Marcone's Power Base

[Con]

Marcone has a deal with the federal government agencies.


That's the theory. So I wrote this theory on the board during one of the lull's between book's thought I'd post it again given recent events in Battleground.

The Mob working with FBI and CIA isn't without precedent notably during WW2, but also during the Cuban Revolution. Various Don's and Bosses have worked as informants for extended periods of time in exchange for protection from prosecution.

Marcone making a deal with Namshiel would be a similar basis deal, but as far as human factions are concerned Marcone is the only normal human at the table of  the Accords. Something which the government or human factions would want intelligence on, as well as the fact from their perspective just a normal yet capable human having a seat at the table.

Marcone confirms he has a lot of power in local governance of Chicago, at the Accords sit down at the end, but I doubt he'd 'just settle for the title' as he would put it. If you were an FBI or CIA who would have an understanding of the Mob but not necessarily the Supernatural, well the devil you know.

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

Just when you thought Marcone is an Agent of Hell, truth turned out even more insidious - he was Agent of USA.

[Mira]

Just when you thought Marcone is an Agent of Hell, truth turned out even more insidious - he was Agent of USA.

Is there a difference?

[TheCuriousFan]

Is there a difference?

Not really.

[Griffyn612]

Honestly, the whole Denton thing in Fool Moon might support this.  He talks about how he's had "too many years of seeing men like Marcone laugh at the law." Murphy knows of him and knows him quasi-well enough to know he "is an asshole, but he does his job".

Could Denton have been more than just a local Feeb that got twisted by the belts?  Could he have been a liaison between the FBI and Marcone?  We know Marcone went from street level enforcer to mob boss pretty quickly.  It wouldn't be that surprising if the feds backed him a little in order to stabilize the mob scene in Chicago, with caveats about who Marcone would sell to.

It would certainly explain why Denton was chosen. Let's face it, for the belt-gifter to know someone in the FBI that's close enough to being pushed over and willing to target Marcone seems like a stretch without Nemesis or someone having insight into the people.  But if Denton was targeted because he worked with Marcone, and a natural resentment was stoked, then it would make sense.

[Mira]

Honestly, the whole Denton thing in Fool Moon might support this.  He talks about how he's had "too many years of seeing men like Marcone laugh at the law." Murphy knows of him and knows him quasi-well enough to know he "is an asshole, but he does his job".

Could Denton have been more than just a local Feeb that got twisted by the belts?  Could he have been a liaison between the FBI and Marcone?  We know Marcone went from street level enforcer to mob boss pretty quickly.  It wouldn't be that surprising if the feds backed him a little in order to stabilize the mob scene in Chicago, with caveats about who Marcone would sell to.

It would certainly explain why Denton was chosen. Let's face it, for the belt-gifter to know someone in the FBI that's close enough to being pushed over and willing to target Marcone seems like a stretch without Nemesis or someone having insight into the people.  But if Denton was targeted because he worked with Marcone, and a natural resentment was stoked, then it would make sense.

I won't say say your wrong,  but when Harry comes on the first murder scene one of the Marcone's body guards.  We know that belted Denton and his buds were responsible for that to pin it on MacFinn. The F.B.I. were brought in to investigate the "lobo murders."  So it could have been just a coincidence.  MacFinn seemed to be the real target.

[Con]

Honestly, the whole Denton thing in Fool Moon might support this.  He talks about how he's had "too many years of seeing men like Marcone laugh at the law." Murphy knows of him and knows him quasi-well enough to know he "is an asshole, but he does his job".

Could Denton have been more than just a local Feeb that got twisted by the belts?  Could he have been a liaison between the FBI and Marcone?  We know Marcone went from street level enforcer to mob boss pretty quickly.  It wouldn't be that surprising if the feds backed him a little in order to stabilize the mob scene in Chicago, with caveats about who Marcone would sell to.

It would certainly explain why Denton was chosen. Let's face it, for the belt-gifter to know someone in the FBI that's close enough to being pushed over and willing to target Marcone seems like a stretch without Nemesis or someone having insight into the people.  But if Denton was targeted because he worked with Marcone, and a natural resentment was stoked, then it would make sense.

I like this take on it. Throughout the series it's constantly referenced that the cops are reluctant at best to go after Marcone because of the stability he brings and the protection of kids.

[Mira]

I like this take on it. Throughout the series it's constantly referenced that the cops are reluctant at best to go after Marcone because of the stability he brings and the protection of kids.

Which goes back to whether or not Marcone is really behind the push by Rudolph to go after Harry and Murphy. 

[Griffyn612]

I won't say say your wrong,  but when Harry comes on the first murder scene one of the Marcone's body guards.  We know that belted Denton and his buds were responsible for that to pin it on MacFinn. The F.B.I. were brought in to investigate the "lobo murders."  So it could have been just a coincidence.  MacFinn seemed to be the real target.

Sure. But the Lobo murders started with some street thugs, a woman, and some more randos, before hitting Marcone's business man and then his bodyguard.  Denton & Co. were killing people, and then got themselves attached to the case as soon as it came in.  That all makes sense with what the story said. 

But Marcone was the target.  Denton admitted as much when he said he was tired of Marcone & Co. getting away with stuff.  Someone gave him the belts, and told him about MacFinn, and told him about the supernatural community.  Denton's plan was to build a scapegoat for both the FBI (it's a bad deal with MacFinn the business man!) and the magical community (it's MacFinn the werewolf!) and Marcone would be dead and no-one would need to look into anything more. 

