Criminal Business

Overview

Criminal joint

Local criminals are present on every map. They own lots of property (denoted with a pink square icon) and are open to doing business with you, and enemy gangs, if it suits their pockets. Unlike enemy gangs, local criminals will never attack you, even if you attack them... they know who's The Boss!

Vacant Properties

Criminal premise

Criminals own all the vacant properties on the map at the start of the game, specifically joints, premises and construction lots. They also buy the vacated property of any independent business that goes bankrupt. Luckily, they are happy to rent these properties to you, for a fee.

Rent (pay $ fee)

• Cost depends on property type, map and sometimes the location within the map
• Discounts will be given based on your liked rating; more liked = bigger discount
• Use a Mastermind to complete the action faster

Criminal Business Types

The criminals will often establish businesses in their joints and construction lots. Like most businesses, if they suffer too much competition they may go bankrupt.

Unlike independent businesses, most criminal businesses can be bought out if you have warm relations with them, giving you a working business with minimal effort; although the costs are often prohibitive. In the case of hotels, nightclubs and casinos, this gives you a chance to get late game constructions using dirty money; also the original buildings will be retained (no need to build a new structure).

Protection Racket (Joint)

Relations can sometimes be improved by bribing investigators or calling in a favour from a deputy during an active police investigation.

Protection Rackets compete with each other; regardless of owner.

Protection Racket

Drive-by (costs 5 firearms, requires car)

• If successful, you will get a vacant Joint
• Risk of Ambush; use Armoured Car to prevent this
• Raises Heat; use Hitman to prevent this
• Use Mastermind to complete action faster; a Sports Car makes it even faster
• Use Enforcer to get +2 feared rating

Ambush (requires warm or neutral relations)

• Gain $500 dirty money; use Burglar to get 25% more ($625)
• Lowers relations with protection racket
• Risk of Ambush; use Armoured Car to prevent this
• Raises heat; use Hitman to prevent this
• Use Mastermind to complete action faster; a Sports Car makes it even faster
• Use Enforcer to get +2 feared rating

Buyout (pay $ ; requires warm relations)

• Bad value for money; cheaper to drive-by then establish new protection racket
• Transfers ownership of protection racket to you
  • Sometimes lowers relations with independent businesses
• Use Mastermind to complete action faster; a Sports Car makes it even faster

Speakeasy (Joint)

Speakeasy

Relations can sometimes be improved by building a Brewery.

Speakeasies compete with each other; regardless of owner.

Drive-by (costs 5 firearms; requires car)

• If successful, you will get a vacant Joint
• Risk of Ambush; use Armoured Car to prevent this
• Raises Heat; use Hitman to prevent this
• Use Mastermind to complete action faster; a Sports Car makes it even faster
• Use Enforcer to get +2 feared rating

Supply (costs 30 beer)

• Gain $600 dirty money
• Improves relations with the speakeasy
• Use Mastermind to complete action faster; a Sports Car makes it even faster

Buyout (pay $250; requires warm relations)

• Very good value for money
• Transfers ownership of speakeasy to you
  • Sometimes improves relations with independent breweries
  • Sometimes lowers relations with remaining criminal speakeasies
• Use Mastermind to complete action faster; a Sports Car makes it even faster

Car Dealer (Special)

Car Dealer

Maps always have at least one or two car dealers. They never go bankrupt and you can't own them. Their main purpose is to provide cars without raising heat, and provide mid-game access to new cars that break down less often.

Buy Used Car (pay $400)

• Your henchman gets a used car

Buy New Car (pay $$1,000)

• Your henchman gets a new car

The car dealer will almost always be in a special building (pictured to the right).

If you want more control over your cars, consider building yourself an Auto Shop where you can obtain new sports cars and new armoured vehicles.