Maeda Cartel

The Maeda Cartel is a criminal organization akin to a mafia group that operates out of New York City. The head of the 'family' is Tatsuro Maeda, Grandson to the original leader. The second in command is his wife and partner Mei Wang, though as of late Annette Beaumont has taken over large portions of the important business elements. The cartel is one of several crime families and groups within the city, but is the only one of Japanese origin to make the grade of major organizations.

Though mostly a collection of front businesses, street thuggery and behind the scenes rackets/activities such as smuggling, the cartel has gained some prominence thanks to mysterious ties with Poison Ivy and her subordinates, leading the cartel to clash with the clandestine government Heels Agency.

## History

The Maeda Cartel was originally founded in the mid-to-late 1960's when Tatsuro's grandfather Motonari immigrated to the United States from Japan. The post-war period in Japan forced the family to seek fresher pastures and with feelings still raw in the US to his kind, crime was the natural fit for supporting their new lifestyle as legitimate work was hard to come by. The gang started out as a small outfit for petty criminality, but Grandpa Maeda was ever ambitious and built their reach up until they became a full grown cartel. The group was responsible for much of the gangland crime in the 1960's and 1970's, taking advantage of the police corruption if the era to cement a controlling interest in a number of boroughs and neighborhoods in the city, becoming hard to root out or shift. Additional personnel, including Tatsuro, where recruited from Japan and the immigrant community in New York. Tatsuro was taken in as his Grandfather's right hand man and successor.

Years after, a now fully matured Tatsuro rose to the leadership of the family, after the mysterious death of the previous head. He quashed any potential rebellion with a quick and bloody coup, executing a number of lieutenants said to be conspiring against the change in management. Since that time, Maeda has reigned as undisputed head of the Maeda Cartel, but has also presided over a period of stagnation with the loss of much of the talented leadership due to his coup. It was after a long time of Tatsuro being unable to fulfill his ambitions of becoming the strongest of the NYC crime families that he was approached by the mysterious Poison Ivy, who promised him the ambitions he desired in return for his help in her grand designs.

### Agents of Heels: Misadventures of Agent Romanov (AoH: MoAR)

The Maeda Cartel are an important piece of the events of *AoH:MoAR.* However, that content is still ongoing, and so the definitive history and it's effects on the Maeda Cartel's History is yet to be determined.

## Involvement

The Maeda Cartel is in broad terms one of the leading antagonist organizations of the beWilderverse. Their major involvement is currently confined to A*gents of Heels: Misadventures of Agent Romanov*, where many of the cartels members feature.

### Agents of Heels: Misadventures of Agent Romanov

The Maeda Cartel play a major role in *AoH: MoAR*, acting as one of the main antagonist groups of the story. Tatsuro Maeda seeks to elevate his group to a higher status with the help of Ivy, and by taking on the Heels Agency. However, his attentions are diverted by his lust for Natasha Romanov, an agent of Heels, after her investigations into her boyfriend's death lead her to believe the Cartel to be behind his death.

Beyond this, the Cartel's involvement is not yet completely known, as the content is still ongoing.

## Organizational Structure

The Maeda Cartel's organizational structure is a traditional top-down hierarchy structure, not unlike most mafia groups. The family's head, currently Tatsuro Maeda, is the top of the chain, with several personally selected lieutenants and personnel running things beneath him. Below them are a number of cells of mid-level members, each specializing in different areas of the groups business interests: Smuggling, Drugs, Grand Larceny/Robbery, Legitimate entertainment and Human Trafficking. Under these are several levels of petty criminal bands who work the street end of the gangs activities, as well as recruitment and territory control.

### Leadership/Management Style

Tatsuro Maede is the end all and be all leader of the Maeda Cartel, second only to hold the title since the death of his Grandfather who held the job before him. His word is law to members of the group. While he can be authoritarian, he is usually laissez-faire with others, instead content to oversee his Gentleman's Club and chase women, letting his wife Mei Wang handle the finances or as of late Annette Beaumont to handle staffing issues.

### Membership

#### Lieutenants

* Mei Wang
* Annette Beaumont

### Locations and Assets

As part of the Cartel, a number of businesses and secondary locations are under the control of the organization at large. Important such places include:

* Club Kaikaku, Maeda's Gentleman's Club
* Mei Wang's Bar
* Waterfront Warehouse

### Area(s) of Influence

The Maeda Cartel is limited in it's influence, acting as an important if criminal group in New York City. Beyond the reaches of the city, the organization has little name recognition or pull.

## References

1. ↑ Stated by Catwoman in *Agents of Heels: Misadventures of Agent Romanov*
2. ↑ Stated by Catwoman in her scene as narrator during Agents of Heels: Misadventures of Agent Romanov v0.6