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The Shark Club, headquarters of the Bishop family | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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There really is nothing to say about the Bishop 'Family.' Oh, there is the extended family of hired thugs, mercenaries, whores, pushers, and slaves, but that is really all that the Bishop 'family' amounts to.
”— Leslie Anne BishopThe Bishops or the Bishop crime family are one of the four main powers in New Reno, with a plan to bring the city into an alliance with the New California Republic.... after securing concessions for themselves, of course.[2]
History[]
Even before the Great War, Reno already had the reputation of offering all manner of vice.[3] Isolated and partially shielded by mountains, Reno survived the Great War with little structural damage, though looting and property damage have taken their toll, allowing it to be reborn as New Reno.[3] The breakdown of law and social order allowed powerful crime families to seize control. Their influence spread steadily, bringing the city to a population of several thousand in mid-23rd century and an unprecedented level of influence.[3]
By 2241, the Mordino and Bishop families were the most influential. New Reno became a key player in the struggle for control over the territory of Northern California. The geopolitical struggle centered around the town of Redding, the primary supplier of gold ore in the region. When the New California Republic switched to dollars as currency, backing them with gold, the mining city became key to the trade networks throughout New California. Whomever controls the supply of gold, controls the currency. Redding was lucky enough to remain far away enough to make a military takeover uneconomic. The three powers instead decided to make the city align with one of them through agents operating in the city, either planted ones (Painless Doc Johnson from Vault City) or voluntary supporters (Marge LeBarge was for the NCR and Dan McGrew opted for Reno).[4]
The families had other plans. The Mordinos wanted to establish themselves as an independent power by controlling all trade in Northern California. Their plan involved enslaving the miners by proxy, using Myron's Jet as the means. The first samples of the drug arrived in Redding in January 2241. The Bishops opted for another path, throwing their lot in with the New California Republic. When Vault City rejected an offer to ally with them and the NCR in February, the Bishops were responsible for orchestrating a campaign of attacks designed to bully the City into the alliance beginning a month later.[5] The Bishops were one of the most active families in other aspects as well: their investment in infrastructure even managed to restore some old telephone lines.[6][7]
The struggle was ultimately resolved, but not in the Mordinos' favor. The discovery of a cure for Jet addiction and the death of their boy genius in 2242 broke their strength and the family faded into obscurity, absorbed as enforcers or slaves by other families.[8][9][10] The Wrights and Bishops became the leading crime families, with John Bishop successfully inducting the city as a member of the New California Republic, with numerous exemptions from its laws.[11][12][13][14] Around 2256, the Bishop child conceived by the Chosen One and either Leslie Anne Bishop or Angela Bishop took over the family. Although only thirteen, he led the family into prosperity, using the stable situation to his advantage.[15][16]
However, the stable situation in the city did not last. The Van Graffs expanded their business into New Reno, clashing with the Wrights. By 2281, these two crime families fight for dominance over the city, as the Bishops operate in the background, aligned with the NCR.[10] In spite of this, the family still manages to uphold a fearsome reputation; indeed, the singer Bruce Isaac had to flee as far as Novac after he ran afoul of Mr. Bishop.
Organization[]
The Bishops employ a strict hierarchical structure, headed by John Bishop. The patriarch of the crime family demands absolute loyalty from those that work for him, rewarding them for their service with anything they need: women, men, drugs, alcohol, weapons, and the list goes on.[17][18][19] He has little patience for petty affairs, leaving the day-to-day operations to his lieutenants while he plots far reaching plans, like his alliance with the NCR.[20]
There is only one rule in the family: do your job and do it well. As long as that's covered, the Bishops show remarkable indifference to a member's gender, skin color, or sexual orientation.[17][18]
Outside relations[]
Within the city, Bishops enjoy the position of the most powerful and influential family, with Mordinos in close pursuit. They don't directly provoke hostilities with other families, absorbing even Salvatores carving out a niche on the corpses of Bishop's men.[21]
Outside of the city, the Bishops are negotiating with the NCR for membership in the Republic, as its northern partner and influence on Vault City. The alliance is much to the chagrin of ranchers like Roger Westin, who blame Reno for rustling cattle drives between the capital and Redding.[22] Bishop holds up his end of the bargain, using his best men to stage "raider" attacks on Vault City to coax it to accept the NCR's offer.
