CONTENT WARNINGS: emotional, physical, financial, and sexual abuse (including the abuse of children), genre-typical violence, death, murder, and 1950s era bigotry
Addio al Sangue is a project I have been developing since January 2025.
This probably is the most soap opera-y of all of my projects. While the vast majority of my stories contain fantastical elements, Addio al Sangue is grounded firmly in reality which is a bit of a change of pace for me, but I've enjoyed the research I've had to do for it thus far.
After the dawn of the Prohibition Era, five family men from a humble working class Italian-American community broke bad. Their small-scale bootlegging operation soon expanded into a respectable criminal empire. They began opening a number of legitimate businesses (mostly bars and clubs) to provide fronts for illegal activities (loan sharking, labor union corruption, political corruption, money laundering, weapons and drugs trafficking, prostitution, and so on). They used their profits to put local politicians and law enforcement in their pocket, allowing the family freedom from the regulations and scrutiny similar operations would've been subject to.
The "Cinque Signori" (self-described name, translates to "Five Lords" in honor of the family's founders)- known more colloquially as "The Segreti Crime Family" (often shortened to just "The Family" by locals)- is associated with the larger La Cosa Nostra and bears some similarities in hierarchy and naming conventions, but they work independently. Their territory covers most of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area with smaller "outposts" outside of their main base of operations.
At the top of the family hierarchy is a single King/Don. Thus far, the only Dons have been Ignacio Segreti and his son Paolo. This role is expected to be passed from father to son, but it's not a rule set in stone.
Working directly under the Don are several Lords/Underbosses. The first Lords were Massimo Tosi, Umberto Acquati, Rocco Guttuso, and Silvio Durante. The current Lords are Patrizia Tosi, Raimondo Acquati, and Marcello Guttuso. Similar to the Don, it is expected for the role of Lord to be passed down from father to son. The one exception to this rule is Patrizia, who is currently the only woman in The Family who's ever sat at such a high-ranking position.
Below Lords are Knights/Capos, men who maintain a leadership role over their footsoldiers. They are considerably closer to the ground level of family operations and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. It isn't uncommon for the child of a Lord to work as a Capo in their younger years. Current Capos include Bonifacio Segreti, Sandro Tosi, Dario Guttuso, and Amadeo Durante.
Soldiers are the muscle that work directly under an assigned Capo. These are individuals on the lowest level of The Family hierarchy, but are still sworn in as members and are subject to certain protections. However, being sworn in means that the only way "out" of The Family is through death, so it's not a commitment anyone takes lightly.
Finally, there are Associates- individuals who aren't considered members of The Family, but are still useful allies. Associates can include members of other gangs, cooperative small businesses, politicians in The Family's pocket, and individuals working for The Family as low-level legitimate employees who are entrusted with duties outside of their usual job description.
[WIP]
Bonifacio Segreti (he/him)
The eldest and only son of Don Paolo Segreti, head of the Segreti crime family based in Dallas, Texas. Despite being born into a position that would put him next in line for inheriting his father's criminal empire, Bonifacio is treated like the black sheep of the family due to being visibly disabled from birth.
In an effort to "make up" for his perceived shortcomings and prove his elders wrong, Bonifacio takes it upon himself to do much of the difficult dirty work that Don Paolo doesn't want his face associated with. In contrast to the often violent jobs he takes part in, Bonifacio's true strength lies in his intelligence and almost uncanny ability to pick up on the emotions of the people around him (a skill he unfortunately had to pick up growing up with a man as scary and difficult to read as his father).
While Bonifacio knows to keep his head down around his father, he's not a pushover with anyone else. He's quick to stand up for himself and the small handful of people in his corner. He's incredibly loyal and has a tender, sensitive side that only those closest to him get to see. Deep down he's a sensitive romantic who wants power solely to be able to protect the people he loves.
Don Paolo Segreti (he/him)
To most who know him, Paolo Segreti is a pillar of the community. He is respected as a businessman with a philanthropic heart and beloved by folks from all walks of life- from local politicians to the common working man. For all of his influence, however, Paolo's most notable trademark is his everpresent warm smile and subtle yet powerful charisma. He has the comforting presence of a loving mild-mannered father that one can't help but be disarmed by. People often find themselves opening up to Paolo about things they'd never admit to anyone else...
And that's exactly how he wants it.
Just beyond the public's view, Paolo is the cold and ruthless Don of the Segreti Crime Family. When its founder (Paolo's father) died young, Paolo took his place as Don when he was only 24 years old. For over three decades Paolo has overseen The Family's operations and carefully crafted its web of social, political, and financial sway that keep them effectively untouchable from legal consequence.