If all the casefiles are as similar as we suspect, then Beltboy picking a random person like Denton to sick on Marcone doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  The Nemesis method is to get people that are close to the target to turn.  Lea to get Mab.  Aurora to kill the Summer Knight and cause chaos. Kravos to get revenge on Harry.  Vitto to get Lara.  Madeline to get Lara.  The plot always seems to be to use their pre-existing issues to facilitate their fall. 

So it would make sense that Beltboy approached someone that knew Marcone and already had hang-ups about him.  And from what we've seen of Marcone, do we really think he's going to let a random squad of FBI agents onto his property in some crazy attempt to save his life from werewolves?  It seems much more likely that Marcone would thank him for the tip and tell him he'd handle it on his own.  But if he had prior knowledge and dealings with Denton, then maybe thought he'd taken the measure of the man?

[Mira]

   I think it was Cowl who gave Denton the belts. In the soul gaze Harry saw Denton kneeling before a robed figure to receive them.  Now the corruption/power may have motivated Denton to go after Marcone. However I don't think that is why he was given the belts in the first place. It is too tied up with sabotaging MacFinn,  Denton was also warned by somebody about the White Council when he and his men started killing people under the influence of the belt. 

Think, how would Denton know about the belts to begin with?  Who got to him in the first place?  Just to target Marcone?  I don't think so..

[Con]

Which goes back to whether or not Marcone is really behind the push by Rudolph to go after Harry and Murphy.

There seems to be a genuine dislike of Rudolph by every law enforcement professional we've met. Even the latest guy whose attitude is completely professional, at best dismisses him. We know he has a powerful patron somewhere among the Brass.

Gard did offer Murphy her job back in Aftermath, that Marcone could pull some strings. Which suggests more pull with the cops than is comfortable.

[Griffyn612]

I know this seems even less likely, but there's also Rick/Rich/Dick to consider when discussing FBI agents in Chicago.  He wasn't a feeb at the start of the series, but he is by Proven Guilty.  So we've got Rick and Tilly in Chicago. Neither likely have any connections to Marcone pre-Changes, but what about after?

Both have worked cases with supernatural elements. One is the ex of the former head is SI, so he's probably heard some things. Tilly lived them.

Might have either been tapped for a federal version of the SI unit? And with Marcone now swinging weight in that arena, might they have to deal with him?

[Bad Alias]

To add to his government connections, we know he was in the military in his "patriotically delusional youth." He first handled AA-12 shotguns then. (Even Hand).

Marcone has a lot of similarities with people who were in special forces. Crazy amounts of discipline and martial skills. Tommy Tom had a tattoo that reminded me of the SAS insignia. I don't know if it was meant to be or not.

Special forces people often end up working for the CIA.

Maybe Marcone worked for the CIA in his youth and that's how he ended up as a government informant.

If all the casefiles are as similar as we suspect, then Beltboy picking a random person like Denton to sick on Marcone doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  The Nemesis method is to get people that are close to the target to turn.  Lea to get Mab.  Aurora to kill the Summer Knight and cause chaos. Kravos to get revenge on Harry.  Vitto to get Lara.  Madeline to get Lara.

Justine to get to Demonreach (through Thomas and Harry).

@Mira: Denton and his crew's target was Marcone. The person who gave Denton the belt might have been targeting someone else or had some even more mysterious goal in mind.

I know this seems even less likely, but there's also Rick/Rich/Dick to consider when discussing FBI agents in Chicago.  He wasn't a feeb at the start of the series, but he is by Proven Guilty.

We don't know that. All we know is that he transferred to Chicago around BR.

[Griffyn612]

We don't know that. All we know is that he transferred to Chicago around BR.

We know he was a cop working on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras, where he arrested Murphy's sister, and ended up dating her. He then transferred to Chicago and became a Feeb, and was brought in by the detective on the Splattercon!!! deaths.

[Mira]

Denton and his crew's target was Marcone. The person who gave Denton the belt might have been targeting someone else or had some even more mysterious goal in mind.

What is interesting is Marcone thought he was working with Denton, until the last minute. Yes, I get that Denton was after Marcone, however that doesn't answer some really important questions..

1]  Who or what was Denton working with that would draw the attention of someone like possibly
Cowl?  The description in Harry's soul gaze of Denton strongly suggests that it is Cowl. 
2]  The soul gaze had Denton kneeling in front of the robed figure to receive the belts.  That suggests perhaps that Denton was a devotee or follower of Cowl, therefore Kemmler, not unlike Kumori.  When Harry confronts Denton about the killings including the sabotaging of MacFinn's circl to cover their crimes.  Denton answers they were necessary "sacrifices." That is a fanatic with a cause, again perhaps not unlike Kumori.
 
3]  When Denton and his men started killing, "the lobo murders" as they were called, someone warned him that if he kept that up, they'd draw the attention of the White Council.  Who was that?
4] They targeted MacFinn to cover up their own crimes.  Though Denton wanted to get Marcone, the belts made that easier, but I seriously doubt that was the reason he was presented with the belts in the first place.
5] Giving the belts to mere vanilla mortals was a serious miscalculation of whoever gave them to Denton and his men.  My theory is whoever gave them to Denton thought they could then control them and use them as "enforcers."  The miscalculation was the effects of the belts on the wearer,  the infusion of black magic, power, and blood lust immediately made the wearer go out of control and uncontrollable.  Even for Harry, strong willed wizard, who had some idea of what the belts did, was hard pressed to recover from their effects.
6]  Conclusion, it was an experimental direction that resulted in a dead end.