The Vice Vipers is a poser gang inspired by a tv show from a century ago called "Miami Vice." They have a not-so-careful balance act between running a detective agency that solves crime on one hand, and being heavily involved in various criminal activities themselves. It is, of course, not about being on one side of the law or the other, but looking good while doing it.
The Vipers have their headquarters and detective agency in the southern part of Northside, but their activities sometimes take them into Little China as well. Because of the gang's involvement in the sex industry, they've encountered The Mox more than a few times. Although they don't completely approve of each other's methods, they both recognize that there are significantly worse options for the sex workers.
Factions
There are four factions within the vipers with different views on what the gang should be about. First, the Cosplayers make up the majority and harken back to the poser gang foundations of the vipers. They review Miami Vice regularly, adopt kitch fashion, and strive for the attitude that made the show special. To them, Vice Vipers are a beacon of style and heart beyond what any simple gang can offer.
In stark contrast, the Other Side want to live up to the style, but they also recognize that Vice Vipers is a street gang with expenses. Stylish jackets and great shades don't pay for themselves. Dealing drugs, having prostitutes, and demanding protection from local businesses are a must. And when that requires the gang to go beyond both the style and ethos of the lore, so be it.
The Two Shoes (as in Goody) stand in opposition to the Other Side on that last point in particular. The whole point of Vice being involved with the bad guys is to beat them up. Do good by being part of it all. Let's take care of the prostitutes, keep drugs away from the unstable, and protect locations that pay protection money.
The final faction, the Moral Majority, takes issue with the very concepts of vice crimes. They oppose the Other Side and see Two Shoes as fools who haven't understood that they're betraying Vice. They're the smallest faction, but also the ones with the strongest convictions.
History
The gang spent its first fifteen years as a poser gang. Their then leader took the name Sonny Crockett and organized infiltration of various gang activities for no other reason than to infiltrate. Because of the strict demands on look and attitude, other gangs often played along, as they rarely got harmed. At least, that's how it started. The current leader rose within the ranks after joining and took crime much more seriously. This led to a harsher kind of gang, but also a much larger and effective one as they gained an income. After Sonny was killed in a shootout, the choice of new leader was obvious. Taking the name Don Johnson, the name of the actor instead of the character, was a statement. Reality would be a priority from now on. This is the Other Side.
"Undercover" members were now required to bring in profit and/or power to the Vipers. They required those with a sex-worker cover to be at least 14, but otherwise, most tasks were given to members of any age if they were capable. Any kid able to count money can sell drugs. Anyone tough enough can run a protection racket.
In 2072, a group of agents, including the recently promoted Gina Calabrese, investigated missing prostitutes in the area. They eventually found them in a lab run by a doctor Paul Nova for Trauma Team. The doctor was studying the effects of aphrodisiacs on the human body and didn't care to be bogged down by silly things like ethics boards or incremental studies. Instead, he held each sex-worker in a cryotube where he could inject them with whatever chemicals he wanted, turn off the cryogenics, and observe the effects. This horrified the Vice Vipers and, while Nova might have escaped, they managed to thoroughly destroy the operation.
This event created the Two Shoes faction. It didn't take long before different Two Shoes members had very different takes. Most of them wanted to reform Vice Vipers to be more responsible, but others felt a moral obligation to eradicate activities shown as bad in the Show. The smaller groups were responsible for an attack that led to a war with The Mox in '73. To "liberate" sex-workers under Mox protection, they opened fire on said protectors. Over several weeks and multiple shootings, the two gangs killed several members of each other. It also put the very people the Two Shoes and the new Moral Majority faction ostensibly cared about the most at risk.
When ceasefire came, Vice Vipers were banned from operating in Little China. The Mox don't have an interest in Northside, but are also not exclusively prevented from working there if they want to. This was a serious setback and loss of face for the Moral Majority, but they haven't given up on their values.
Smuggling
Sex-work
Protection rackets
Comments