Despite the control he wields, Paolo's relationships with those closest to him are strained. He never drops his carefully crafted mask around anyone, even his own flesh and blood. After all, Paolo's family is his work. Mixing the two can get messy all too easily, so he approaches both with the same calculated detachment. Though, perhaps, this is just what Paolo tells himself is necessary as he blames his own sentimentality for a personal tragedy that still haunts him 21 years later.
Tatiana Nespola (she/her)
The heiress to an affluent liquor company whose family has ties to the Segreti crime empire stretching back to their origins bootlegging in the Prohibition era. Tatiana met Don Paolo on many occasions growing up and he was considered a close family friend.
Tatiana enjoyed a number of years away from home at university, originally setting out for a degree in literature but became captivated by the rapidly-developing field of psychology. However, she was suddenly pulled from her courses by her parents who gave her an ultimatum: either she would lose all financial support and become destitute, or she would marry (and her parents already had a suitor in mind).
After his proposal, Tatiana moved to live on Don Paolo's estate for the duration of their engagement. The young woman quickly fell into a depression, isolated from everything she once knew and suffocated as she was forced to keep her objections to herself. Her one respite would be found in Don Paolo's son Bonifacio, who was the first and only person to share his disgust with his father's engagement to a woman young enough to be his daughter.
Bonifacio is the only person Tatiana felt she could fully trust. Before long, the pair would become engaged in an affair which continued despite the both of them agreeing it was a bad idea. They cared deeply for eachother, but both of them were too terrified of the unknown that would come with losing the support and safety their respective families provided them if they committed to running away together.
Tatiana is an incredibly bright young woman who's always been drawn to academia. She has a strong sense of justice and is quick to stand up for others, but she often freezes when it comes to defending herself. She also has an anxious tendency to overthink and this often causes her to be very hard on herself.
Amadeo Durante (he/him)
Amadeo was orphaned at a young age alongside his twin brother Alfonso. The boys were adopted off the streets by the daughter of mafia royalty- Lord Silvio Durante- who raised them into made men. For many years the brothers would continue this work together until Alfonso's untimely death at the hands of a detective poking around in The Family's business... At least that's the story Amadeo tells.
Truth is, Alfonso was preparing to snitch on The Family in exchange for immunity and protection for himself and his newly pregnant wife. Upon learning this and realizing there was no convincing him otherwise, Amadeo killed him. He hid the true nature of his brother's death in order to preserve Alfonso's honor so he wouldn't be posthumously villified for his betrayal.
Amadeo mourned and tried to move on, convincing himself murdering his twin was the right call even if it was the hardest thing he ever did. However, that became difficult after Alfonso's ghostly visage began haunting him.
Amadeo is naturally very charming, but he's very soft-spoken and introverted compared to his late twin. Also unlike his twin, Amadeo never developed any significant relationships outside of The Family. Early childhood trauma caused Amadeo to become hypervigilant around most people, convinced almost everyone was out to hurt and use him in some way. Being adopted into The Family was the first time Amadeo felt truly safe. He is terrified of losing that security, even well into adulthood.
Alfonso's death triggered the start of a psychotic break for Amadeo, manifesting at first as hallucinations but would eventually spiral into intense feelings of paranoia and delusions that Alfonso's ghost would take control of his body. Amadeo is trying his best to self-medicate and keep his deteriorating mental health a secret, but there's only so much he can hide from the people closest to him.
"Ramsey" (any pronouns, been called it all at this point)
A low-ranking grunt whose past is a complete mystery. For a while, they worked as a bouncer for one of The Family's clubs until they had to be moved when their presense alone was enough to scare away regular patrons. Stories quickly spread about a particular incident in which a guest caught mistreating one of the dancers almost bled out when Ramsey bit a chunk of flesh out of his neck trying to subdue him. This earned them the nickname "Ramsey the Ripper" and would eventually garner the attention of Don Paolo, who saw value in utilizing someone with their reputation.
Currently Ramsey works directly under Bonifacio, who they very quickly develop a deep affection and loyalty towards.
Ramsey is an individual of few words who has an air of quiet intensity about them. While they wouldn't have been diagnosed in the era in which they lived, by today's standards Ramsey would meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis. They radiate an uncanny "off-ness" that puts most people on edge around them, which is only compounded by their gender non-conformity, reputation, and association with The Family.
Before moving to the city, Ramsey lived on an isolated bit of farmland with their family. They were raised under a fundamentalist sect of christianity that got stranger and more overtly violent with time due to the family's social and geographic isolation. Ramsey is the only one of their siblings who made it off the property alive.
Diletta Segreti (she/her)
The second and youngest child of Don Paolo Segreti, head of the Segreti crime family based in Dallas, Texas. Unlike her brother, Diletta has always been the apple of her father's eye. Don Paolo may smile around everyone, but Diletta seems to be the only person for whom that smile is genuine. To anyone on the outside, Diletta was born lucky.
