Falcone Crime Syndicate

The **Falcone Crime Syndicate**, also known as the **Falcone Crime Family**, is an organized crime family founded by Carmine Falcone in Gotham City. After the arrest of Salvatore Maroni in a sting operation instigated by the Gotham City Police Department and corrupt officials under Falcone's payroll, it became the most powerful criminal empire of Gotham. It is currently led by the Penguin.

## History

### Foundation

The family's early history is not very known besides the fact that they were founded by Carmine Falcone. They were the main rival of the Maroni Crime Family, headed by their boss Salvatore Maroni.

### Operations

In 2001, Falcone's friend Thomas Wayne asked Falcone to intimidate Edward Elliot, a reporter on Maroni's payroll who threatened to reveal the dark past of Thomas's wife Martha, asking him to "put the fear of god in this guy". Falcone tried to intimidate Elliot, but when it didn't work, he had one of his men kill Elliot. Thomas was distraught, and told Falcone he was going to the police, but Thomas and Martha were later killed by an unknown man. It is unknown if it was a hit orchestrated by Falcone or Maroni, or if it was just a random mugger. Regardless, with Thomas dead, Falcone, Maroni, and other corrupt city officials began using the Gotham Renewal fund as a front for laundering money, or for bribes. However, Falcone sought to gain more power.

### Rise to Power

In 2019, Falcone, as well as the police and corrupt politicians such as Don Mitchell Jr and Gil Colson, put together a scheme in bringing down Maroni's Drops operation, with him being put away for life. Falcone now had complete control of the Renewal Corperation, and installed Mitchell as the Mayor, and Pete Savage as police commisioner.

In 2021, a serial killer calling himself the Riddler began targeting and killing the top officials on Falcone's payroll, including Mitchell, Savage, and Colson. Following Mitchell's death, news leaked about a woman named Annika Kosolov who worked at the Iceberg Lounge who apparently knew something from Mitchell. Corrupt narcotics officer William Kenzie kidnapped her from her apartment, and brought her to Falcone, she then revealed that Mitchell let it slip to her that Falcone made a deal with the cops about Maroni's drops business. Wanting to keep it a secret, Falcone strangled her to death, prompting Annika's friend, Selina Kyle, who also happened to be Falcone's daughter, to avenge her, with aid from the Batman. After Falcone was murdered by the Riddler during an arrest by clean officers of the GCPD, his former underboss Oswald Cobblepot succeeded him,

## Facilities

* **Iceberg Lounge**: *nightclub owned and managed by the Penguin*
	+ **Shoreline Lofts**: Falcone, and later Penguin’s penthouse office.
	+ **44 Below**: *nightclub located below the iceberg lounge.*
* **Gotham Renewal Corperation**: Front for money laundering and drop distribution.
	+ **Gotham Sanitation**
	+ **Gotham Recycling**
	+ **Eastside Depot**
* **New Beginnings Animal Rescue**: *Used for distributing drops.*
* **Waterfront Industries**: *Used for Laundering Money.*

## Relationships

* Don Mitchell Jr. †
* Pete Savage †
* Keith Bergman
* Collin Becker
* Patrick Svendsven
* Gil Colson †
* Glen Keller
* Travis Cromwell
* Ritchie Beckett
* John Joon †
* Richard Stone †
	+ Zach Morley
* Carla Diaz
* Cheri
	+ Salvatore Maroni
* Edward Elliot †
* Thomas Wayne †
* Bennett Starling
* Dex Starling - Forced Subordinate
* Batman
* Annika Kosolov †
* Gotham City Police Department - Former Allies
	+ Janice Dure
	+ James Gordon
	+ Martinez
* Seline Kyle/Catwoman
* Carmine Falcone † - Former Leader turned Enemy

## Behind the Scenes

* In the comics, the **Falcone Crime Family**, also known as **The Roman Empire** was the major crime family of Gotham City in Batman's early career that was ruled by Carmine "The Roman" Falcone. Following the events of *The Long Halloween* and *Dark Victory*, their number and power dwindled with the deaths of the more major family members.

## References

Reeves, Matt & Craig, Peter (writers); Reeves, Matt & Clark, Dylan (producers); & Reeves, Matt (director) (March 4, 2022). *The Batman*.