Technological level[]
The Bishops are a large organization, though with a modest technological level. While their efforts managed to restore some old telephone lines in New Reno,[23][24] their combat gear leaves room for improvement. Bishop thugs are easily recognizable by their signature green motorcycle/football armor. They tend to carry conventional firearms, such as M3A1 submachine guns or combat shotguns. The mercenary raiders are much better equipped, using automatic weapons, explosives, and even combat armor. What they may lack in equipment, Bishops make up for with training. They know military tactics. They stay in formation. They never cross their lines of fire.[25]
Appearances[]
The Bishops appear only in Fallout 2, and are mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas.
References
- ↑ Fallout 2 endings#New Reno
- ↑ The Chosen One: "{579}{}{Tell me about the Bishop Family.}"
Jules : "{910}{}{Ha! John Bishop? Not much to say: Bishop's a smart one, tough, and he's looking to get it ALL.}"
(NcJules.msg) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets p.156: "Isolated and partially shielded by mountains, Reno survived the apocalypse in enough of one piece to be rebuilt as New Reno. Now the dons of the city have made Reno more important and more powerful than it ever was in the beforetimes. In fact, the only thing that threatens New Reno are the groups vying for power within the city itself. New Reno maintains its pre-War reputation for offering all manner of vice, but the dueling for control of the city by its four powerful families makes it more dangerous than ever."
- ↑ The Chosen One: "{138}{}{Hear any interesting rumors?}"
Modjeska: "{145}{}{All I hear about are politics. That always seems to be the big stir in discussion.}"
The Chosen One: "{146}{}{Politics? What do you mean?}"
Modjeska: "{158}{}{Have you ever seen a greased brahmin contest?}"
The Chosen One: "{160}{}{Nope, never heard of anything like that. Tell me about them.}"
Modjeska: "{165}{}{What they do is grease up a brahmin calf, and then everyone in the crowd tries to catch the calf. If you can't catch it yourself, you make damn sure nobody else can, either.}"
The Chosen One: "{166}{}{I don't see what that has to do with politics.}"
Modjeska: "{168}{}{In this game, Redding is the greased brahmin - and a golden one at that. New Reno, the New California Republic, and Vault City are all trying to catch us...or at least keep the others from catching us.}"
The Chosen One: "{169}{}{What do you mean?}"
Modjeska: "{171}{}{Here in Redding we mine gold. Then we ship it to New Reno, the NCR, and Vault City in return for goods. Each of those places would like to have the gold - and the trade - all to themselves.}"
The Chosen One: "{172}{}{Why don't they just attack you and take it, then?}"
Modjeska: "{174}{}{We're big enough, and far enough away, to make a take-over expensive as well as dangerous. Much more efficient to have us join willingly.}"
The Chosen One: "{175}{}{What do you mean?}"
Modjeska: "{177}{}{The three powers are trying to get Redding to choose which side to ally themselves with. They've all got powerful allies in town, and it looks like things are coming to a head. Soon, Redding's going to have to make a choice.}"
The Chosen One: "{178}{}{A choice?}"
Modjeska: "{181}{}{The grease on this Brahmin calf is getting a bit thin. Soon, one of the powers is going to have to make a major play to take Redding before the others do. When that happens, people are going to get hurt. A lot of people.}"
The Chosen One: "{183}{}{Why are people going to get hurt?}"
Modjeska: "{192}{}{People are going to get hurt because this kind of change doesn't come easy. Those that think they're not going to get the prize get it in their mind to not let anyone else get it, either. The only way to avoid that is if we decide to go with one of the powers and make a quick alliance before the others catch on.}"
(RCMODJES.MSG) - ↑ Fallout Bible 0 Timeline repair: Second strike:
"2241 January The first samples of Jet begin to arrive in Redding, courtesy of the Mordino family."
"2241 February Vault City rejects offers of an alliance with both the Bishop family of New Reno and NCR."
"2241 March Raider attacks on caravans to Vault City begin." - ↑ Mechanic: "{312}{}{T-Ray's in the back. On the phone.}"
(NcChpBoy.msg) - ↑ T-Ray: "{222}{}{I woulda gone to the Enclave, too, 'cept I was talkin' on the phone too much.}"
(NcTRay.msg) - ↑ Fallout 2 endings: "Myron died less than a year after the defeat of the Enclave, stabbed by a jet addict while drinking in the Den. His discovery of jet was quickly forgotten, and now there is no one who remembers his name."
- ↑ Fallout 2 endings: "With their jet production halted with the discovery of a cure, the Mordino Family quickly lost ground in New Reno and were absorbed by the other families. Most became enforcers or slaves, and the name Mordino was soon forgotten."