However, Diletta knows nobody gets something for nothing in this world. She knows the nature of the work her family and "family" have to do to maintain their empire. She notices how strained the relationship between her father and brother is. She knows her father only loves her so openly because she makes herself easy to love: a perfect doll who never disagrees and never asks to leave her gilded cage.
Diletta maintains a "dumb womanchild" act, but under the surface she's just as shrewd a strategist as her father. Except Diletta's strategies aren't about maintaining hold of territory from rival gangs or evading the feds, but instead about maintaining a level of emotional harmony in the home and keeping the family's many powerful connections copacetic. She feels everything could crumble without her.
Diletta is a bubbly and charismatic young woman who effortlessly captures the affection of almost all who meet her. She loves fashion, the arts, and has developed a passion for progressive politics. Despite being pursued by many a bachelor, Diletta never entertains them beyond a few playful but chaste dates.
Patrizia Tosi (she/her)
The daughter of Massimo Tosi, one of the founders of the Segregi Crime Family. Despite being put at a disadvantage because of her sex, Patrizia worked her way up through The Family's ranks of power, not satisfied with a life of complaisance to the men around her. She has an uncanny ability to take control of conversations through intuiting one's shortcomings and using them as a battering ram to brute force her way to a favorable outcome.
While characterized as brash, Patrizia is just as intelligent and persuasive as Don Paolo if not more-so. In fact, if Patrizia were a man, she figures she would have had a chance at becoming Don herself. Her loyalty to The Family is unshakeable, but Patrizia can't deny the bitterness she feels about all the opportunities she's had to fight tooth and nail for that less competent men were given freely.
Patrizia also shares an "on again, off again" relationship with Paolo. The two have always been drawn to one another, but each is too prideful to fully give themself to the other. Even though the spark Patrizia feels for Paolo has never gone away, she knows the only way to be with him would be to make herself smaller, and nobody is worth that sacrifice.
Sandro Tosi (he/him)
At first glance, Sandro appears to be the archetypal man: strong, ambitious, and disciplined. However, just under the surface, Sandro is incredibly insecure and emotionally stunted. He's prone to angry outbursts whenever his competency is put into question (usually by Bonifacio). The two men have regarded each other bitterly since childhood- having been set up to see each other as rivals to surpass in order to become Don one day.
While Sandro is surrounded by loyal soldiers and yes-men, he doesn't appear to have any close meaningful friendships... That is unless you count the one with his mother- Patrizia Tosi. There is nobody Sandro reveres or fears more than her. Deep down, his motivation to succeed has less to do with a desire for power and far more to do with becoming a man his mother would be proud of.
Marcello Guttuso (he/him)
The son of Rocco Guttuso, one of the founders of the Segreti Crime Family. Like his father before him, Marcello's specialty is making sure The Family's finances are in order and "above board". Numbers and regulation click naturally with him in a way most people do not.
One of the only people he felt truly connected to was his late wife who was lost tragically due to birth complications when delivering what would have been the couple's third child. Despite this devastating loss, Marcello did the best he could for his surviving children. While most see him as stern and withdrawn, Marcello's children regard him fondly as a loving and attentive father. Marcello's greatest strength is the way he notices and remembers the little things- details most would overlook. This skill has served him and The Family at large very well.
Dario Guttuso (he/him)
Marcello Guttuso's enigmatic second child and only son. Dario is a man of action who is infamously bad at speaking to others. It is not uncommon for Dario to wordlessly walk away from someone in the middle of conversation if he decides it's not worth his time or attention. Whenever he does talk, Dario almost always steers the topic of discussion towards his lifelong fascination with monsters of myth.
Dario also lacks any ambitions of becoming Don or achieving status of any kind. He appears to simply be satisfied having the means to spoil his collection of weird and exotic pets, his favorite of which being a ball python named Scylla. He prefers the company of creepy crawlies as they don't concern themselves with arbitrary social mores or other frivolities. Their only concern is the drive to survive no matter the cost.
Raimondo Acquati (he/him)
The youngest child of Umberto Acquati, one of the founders of the Segreti Crime Family. Raimondo was the only of his siblings to follow in his father's footsteps and embrace a leadership role in The Family. While he never hesitates to do the dirty work necessary to keep their operation running smoothly, Ray is far more affable and forgiving than his peers.
The bulk of Ray's duties are in Dallas, but his family lives in New York City. He stretches himself thin with how frequently he travels back and forth between the two cities. Ray wishes he could settle more permanently in NYC, but he relies on The Family for the money and protection necessary to give his wife and daughters the life he promised them. It would be too much of a risk for Ray to give Paolo reason to believe that his highest priority isn't The Family.
Alfonso Durante (he/him)
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Marie-Louise Laporte (she/her)
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Dominika Zielinski (she/her)
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Name (pr/ns)
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