#open: mob

[absinthehq]

LEONARDO BONVENTRE

FIFTY FIVE. BONVENTRE UNDERBOSS. ACCOUNTANT @ ABSINTHE.

trigger warning for death.

Born in Sicily, Italy, Leonardo Bonventre is the younger brother to Cesare. The one who lives in his shadow. Being the youngest was supposed to give you advantages, it was supposed to get you ahead in life by being spoiled and selfish… but Leo only happened to become the latter. As he grew side by side with Cesare, he realized his brother would inherit his father’s fortune, not Leonardo. The two Sicilian brothers were expected from an early age to compete against each other, but Leonardo could never come close to competing with his brother – he both loved and hated him too much to go with it.

They came to the states together. Did everything together. And when Cesare formed his alliances and the Bonventre mob came to be, Leonardo became his right-hand, his number one friend, trusted partner and associate. Too bad Cesare was blinded by his loyalty and love to family to ever see Leo’s true nature – a survivalist.

Love. Hate. A fine line that brings us to 2019, Las Vegas. The Sicilian brothers did everything together: except to die. Cesare’s death came as a surprise, although Leonardo knew of his brother’s enemies (and even plotted alongside them to bring his brother down), he was not expecting his number one enemy to fall down so easily. He was glad, and he was also grieving. It was a weird mixture – because love and hate, well, they mix so well with one another.

But deep down, Leonardo is still the same wolf in sheep’s clothing. And he has done everything he needed to survive, including betray the trust of his brother several times. Cesare did forgive him, but Leo never changed his ways. He’s always only been loyal to himself, and once Cesare was dead, he promised himself he would get to the throne no matter what it took. Power is power, and he’ll play nice and coy to the Bonventre clan no matter how or when, just to gain their trust and their love, so he can twist the knife when he backstabs them.

He has been planning his breakthrough, and it won’t be pretty. He has connections with the Yakuza – which Cesare himself swore hatred through and through, and has allies infiltrated in several other mobs. No one suspects of his darling vengeance against the Bonventre, who will never see it coming. So for now he plays along as the kind and nice uncle he has always been, as the good and overwhelmingly self-sacrificing brother, the one who has been left behind, the one who is supposedly devastated by the loss of another.

For now he is the underboss. He knows Matteo intends to take the throne, despite being the consigliere, but as the underboss, his position is closer to the throne and thus, he’s more powerful than ever. It’s only a matter of time until they all take him as their leader, and Cesare might be rolling in his grave, but nothing will drift Leo apart from his goals. After all, he planned his darling brother’s murder so thoroughly that it happened by someone else’s hands – and for that he is grateful. If asked, Leonardo will merely shrug it off and say it was a devastating debilitating lack of health that took his brother away, but deep down he knows: someone killed Cesare. And he doesn’t want to figure out who.

GLORY AND GORE GO HAND IN HAND…

Matteo Bonventre: If Leo had to pick someone else to hate upon, it’d be Matteo. He’s just like Cesare -- responsible, iron fist and all. However, he’ll obtain his trust and gain advantage over him by being the new Boss. He only needs time. For now he chooses to engage nicely in every conversation, offer a helping hand and a shoulder for the Bonventre clan to cry on.

Sophie Leung: His fiancé and the woman he chose to love for eternity. Their ceremony was delayed due to Cesare’s death, and Leonardo could not be more bitter. He spoils her with everything he has, but little does he know she’s the daughter of a Chinese triad boss and she’s seeking vengeance from the Bonventre, who happened to be responsible for her father’s death.

Francis Thález: Francis is likely to be the new king, although he is merely a caporegime, he’s popular and he thinks like Cesare: straightforward and business-minded. Leonardo pretends to be on his side, but when the take down happens, it’ll be ugly.

Kareena Poddar: Leonardo found out about his brother’s ugly little secret a long time ago. Kareena is a famous fashion stylist seeking glory in the world of Las Vegas. Just how bad would it be if he threatened her to expose her secret to the Bonventre and the public eye? Well, he’s crossed the line and has been blackmailing her. Now she’s in the palm of his hands...

THAT’S WHY WE’RE MAKING HEADLINES!