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Courier: "What's your story?"
Clayton Ettienne: "Well, I've lived in Nevada all my life. Started out in New Reno, but headed down here as soon as I got the chance. If you can believe it, things are even worse back home. The whole city's still run by crime families. Used to be the Mordinos and Wrights. Now it's the Wrights and Van Graffs. Seems like things never get better. Anyway, that's all behind me now."
(Clayton Ettienne's dialogue) - ↑ The Courier: "What did you do to end up here in the first place?"
Carter: "I worked in a casino in New Reno, and one of the pit bosses decided he didn't like me. Framed me over some caps, and I ended up in here."
(Carter's dialogue (Fallout: New Vegas)) Note: The only way for a New Reno man to end up in an NCR penal colony, is for New Reno to be an NCR territory. - ↑ NCR Correctional Facility holds a prisoner from New Reno (Carter), framed over caps by a pit boss. The only way for a New Reno dweller to be held in an NCR facility is if NCR had jurisdiction over New Reno, and the only way for it to have one is for Reno to be part of the Republic
- ↑ Membership in the NCR with certain exemptions from its laws was the objective of John Bishop. As the Bishop family continues to exist, he survived and his plan yielded fruit, even without the assassination of either Westin or Carlson.
- ↑ Crime families still run this place, prostitution and gambling is allowed unlike in other cities.
- ↑ The Courier: "Why did you come all the way out here from New Reno?"
Bruce Isaac: "You don't know Mr. Bishop. He's not like the other bosses up there. He knows the Wasteland like the back of his hand, and he likes to wander it. I knew if I didn't get way the hell away from New Reno, he'd run me down like a dog."
(Bruce Isaac's dialogue) - ↑ Canon Fallout 2 endings.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 John Bishop: "{726}{}{You got a taste for women? I can make sure you're NEVER lonely again. Maybe you don't like the bitches, that's fine, I'll get you some glitterboys you can park your meat in.}"
(NcBishop.msg) - ↑ 18.0 18.1 John Bishop: "{727}{}{You got any young stud you fancy? I'll set you up with all the pretty boys you want. Or maybe you swing the other way, eh? I'll make sure you have a partner for every day of the week.}"
(NcBishop.msg) - ↑ John Bishop: "{735}{}{You like to fly, get high, wire up? I can get you all of that. You want weapons, new hardware, a better piece of iron to plug some schlep with? All that bullshit... yours. IF... (Raises a finger.) IF you join the family.}"
(NcBishop.msg) - ↑ The Chosen One: "{912}{}{Where's his territory?}"
Jules: "{925}{}{He hangs out at the Shark Club up on 2nd Street. He's surrounded by guards, so don't go paying a visit unless you got REAL business with him. (Smiles evily.) And keep yer business away from his wife. AND his daughter.}"
(NcJules.msg) - ↑ The Chosen One: "{751}{}{Massacre?}"
Jules: "{765}{}{Oh, yeah…two Salvatore boys with those pistols killed a buncha Bishop's men, then shot down some of Mordino's boys who'd been tryin' to muscle in on the West Side. Since then, the other families steered clear of the Salvatores.}"
(NcJules.msg) - ↑ The Chosen One: "{211}{}{Rumor has it that the NCR is making a deal with the Bishops.}"
Tandi: "{213}{tand20}{No point trying to keep secrets around here. We're negotiating with New Reno for membership in the NCR. They should have some pull with places like Vault City.}"
The Chosen One: "{215}{}{All right.}"
Tandi: "{216}{tand21}{Most figure we've got to work with New Reno one way or another. But folks like Westin and the ranchers blame New Reno for rustling the cattle drives between here and Redding.}"
(Shtandi.msg) - ↑ Mechanic: "{312}{}{T-Ray's in the back. On the phone.}"
(NcChpBoy.msg) - ↑ T-Ray: "{222}{}{I woulda gone to the Enclave, too, 'cept I was talkin' on the phone too much.}"
(NcTRay.msg) - ↑ The Chosen One: "....."
Stark: "{275}{}{I don't know. These raiders don't make much sense. IF they are raiders.}"
The Chosen One: "{276}{}{What do you mean?}"
Stark: "{279}{}{They've got heavy firepower. Expensive firepower. They know military tactics. They stay in formation. They never cross their lines of fire. And they always stop short of breaking through our defenses.}"
(VCSTARK.MSG)
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