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Background Information:

The Lazarus Corporation is a freight forwarding company owned by Italian businessman Alessandro Romero. Formerly known as Angelino Rovigatti Compagnia, the Lazarus Corporation was founded in 1863 in Venice, Italy by a mortal relative of the Giovanni clan. Until control of the company was transferred to Alessandro Romero, Angelino Rovigatti Compagnia specialized in the transport and safekeeping of goods of interest to other members of the Giovanni clan.

Since its acquisition by Alessandro Romero in 1974 and its name change, it has undergone major changes to its business model. The Lazarus Corporation cut all ties with Giovanni clan members and Giovanni-loyal carriers. Though it still quietly had the reputation for safe delivery of sensitive cargo and goods of interest to the supernatural community, it also began to develop ties in the manufacturing and pharmaceutical fields. Today, it is one of the leading freight forwarding companies specializing in arranging transport of bulk raw material, electronics, appliances, and pharmaceuticals between North American and European markets.

The Lazarus Corporation has been investigated five times since 1974 for alleged mob connections. No charges have ever been filed against the company and investigations generally wrap up quickly. While the Chairman of the Board, Alessandro Romero, has never been investigated, the CEO of the corporation, Lorenzo Soriano, has been investigated several times for suspected mob ties.

Behind the Scenes Information:

Angelino Rovigatti Compagnia was started by a mortal Giovanni clan member and existed as a way to safely transport sensitive goods between European and North American Giovannis. It was controlled by the Giovanni clan from its foundation in 1863 until roughly 1973. Though information is scarce in the supernatural community, it is rumored that the Giovanni ghoul in charge of the company double-crossed a Sabbat Paladin, a Lasombra named Alessandro Romero, during the former's assignment to eliminate a small ring of hunters harassing members of the Sabbat in New Jersey. The Lasombra used mortal ghouls with mob ties to systematically take over the Giovanni company, confiscate all goods currently being shipped, and turn the company towards his own ends. Since 1974, the Lazarus Corporation has quietly served the Sabbat, arranging for shipment of goods and safe passage for high-ranking members of the Sabbat between Europe and North America.

Current rumor is that Alessandro Romero has cut ties with the Sabbat. Several vampire members of the Board of Directors vanished in early 2017, to be replaced by mortal ghouls loyal to Alessandro Romero. Corporate headquarters are in the process of being moved from New Jersey to a new facility in Manhattan. The recent arrival of a Toreador elder's household from France to Chicago via Lazarus Corporation arrangement suggests that Alessandro Romero may have thrown his lot in with the Camarilla.

Apart from its supernatural business, the Lazarus Corporation also manages a smuggling operation between Europe and North America for its mob allies. Illegal and prescription drugs are its main specialties, though it has arranged transport of other goods in the past.

Lasombra in general have a dim view of ghouls. Mortals, in their minds, are extremely easy to manipulate. They're weak, they're not worthy of vampire blood, and they have no hope of surviving in the vampire's world. When Lasombra make or keep ghouls, it's usually for something the Lasombra can't get a regular mortal to do or things that are too dangerous for a regular mortal to do. Alessandro is no different.

Alessandro keeps very few ghouls. There are none aboard his yacht (which is currently his primary residence), as he feels he has enough control over the yacht's crew that vampire blood is unnecessary. Though some Lasombra keep ghouls to look after their appearance (as they do not show up in mirrors), Alessandro's hair and appearance are generally easy to maintain and he does not keep ghouls for this purpose. Though there are mirrors and mirrored surfaces in private cabins aboard the yacht, there are no mirrored surfaces in the public areas, thus lowering the risk that Alessandro might inadvertently reveal himself to one of his guests or to the crew.