✉ SENT @ 1:31am  → UNSAVED NUMBER: thank you for the favor (: ✉ SENT @ 9:56pm  → UNSAVED NUMBER: glad he’s gone. ✉ SENT @ 8:56pm  → VICTORIA: i am deeply sorry for your loss, ma’am.

available. faceclaim: jeffrey dean morgan (negotiable)

[absinthehq]

VICTORIA BONVENTRE

sixty. socialite. widow to cesare bonventre.

Widow. Mother. Socialite. Philanthropist. No words suffice to describe Victoria Bonventre, the matriarch to Cesare's kingdom, always in the public eye, always the one to make sacrifices for her children, her family, her husband.

Although she has never truly gotten involved in the family business, more so out of lack of interest than lack of opportunity, Victoria was Cesare's confidant many, many times. And even if he didn't tell her all of his secrets, she still knew them by heart.

And now it's all dead and gone. She's been treading on dangerous waters in an attempt to salvage what's left of her family, but it all takes her back to the girl she was when she met Cesare, bright, and young and twenty-one.

They met in Toscana, Italy, amongst the tall trees and beautiful fields. It had been the perfect first date, although he had been pining for the young socialite years prior to their meeting. She had heard of Cesare's small fortune but wasn't interested: Victoria came from a wealthy family herself and needed no man to maintain her lifestyle. She was more independent back then, more free, had plans and dreams and when she married Cesare at twenty-five, she hoped to conquer the world with him.

And they did. For a while.

She knew of Cesare's cheating habits but never mentioned anything. She became more silent, self-sacrificing as motherhood took over her. As if her womanhood no longer co-existed with her being a mother, she simply forgot herself and dedicated all the time to her children, who, despite her loving, still loved their father better. It pains her to know all her trouble and work weren't acknowledged by her children.

But a woman can only endure so much. To the public eye, Cesare and Victoria were a strong force to be reckoned with, but on the inside, between four walls, things were falling apart. Months prior to his death, she was about to sign up the divorce papers when the second-thinking began and he managed to convince her they'd get better. Together.

But together never happened. He died in all of a sudden, leaving her with an empire to run and several enemies. There's a target on her back, and she knows it, but her priority is still protecting her children, despite all her grieving, her days when she cannot leave her bed, days when she ponders about a different life, had she married someone else. She had been so faithful, so loving. Why couldn't Cesare do the same?

It has been months since his death, and no answers were found. There are more questions than anything, and her strength is too small to go after them. Once an empowered and confident woman, now she's lost touch with herself. Her mask is cracking, her steel skin has gone porcelain, and grief takes over her.

She fears the day when a new boss will take over the empire. No one was Cesare -- and that's both a curse and a blessing. She has no interest in taking over the business, for she has no strength herself. But Victoria is keen on getting a hold of herself, no matter what, she needs to go back to freedom, to sanity and safety.  She has begun to make as many allies as possible, counting on Cesare's trusted friends to help her. If Absinthe needs a boss, they'll have to be approved by none other than the matriarch first.   She's still Victoria Bonventre, and she cannot allow herself to give up without a good fight.

GLORY AND GORE GO HAND IN HAND…

Maya Gulati: Her personal assistant and confidant. Maya has been working for Victoria for many, many years, and they have become good friends, despite their different backgrounds and beliefs. Maya is also her spokeswoman, and does not hesitate to be a cutthroat assistant when Victoria needs it. She trusts Maya with her life, so to speak.

Violetta Bonventre: Out of all of her children, she has to admit Violetta is her favorite. The youngest was the most spoiled, and she has a soft spot for her only girl, her baby girl. Victoria knows Matteo and Lucca don’t appreciate their mother as much as she wanted, but she still loves her children. She just knows she’ll always choose Violetta first, which is a problem and has caused a strain in her relationship with Lucca and Matteo.

Theo Capucci: Cesare’s trusted capo, since the death of her husband, there’s been a spark between them. A flame. Something which she doesn’t have a name for, but it’s there. She is, however, cautious to anyone who isn’t her family, since she knows she has a target on her back - and could easily be backstabbed.

Kareena Poddar: Not everything’s roses. Sometimes it’s just thorns. She knows very well Kareena was Cesare’s latest conquest, and she’s adamant on getting vengeance on the fashion stylist. For now, she simply pretends they’re good friends, but when the time comes, Victoria will show her fangs so Kareena learns a lesson or two.

THAT’S WHY WE’RE MAKING HEADLINES!

