Mob War: Difference between revisions

The friction between two (or more) rival crime factions has broken out and exploded into all out warfare. This can happen between two groups of the same type/nationality (for example two [[The Mafia|Mafia]] families going at it) or between multiple nationalities. (I.e. [[The Mafiya]] taking on a [[Yakuza]] group). Two groups of [[Gang-Bangers]] getting into a turf war to settle things once and for all also counts, as does [[The Syndicate]] clashing with another Syndicate or group.

 

Sometimes, the war comes from conflict between two factions within a single group, which tends to be a particularly bitter and usually short conflict. In this case it often [[Pyrrhic Villainy|doesn't matter who wins or loses]], as the victor usually finds that their criminal empire has been smashed beyond repair by the conflict.

 

** Specifically, an all-out war against the Yakuza during the Fujiyama Gangster Paridise arc. However, it is noted that potential mob conflicts solve themselves once a third party gets involved: Roberta in the ''El Baille de la Muerte'' arc and Hansel and Grettel in the Vampire Twins arc.

* In the ''[[Gungrave]]'' anime, the out-of-town Lightning organisation's attempt to take power from [[The Syndicate|Millennion]].

* Several arcs of ''Tokyo Crazy Paradise'' center on potential or actual mob wars, sometimes with [[Psycho Serum]]-fueled monsters.

* Happens in ''[[Heat Guy J]]''. The head of the Wei family is ''not'' happy that Clair has been made head of the Leonelli family (One, it interferes with the Wei family's power, and two Clair is [[Ax Crazy|nucking futz]].) He tries to absorb the Leonelli family into his own, and when that fails, slights Clair (and attempts to poison him) at a luncheon/dinner. An all-out fight ensues, with great losses on both sides. Clair responds by sending a tanker truck full of napalm to the Wei family's district. {{spoiler|Daisuke stops him, though.}} (In the manga, he dispenses with the napalm and has his girlfriend build a sexy gyndroid to seduce and strangle Wei. There is also no explicit mention of an all-out [[Mob War]], though that could simply be because the manga is so short.)

== [[Comics]] ==

* ''[[Sin City]]'' occasionally features this, most notably with the Old Town Girls once resisting attempts from the mob to invade their turf and later striking back at [[The Mafia]] for the death of one of their own when she had been just an [[Innocent Bystander]].

** Batman's most notable was [[War Games]] which is a [[Mob War]] started by [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|his own planning used by Stephanie Brown.]] [[Spider-Man]] 's was most likely when the [[Kingpin]] was thought to be dead and all of [[New York]] was crawling over each other to replace him.

* An early ''[[Savage Dragon]]'' storyline featured a mob war among superpowered criminals.

* Virtually the entire plot of Seasons 6 and 7 of ''[[The Shield]]'' is the Strike Team trying to ''start'' a Mob War in order to use them to kill off the other side. Throughout the series though, Vic and the Strike Team try to prevent mob wars as they obviously produce murders and cost everyone money.

* In an episode of [[Spike TV]]'s ''[[Deadliest Warrior]]'', the 1920s Mafia went up against the late 1940s Yakuza in a five-on-five battle royale. {{spoiler|Mafia won}}.

* ''[[Sons of Anarchy]]'' has an ever-shifting balance of power between the eponymous motorcycle club, their Mexican equivalents, the local neo-Nazis, the nearby black and Chinese gangs, and a splinter faction of the IRA.

** Keeping the Sons out of a [[Mob War]] is a recurring theme in the series. They are quite satisfied with the status quo and an open conflict with any of the other factions is likely to severely weaken the club or even destroy it. They are very good at finding out the weakness of an enemy and striking a mutually beneficial deal to avoid a war.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* ''[[Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven]]'' is primarily about the mob war between Salieri and Morello families (except the last missions {{spoiler|after Morello were defeated}}).

* The plot of ''[[Def Jam Series|Def Jam: Fight For New York]]'' is about the battle between two gangs competing for control of New York's [[Fight Clubbing|illegal underground fighting circuit]].

* Parodied in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' with a conflict between [[The Mafia]] (who are backing Marge's pretzel making business) and the [[Yakuza]] (who are hired by the other ladies in town).

* One of the "Goodfeathers" bits on ''[[Animaniacs]]'' did a spoof of [[West Side Story]].

** A much smaller scale version appeared in the second season of ''[[Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]''. Here, the aged Silvermane thought the Kingpin was weak (for failing to eliminate Spider-Man, natch) and not fit for his position. The two sides were determined to dispose of the other, though their conflict didn't engulf the whole city.