Alessandro does have informal ties to organized crime. He has several ghouls in high-placed positions in one of the Five Families of New York, and his yacht, Spectre, often plays host to the rich and powerful that the family would like to court and keep happy. It also sometimes runs cargo and people past law enforcement between Italy and New York. As such, though businessman Alessandro Romero is the public owner of the yacht, one of his ghouls in organized crime is privately a co-owner, through a partnering business that is a front for the crime family. Alessandro allows the family to place guests, new "employees", and cargo on his yacht and quietly pulls the strings of influential members of the family. Though he has ties to the family, it has never become official and most members of the crime family have never met him. As an elder in the Sabbat, Alessandro grew used maintaining a low profile in order to keep mortals from growing suspicious when he didn't age and he still prefers to control things from the shadows.

Though he has been unable to get to the crime boss of the family he works with, he controls most of those who surround the boss, either through blood or through unrepentant use of the vampire discipline, Dominate. As such, decisions that the crime family makes often benefit Alessandro Romero as well.

Alessandro is an unforgiving master, though. He expects ghouls to learn how to use the Blood they've been given to avoid capture and punishment by law enforcement. Those that fail and are put in prison are often left without a supply of vampire blood. Depending on the situation, those that are wounded are often left to heal the wounds on their own, the magnitude of their mistakes often dictating whether they receive any more Blood from their master. Traitors to the family, almost always those who have not directly worked with Alessandro, are dealt with swiftly and quietly...often right under law enforcement's nose. Though Alessandro lets law enforcement complete and get convictions out of a few of their investigations, the family he is allied with is quietly much larger and more powerful than the government realizes.

Due to his age and his generation, Alessandro's blood makes his ghouls particularly powerful, for mortals. While most ghouls to vampires of the 8th through 13th generations can only learn the first and easiest of vampire disciplines, Alessandro's ghouls are capable, with time, of learning up to the fourth level of disciplines that he is proficient in. All of his ghouls are proficient in the vampire discipline Potence, which gives them supernatural strength, as well as the vampire discipline Dominate, which allows them to control the minds of mortals (but often not vampires, unless that vampire is of extremely high generation, such as the so-called "thin bloods"). A select few of his ghouls even show talent with Obtenebration, though not to the same degree as the other disciplines, as Obtenebration often feels evil and unnatural to mortals. Those that show talent with the discipline and live up to their master's exacting standards are often put on a short list for embrace. To date, though he's been allied with the crime family since the 1930s, only two of his ghouls have gone on to become Lasombra.

Name: Alessandro Romero (formerly Alexandros)
Date of Birth: 59 A.D.
Apparent Age: Late 40s
Place of Birth: Pompeii
Current Home: New York City
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Sex: Male
PB: Eros Ramazzatti

Nature: (A character's basic personality, their fundamental behavior and perception of the world.)

Director: To the Director, nothing is worse than chaos and disorder. The Director seeks to be in charge, adopting a "my way or the highway" attitude on matters of decision making. The Director is more concerned with bringing order out of strife, however, and need not be truly "in control' of a group to guide it. Coaches, teachers and many political figures exemplify the Director Archetype.

Demeanor: (The image the character projects to the outside world.)

Architect: Your sense of purpose goes beyond your own needs; you try to create something of lasting value for those who will come after you. People need many things, and you gain satisfaction by providing whatever you can. You are the type of person who makes an effort to build something of value: to found a town, create a company or in some way leave a lasting legacy. Many American pioneers were Architects by Nature.

Jewelry: Wears a ring on his left hand. It's a heavy, old fashioned gold ring with a large garnet in the center held by a dragon's claw. The decorative bits of the ring are, in fact, sharp enough to draw blood.

Clan: Lasombra Antitribu
Occupation: Businessman with mob ties
Generation: 5th

Via Regalis, Road of Kings 7: Link to Wiki Just as God ordained that kings should rules over men, by placing His mark upon Caine He ordained that Cainites were above the mortal herd, and that some also held divine right to rule. The Scions, followers of the Road of Kings, believe that power and rulership are their inheritence, secured by strength of arms and skill at court. Just as the mortal nobility wars for control over land and wealth, so do the Scions war among themselves for control of Cainite domains, with lesser vampires and mortals arrayed like pieces on a chessboard.

