Italians in suits with guns. That’s the image that the word “mafia” conjures. Which is why I was not quite sure what to make when first watching the trailer for Mafia 3. Lincoln Clay doesn’t look Italian, doesn’t sound Italian, and doesn’t live in New York, unless there’s a new borough named “The Bayou” that I’m unaware of.
New Orleans is not the typical setting for the mafia and Lincoln Clay is not the typical mafioso, but a little look into the history of the mafia shows it’s really not that farfetched. For those in the know, the New Orleans crime family is actually one of the oldest in the nation, with a history that goes back to the Civil War. It was involved in all the same rackets as its more famous New York counterparts and struck fear into the locals.
Unlike in New York, however, the locals were a bit more likely to take matters into their own hands, which led to 11 mafia members being lynched in 1890. They’ve always had an extreme amount of political pull, as evidenced by light jail sentences, and one of their most famous Capos, Carlos Marcello, was even investigated after the assassination of JFK. For much of the city’s history, they were as much a part of it as anything else New Orleans is known for. The mafia might not be synonymous with the city, but it should be.
While the game will focus on creating your own family, the location isn’t nearly as random as it might seem. It makes sense for a disenfranchised Vietnam Vet to find his way to New Orleans, where he will go up against the infamous Italian crime families, leaving him with two choices: find a family or die.
Mafia 3 is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2016.
