She heard about the diamond from her oldest brother, Henry, and got the idea in her head to find it to buy herself freedom from the cage she feels she's in. (And oh has she tried any means to get away from those two men who are placed to keep watch on her...) By the time the story takes place, she is actively trying to get away from the family but also desperately trying to do so without losing them or hurting them. She is extremely torn between the loyalty she's raised to possess, and the freedom her nature demands.

[RedEve]

IC and OOC threads have been created:

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=130852.0

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=130853.0

Those of you who have approved characters are free to start posting whenever they want. I will create a character thread and move the CS in there later tonight. :)

[Reia]

Margaret Jean Ambrose

Emma Joyce Ambrose

Name: Margaret Jean Ambrose
Date of birth: April 4, 1922
Character archetype: Thief, Seductress
Biography:

Margaret was born into a wealthy family in Liverpool, England. She was the fourth of what would be five daughters, all close in age with barely a year between each of them. Because of her family's status, she had a comfortable childhood, with a governess to watch over her and her sisters and a father willing to dote on all his girls. Unfortunately her father was killed in an untimely accident while riding his horse in 1930. Margaret was only 9.

Because there was no immediate heir to inherent the family fortune, an entail set up by Margaret's late grandfather demanded that everything go to a distant second cousin. Each girl was left with a small sum, enough to help them with any general schooling left, and their mother given an allowance of £1,500 per annum for the entire family. In 1932, after finding life in England to be very different now that they were no longer living the life of luxuries they had been accustomed to, Margaret's mother decided to move to America with the girls.

They settled in the growing neighborhood of Riverdale. Even though the country was suffering from the Depression, the girls found they were able to live a life much more like the one they'd had before their father's passing, thanks to the highly favorable rate of exchange. In 1933 when the Riverdale Girls School was opened, their mother opted to send the girls there, being more than happy to pay the high tuition so her daughters could get a good education.

Though life was good for her, Margaret found herself feeling resentful towards her mother, and subsequently her older sisters for enjoying the change, for having been moved away from her family in England. Throughout her years in school, she saved whatever penny she could, oftentimes going as far as stealing bits of money from her mother. She graduated the school at the age of 17 and refused to attend college as her older sisters had opted for. Instead she took the money she had, stole a good chunk of the family's fortune, and left home - promising her younger sister to come back for her one day. She changed her name to avoid being found and moved into the city proper.

She bought herself a small apartment in Manhattan, in a new complex that boasted state of the art amenities and even more impressive residents. By passing off as an orphaned girl straight off the boat from England, she managed to win the hearts of her neighbors. It was here that her life of crime really took off. Margaret started by stealing things from the wealthiest of her neighbors, small items that when finally noticed would be brushed aside as simply lost. Slowly she took to stealing larger and much more expensive items. Every once in a while, she would have things "stolen" from her to throw of suspicion.

At the same time, she was learning how to use her delicate youthful looks to seduce men, married and not, and having them shower her with gifts. Because of her self-proclaimed bachelor-ette status women often take a dislike to her. Over the years she has finessed her style of seduction, only going for the men she feels are truly worth it. Her latest conquest is the new husband of her dearest friend, Mary - a girl she's befriended only due to her family's considerable wealth.

Because of her acquisitions, her wealth has only grown. She bought herself an exceedingly larger apartment in an much more upscale building, with more appealing targets. Her old apartment she's kept, renting it out as a decent, secondary source of income.

Shortly after she turned 25 she ran into her youngest sister, Emma Joyce. After finding out that Emma had left home not too shortly after Margaret and was struggling to get by, she took her sister under her wing and is now teaching her everything she knows. She hopes this will make up for her long forgotten promise.

Two years ago she heard about a large Ruby necklace said to be worth more than anyone could imagine. Keen on moving up from what she considers to be petty theft, Margaret has set her eyes on the prize.


Name: Emma Joyce Ambrose
Date of birth: September 28, 1923
Character archetype: NPC
Biography:

Emma always looked up to her sister, Margaret, and was devastated when she left home. Shortly after, Emma left as well, wanting to do nothing with a mother who wailed about lost fortunes and sisters who had married for nothing more than money. She worked as a waitress for a few years, living in a shabby but comfortable women's home. Two years ago she ran into her sister and after telling Margaret of how she was living and working, Emma moved in with her. She is now in the process of learning about her sister's life and trying desperately to emulate her. Emma's forgiven Margaret, but isn't aware that this needs being said.

[Le Immortelle]

Amazon - if you're bringing over your other character concept, I take it that's the private Eye you're going with then?
I'll get on creating the dirty cop bio so  :-)

Yush and I love your char!

My charsheet shall be up tomorrow. :)

[Kendra]

Yush and I love your char!

My charsheet shall be up tomorrow. :)

aww thank you ;)

must say I've enjoyed all the characters posted so far ... no pressure there Amazon!  XD

[RedEve]

And here is the link to the character thread:
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=130867.0

[Chrystal]

Sam Shovel is a great character. We never did formal char sheets for "Gumshoe", and I'm still making the plot up as I go (Yea, I'm "GM-ing" it). But it's sort-of based very loosely on "The Maltese Falcon".