The Beast stands in the way of a Scion's destiny. It represents all the dark impulses that drag a ruler down and lead to rebellion and betrayal. But, carefully controlled, those same passions can raise a ruler up to greatness and give him the power to conquer his enemies and hold on to his throne. So the Beast must be controlled, and conquering the Beast is a necessary first step in conquering the world.

It's little wonder that the Road of Kings draws many of the High Clans to it, particularly the Lasombra, Tzimisce and Ventrue. Those who rise to the position of prince often do so by following this road. And Scions often make the best rulers because they see their endeavor as larger than simply hoarding personal power - that is the domain of the Beast. A true king creates justice for his subjects and inspires loyalty in his vassals. And the only way to understand how to inspire loyalty is to have been loyal oneself, therefore, many Scions spend time as vassals and knights in other's service. Others serve as judges and magistrates, dispensing justice in the name of a lord whom they serve.

Sobriquet: Scions
Road Virtues: Conviction, Self-Control
Aura: Command. Scions are destined to rule, and they know it. Those around them can feel their commanding presence like a crown upon them. Their aura modifier affects rolls to command or lead others.
Via Equitum ("Path of Chivalry"): Those who follow this Path believe that as superior beings, they are beholden to defend those lesser than them, both Cainite and human. These Scions believe most strongly in the concepts of duty and honor. Followers of this Path are sometimes called Paladins.

Merit:

Weather Sense - This acumen is very much prized among seafaring Lasombra. A few sires manage to pass on its intricacies to their childer. You subconsciously sense impending bad weather. The Storyteller makes a Perception + Survival roll (difficulty 7) on your behalf to give up to several hours' notice of storms and other weather problems before they manifest.
Light Sleeper - You can awaken instantly at any sign of trouble or danger, and do so without any sleepiness or hesitation. You may ignore rules regarding how Humanity/Path restricts the number of dice available during the day.

Flaw:

Cast No Reflection (automatic for Lasombra) - You actually cast no reflection, just like the vampire of legend. This can have a very detrimental effect when trying to pass as a human. Vampires of Clan Lasombra automatically have this Flaw (and you may be mistaken for one of them if you possess this) and cannot take it to gain Freebie Points.
Poseidon's Call - Your self-control varies with the weather. Make rolls to resist frenzy at -1 difficulty in completely calm weather, but +1 difficulty on rough seas, +2 in thunderstorms and +3 in hurricanes.
Diabolist (secret) - You have committed diablerie at least once to achieve your current position of power, but no one yet knows your secret. Should the information ever be revealed, other elders may well refuse you aid, shun you or, even worse, turn against you, perhaps even calling a Blood Hunt. It is imperative you keep this information hidden. Should your secret ever be revealed you will receive a +3 difficulty modifier to any Social roll involving elder Kindred.

Disciplines: Obtenebration 8, Auspex 4, Dominate 6, Dementation 4, Potence 5, Fortitude 4, Celerity 5, Obfuscate 6, Presence 5

History:Lucius Cassius Alexander, or Alexandros among his family, was born to freed Greek slaves living in Pompeii in 59 CE. His parents operated a popina, a type of wine bar frequented by the lower classes of the city and a haven for illegal activity such as gambling and prostitution in the resort city. Alexandros was the youngest child of a large family, most of whom helped their parents in the popina when they weren't studying.

A major earthquake hit the region when Alexandros was very young, and though the Roman wine market was beginning to move back into Pompeii when Alexandros was more grown, frequent smaller earthquakes made a career in the military an attractive choice. He enlisted in the military in 77 CE, at the age of 18. He was sent to Britain, a region that the Romans were still trying to conquer at that time. Two years later, in 79 CE, Mt Vesuvius erupted, burying Pompeii in ash very quickly. Alexandros did not receive word of the eruption until much later. Knowing that his family was very likely among the dead in Pompeii, Alexandros devoted himself more fully to the military.