✉ SENT @ 2:41pm  → MATTEO: you’ve been overworking ✉ SENT @ 8:56pm  → KAREENA: thanks for the roses. ✉ SENT @ 8:56pm  → VIOLETTA: i love you, my dearest.

available. faceclaim: michelle pfeiffer (non-negotiable)

[absinthehq]

MATTEO BONVENTRE

thirty one. consigliere. criminal defense attorney.

To a man, there is nothing more honorable than loyalty to his family. Cesare raised his three children with love enough to overflow their cups, and when his eldest was born, he knew exactly what Matteo would be good for: taking charge of the family business.

With only so much time in his hands, Cesare did not spend nearly as much time with his eldest as he could have, but nonetheless the love for his father grew steadily as he became older. Matteo was only fifteen when he was introduced to the family business and the life of crime his family led, but he already had his own suspicions about the source of income of his family. Truthfully, he had sworn loyalty to his father many years prior to uncovering the truth about Cesare’s connections to the mafia, and when the story was brought to light, he was surprised but not disappointed in the very least. A man needed to do whatever he had to do to survive, and in his own idealization of his father’s figure, Matteo saw no faults. He would follow his father into hell, if ever asked to.

From an early age he was his father’s right hand, despite not being the favorite child since the birth of his younger siblings, he was the most trusted and the most reliable to say the least. It was Matteo who knew the family secrets, it was Matteo who escorted his mother in and out of the club into the safety of their own home. It was him who became the consigliere to his father at the young age of eighteen, leaving behind the innocence of a childhood interrupted.

For the sake of his father’s business, he married a girl at the age of twenty-six. It was an arranged marriage with the daughter of a Mexican mobster who ruled the local drug dealing scene, but it salvaged the club’s life nonetheless. In his eyes, he was becoming the hero his father needed him to be. Although it was no easy being married to a stranger, he did his best to maintain a happy marriage, albeit failing miserably to do so. They never brought a heir, which would’ve been the real sign of an alliance between the Mexican and Italian mobsters, but they remained married for the sake of their families, and thus, ever since, the families have been happily satisfied.

Over the past few years Matteo dedicated himself fully to the business, as well as his own degree in Criminal Law. He bails his father’s allies out of jail when needed, does a favor or two, and served as the advisor to many risky moves his father took. Matteo was known for being the careful conscience of his father’s mind, and now that he’s gone, the real question remains: who’ll be king?

Although Cesare had never promised Matteo he’d take on the family business, it was implied in their conversations. With only so many allies, Matteo has no time left for games. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect what’s been left of his family, whose devastation and secrets have caused havoc among his siblings. He can only do so much but hold himself and his marriage together, hoping for the birth of a Mexican-Italian child to bring his alliances together.

With a grieving mother who never leaves her bed, two siblings who could not care less about anything but their own right to the throne and a club to manage, things have taken a toll on him. People expect him not to break, but he’s already cracking on the inside. And the dangerous part is: nobody even knows.

GLORY AND GORE GO HAND IN HAND…

Catarina Álvarez: His wife and the woman he’s sworn love to. Although they couldn’t be further from love, he’s loyal to her. It’s a pity he cannot say the same about her, as she likes to flirt with clients and hang around the club looking for men to play with. He doesn’t mind it because he doesn’t love her, but he’d be lying if he said it didn’t damn his reputation.

Violetta Bonventre: She’s a spoiled baby. That’s all he thinks of her. Of course, Matteo loves her, but their relationship is strained to say the very least. He hates her partying ways and most of all, secretly envies her for having been the favorite since day one.

Lucca Bonventre: They couldn’t be more different. Whereas Matteo is responsible and committed, Lucca is irresponsible, lazy and most of all, a bon vivant. He only wants one thing out of his family: and that’s money. Anything else? He couldn’t care less for. That’s how Matteo sees him.

Ayla Karagoz: Ayla is a trusted soldier of the Bonventre. A made woman, she’s reliable as a hitwoman, but unpredictable as a person… too bad they’ve gotten close. Really close. And he just might cross the line this time.

THAT’S WHY WE’RE MAKING HEADLINES!

✉ SENT @ 2:41pm  → VIOLETTA: i know you’re right but i can’t come home. ✉ SENT @ 8:56pm  → LUCCA: where the hell are you? ✉ SENT @ 8:56pm  → AYLA: im good. you good?

available. faceclaim: matthew daddario (non-negotiable)