(Sam Spade and Ivy Archer, in case you hadn't worked it out).

[Xunzar]

- I am a detective
by ~Munglai
Name: Jack Smith
Date of birth: June 23rd, 1917
Character archetype: Detective-for-Hire
Biography: Jack was born to Dr. James Pierson  and Lacy. Lacy didn't have a last name, she was just a street walker in the right place when Dr. Smith needed some fun. As such, she found herself out of work for several months while she carried the child to term. She treated him well...as well as she could, but she always blamed him for her never fetching as high a price anymore. Finally, at age 6, Jack ran away from home.

It was easy for the quick youth to fall into a life of crime, and he did so almost as soon as an older street-tough took him in and taught him a trade. He was just a little boy that no one noticed, even after he'd picked their pockets. It wasn't until he was fifteen that he began moving up in the world. A local mobster took an interest in Jack and decided to hire him as an errand boy.

Soon, he was more than that. By the time he was nineteen, he was doing enforcement work for the man, who'd seen to it that his young amusement was educated. Originally, it was done on a lark, just to screw with the kid's head, but Jack proved to be an able student and was well on his way to moving up the ladder to being a significant man in the boss' organization when the last bunch of honest cops raided their place.

Jack ended up in jail for only a short time, there was little that could be proven about his involvement in anything specific. When he got out, a private investigator took Jack under his wing.

Jack took to it entirely. He was good at the work. At twenty-five, he decided to go solo. The parting was amicable and Jack and his mentor are usually on good terms, except when a case comes up that they're on opposite sides of.

Instead, Jack set up in a small office as a professional finder of things that were missing...or occasionally, things that were to go missing. It's not exactly a thriving business, but both sides of the street know that there are two things that can be said about Jack: He's good at what he does, and he's honest enough not to rat you out.

His interest in the necklace stemmed, initially, from a young woman who came into his office and asked him to find it. She didn't blink at his fee, and he was staring at her body. But he's not sure he's going to take the job, he did a little asking around and it seems like everyone and their brother is after that thing. But on the other hand, the dame is willing to pay a LOT of money...

[Le Immortelle]

Name: Samantha 'Sam; Shovel
Date of birth: 13th November, 1910
Character archetype: Private Investigator
Biography: Samantha Shovel was born to a father who was a policeman and mother who was a housewife in New York. Since her childhood it had been her dream to become a cop herself one day and she succeeded in fulfilling it eventually. Only to find out that life as a badass, crime busting cop wasn't as simple as she had imagined. The city was as corrupt as it gets and one just might've said that the cops were worse than the criminals as Sam found out at a hefty price. Each time she attempted to bust some nasty criminals she was preventing in one way or another.

Eventually she got far too close for her own good in a bid to expose Chief himself. That, coupled with the affair she was having with the wife of the Chief of Police promptly got her fired from her position in a highly humiliating manner. After which she just set up a shop as a private investigator. These incidents, along with the death of her parents in a car accident at the same time turned her into a rather cynical and bitter person from whom no vice escaped, turning into a chain smoker and a serious alcoholic. That is, until the time she met Ivy Bowman who had approached Sam in order to find her missing daughter.

Both of them became lovers soon and Sam had her share of adventures with Ivy as some of Ivy's secrets were revealed. Sam still operates as a P.I. herself and continues to take on new cases. The missing Ruby has intrigued her considering the whole town has been on the hunt for it and she has been approached by an annonymous party to track it down for handsome fee.

[RedEve]

Name: Samantha 'Sam; Shovel
Date of birth: 13th November, 1910
Character archetype: Private Investigator
Biography: Samantha Shovel was born to a father who was a policeman and mother who was a housewife in New York. Since her childhood it had been her dream to become a cop herself one day and she succeeded in fulfilling it eventually. Only to find out that life as a badass, crime busting cop wasn't as simple as she had imagined. The city was as corrupt as it gets and one just might've said that the cops were worse than the criminals as Sam found out at a hefty price. Each time she attempted to bust some nasty criminals she was preventing in one way or another.

Eventually she got far too close for her own good in a bid to expose Chief himself. That, coupled with the affair she was having with the wife of the Chief of Police promptly got her fired from her position in a highly humiliating manner. After which she just set up a shop as a private investigator. These incidents, along with the death of her parents in a car accident at the same time turned her into a rather cynical and bitter person from whom no vice escaped, turning into a chain smoker and a serious alcoholic. That is, until the time she met Ivy Bowman who had approached Sam in order to find her missing daughter.

Both of them became lovers soon and Sam had her share of adventures with Ivy as some of Ivy's secrets were revealed. Sam still operates as a P.I. herself and continues to take on new cases. The missing Ruby has intrigued her considering the whole town has been on the hunt for it and she has been approached by an annonymous party to track it down for handsome fee.

Approved.