Acquafredda Gang

Formerly a loosely organized gang of criminals, racketeers, and street thugs, the Acquafredda has become Freeport's central power. They control the majority of Freeport's territory.

History
The Acquafredda family was originally a part of a larger gang, the name of which has long since been forgotten. Some years before season 2, they took over, and the gang quickly rose in power, soon becoming one of Freeport's leading powers, with only the Falcodisangue to truly rival them. While their methods of extortion and intimidation were similar to the Falcodisangue, the Acquafredda were far less refined, primarily due to their origins as opportunists, as opposed to an organized mafia.

Under the leadership of Ciriaco Pier Acquafredda, the gang gained a reputation for their unforgiving treatment of traitors and their willingness to accept anyone who swore loyalty. Towards the end of Ciriaco's reign, he began trying to refine the gang, especially after the Falcodisangue returned to the high seas, leaving much of Freeport's territory unclaimed. Not long after that event, however, Ciriaco died.

He was replaced by a somewhat distant relation, Ersilia Graziella Acquafredda, who continued his work, eventually shaping the gang into a much more organized and refined group. Some of its old characteristics remain, however: Ersilia is just as harsh towards traitors as her predecessor, and the gang still welcomes anyone into its ranks.

Practices
Already a ruthless gang before the departure of the Falcodisangue, the Acquafredda have become even more so since they gained control of the majority of Freeport, continuing their former practices and introducing several new ones.

Docking Fees
This practice has been in place for generations: anyone who wishes to dock in Freeport must pay the Acquafredda. This payment is most frequently simply monetary; however, if a ship brings goods of interest to Freeport, the Acquafredda may instead choose to take some of its cargo. Failure to pay this fee could result in prevention from leaving or reboarding the ship, confiscation of the ship's entire cargo, or, in some cases, disappearance of crew members.

Patrols
The Acquafredda frequently patrol Freeport, usually in groups of two to three. The groups always contain two members considered the muscle of the gang, and are sometimes accompanied by a caster. The stated purpose of these patrols is to ensure the streets remain safe. However, as many even outside the gang know, the true purpose is to catch any who would oppose the gang before they can take action.

Safety Taxes
All those who call the Acquafredda's territory home, or even who simply spend a lot of time there, must pay the gang a safety tax. Businesses in the territory must pay this tax as well. According to the gang, this allows them to better patrol the area and protect its inhabitants. Those who refuse to pay this tax have been known to disappear suddenly. They occasionally reappear later, but usually no longer refuse to pay the tax; if they do, they disappear and are not seen again.

Bannering
Businesses in Acquafredda territory, in addition to paying the safety tax, are required to display the Acquafredda's blue banner above their doorway. Any business with this banner is considered "Acquafredda property," and the gang demands its goods and services be provided to gang members for free. Businesses who refuse to provide free goods and services lose their banner, and, much like with the safety taxes, the owners of the business disappear soon after.

Executions
The Acquafredda will execute people for a variety of reasons, ranging from disloyalty of their own members to dissent of citizens. While these executions are usually carried out in private, the gang occasionally conducts public executions to make an example of traitors.

Notable Members

 * Ersilia Graziella Acquafredda, the current leader of the gang, who can often be seen in the streets of Freeport (NPC)
 * Telila Asoau and Keise Enesi Acquafredda, identical twins, Ersilia's adopted daughters, and her right and left hands; it is assumed that one of them will take over the gang when Ersilia dies. One of them is always with Ersilia, but when in the streets, the three are never all together. (NPCs)
 * Tiberio Giosuele Acquafredda, a distant cousin of Ersilia and one of the gang's most prominent enforcers (NPC)

Former Members

 * Ciriaco Pier Acquafredda, the leader of the gang before Ersilia, now deceased (NPC)