Though he hadn't been taught beyond the age of twelve, Alexandros struck up a friendship with some of the Centurions and, on his time off, studied writing and various subjects on his own. His quick mind and a talent for strategy, along with casualties in the war in Britain, meant that he rose up the ranks fairly quickly.

By the time he was 40 and the legion he was assigned to left Britain for a trouble spot in the east of Europe, he was assigned as the legion's chief Centurion. After his one year assignment as chief Centurion, he was accepted into Rome's aristocracy and shortly after, was made Praefectus Castrorum of his legion. Though he was third in command, he was the most experienced of the soldiers in his legate's command.

Though Roman soldiers weren't allowed to marry, many did have families, and Alexandros was no different. When his legion left Britain, one of his sons enlisted in the military himself. In 101 CE, when Alexandros's legion was embroiled in fighting in a region called Dacia, he received word that his son had been killed in battle. Shortly after, he found out that his illegitimate wife and two youngest children had died, presumably of disease, in Britain. A seemingly random series of unfortunate circumstances conspired to first attempt to ruin Alexandros's reputation, and when Alexandros was able to overcome those, he was framed for treason. Before he was due to be executed, his sire spirited him away and turned him.

Alessandro has served in a martial capacity for the Lasombra since his Embrace, first as a bodyguard for his Sire, a higher-ranking Lasombra of Rome. Deceived by his Sire about who ruined his mortal life, he was a seemingly loyal soldier at first. As rumors began to surface and Alessandro learned the truth, he began to ruin his Sire's life. Quietly at first, pinpoint, violent strikes, seemingly by Garou, human hunters, and even by murderous fae plagued his Sire. The older Lasombra's loyal supporters evaporated, either killed by Alessandro or too smart to interfere. Alessandro destroyed his Sire's home, all of the servants, and killed him. Alessandro ended up a sailor, a pirate preying on ships sailing the Mediterranean.

Long afterwards, a ship captain ashore in New York while his ship underwent repairs. He accepted a proposal by the Archbishop of New York to become a Templar in his service. He's been serving the now Cardinal of the Northeast since, though lately the Cardinal has been acting more and more erratically...

Personality and Skills notes:

Alessandro learned a love of science and philosophy early. He tends to be inquisitive and well-spoken and doesn't subscribe to any particular superstition. He enjoys new scientific advancements.
His knows enough about technology to navigate his way around the modern world, but shows a strong preference for non-technological solutions when possible. He has an extensive library, only grudgingly carries a cellphone, and prefers paper and pen for writing. He does have a computer, but views it only as a semi-useful tool.
Skilled swordsman. Tends to prefer gladius-like swords. Also a decent shot with hand guns and smaller-caliber rifles. He keeps a silver sword in his home.
Defaults to fairly polite.

Misc Notes

Snippet about his tattoo from an RP:

"He felt wriggling in his wrist and pushed his shirt sleeve up to watch a worm wriggle underneath a tattoo of a flaming skull. The veins under the tattoo grew dark and the worm stopped moving abruptly. The tattoo was old, though it had obviously been touched up in the intervening years and the vampire's flesh didn't heal and fade the ink as a mortal's flesh might. Morgan might recognize it. Piracy hadn't died in the 18th century, not for the Lasombra, at least. Alessandro's Grinning Spectre had taken Camerilla and mortal ships for centuries before he entered the service of the now-Cardinal in the 1930s. The same flaming, grinning skull had been sewn onto several of the ship's flags. Her captain and crew had a reputation for leaving nothing but wreckage and bloodless bodies behind."

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Alessandro Romero

Entries tagged with information

The Lazarus Corporation

Alessandro, Organized Crime, and Ghouls

Biography: Alessandro Romero

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October 2022

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