Become an iPhone Mafia Kingpin

The battle to become a mafia kingpin has hit the iPhone. Zynga, the largest developer of social games, announced a new iPhone version of Mafia Wars that lets players enjoy the same exciting strategy game play competing in a virtual underworld of organized crime that has more than nine million monthly active users on Facebook and more than 11 million monthly active users on MySpace.

“Mafia Wars on Facebook and MySpace has a cult following and now players can compete in social gaming’s most popular crime-based game on the iPhone with the mobile version,” said Mark Pincus, CEO, Zynga. “We are excited about our growing slate of games for the iPhone which allows us to deliver our highly social games to mobile so players can connect with friends anytime, anywhere.”

The new mobile version of Mafia Wars was designed specifically for the iPhone and contains rich, high-quality graphics and interface including original animations and sounds, creating a fun and addictive gaming experience. With other iPhone hits such as Zynga’s “Live Poker” and “Scramble Live,” Zynga’s premium iPhone games continue to turn the iPhone into a social gaming platform. Mafia families are built up with cash, health, energy, and stamina, and equipped with attack and defense items as well as vehicles, to fight with other families in the game. Players can also track their friends’ progress through a ranking ladder and real-time newsfeed.

Mafia Wars is available on any iPhone with EDGE, 3G or Wi-Fi access as well as the iPod touch. Mafia Wars is free and premium versions ranging from $10 to $40 will be available soon.

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EA Makes an Offer That Can’t Be Refused – The Godfather II Video Game is Now in Stores

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Paramount Digital Entertainment announced the arrival of The Godfather® II videogame in stores now in North America for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and PC. The game will be available on April 10th in Europe.



The Godfather II is the sequel to the multi-platinum hit The Godfather The Game and has earned a perfect 5 out of 5 from GamePro magazine. GamePro calls the game “…criminally addictive” and “...the experience by which other crime games must be judged."

“The Godfather II offers players the ultimate fantasy of being a Don - of finally being the guy who calls all the shots for the family,” says Executive Producer Hunter Smith. “By combining the strategic gameplay of thinking like a Don through the 'Don's View', with our intense, visceral 'Blackhand' combat, we are focusing on the game at the root of the Godfather franchise, the game of organized crime. In essence, we're creating a new niche in the open-world genre and are really excited to see how players will build their families and customize their own experience in both the single player campaign and multiplayer battles.”

The Godfather II takes all of the drama, action and family values from the classic Godfather films and brings them into an interactive experience. This means that players have to build and invest in their family, manage their rackets, takeover crime rings and even reach out to corrupt officials – all through the revolutionary Don’s View. The Don’s View is a 3D display of the player’s criminal empire and family tree, offering a birds-eye view of all three cities to better coordinate their take-down strategies, plan hits on rival made men, attack enemy compounds, and much more. As a Don in the Corleone family, The Godfather II puts the control in the players’ hands and allows them to live in the Godfather universe while creating their own story of deception, betrayal, and conquest in a 1960’s organized crime world.

Developed at the EA Redwood Stores studio, The Godfather II is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and 18+ for PEGI.

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Chicago Mobsters Ordered to Pay Restitution

Chicago mob bosses convicted in the landmark Family Secrets trial have already been ordered to spend the rest of their lives in prison. Now they'll have also to pay up with their bank accounts.

Judge James Zagel late Monday afternoon ordered more than $24 million in fines and restitution to be paid, including $4.3 million to the relatives of 14 men who had been murdered by the mob. The gangland killings were the centerpiece of a prosecution that dismantled the Outfit's upper echelon in 2007.

Zagel's order means that Frank "The Breeze" Calabrese, James "Jimmy the Man" Marcello, Joey "The Clown" Lombardo and Paul "The Indian" Schiro are responsible for paying restitution for the murders, some of which occurred in the 1970's and 80's.

The court-ordered repayment is intended to cover the loss of income by the murder victims.

The government had estimated that the murder victims' lives, by way of lost earnings, were valued at $7.4 million. Prosecutors wanted the above four defendants and convicted corrupt Chicago police officer Anthony "Twan" Doyle to split the restitution tab. But Zagel let Doyle off the hook for most of the money.

"I expressed at sentencing that, in my view, Doyle was not an active or full member of the conspiracy in the 1960s," wrote Judge Zagel."None of those murders occurred after February 1999, the latest date at which there is little doubt over Doyle's participation in the conspiracy. Accordingly, I apportion 1% of the total restitution amount to Doyle, or $44,225.73. As to the remaining $4,378,347.16, I hold Defendants Calabrese, Sr., Marcello, Lombardo, and Schiro jointly and severally liable."

In addition to the restitution, forfeitures totaling $20,258,556 were imposed on the men as payback of ill-gotten profits from years of mob schemes, scams and rackets.

Thanks to Chuck Goudie

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