The Steel Chip Gang

The Steel Chip Gang (also known as 'The Steel Gamblers' or simply 'The Steels') was a criminal organization active in Chicago from the 1890s up until 192X. The Steel Chips retained dominance over Chicago's lucrative West Side until their collapse under Benny House. They were founded by Jerome Steale in 1869 but gained prominence in the 1890's under the leadership of Francois de Pierrot. The Steel Chip Gang has no known ethnic or national affiliation - though most of its members had Western European roots, mostly French or English. The Steel Chip Gang made most of their money via rigged gambling in their casino, the sale of alcohol and drugs, the sale of illegal weaponry, and extortion of other businesses on the West Side. The symbol of the Steel Chip Gang was a silver peacock.

Organization
The Steel Chip Gang -- in contrast to their occasional rivals La Famiglia Nostra - had a corporate-inspired structure with the opportunity for upward mobility. It was fully possible for a member of the Steels to start on the lowest rung of the gang's hierarchy and work their way upward. Promotions and pay raises were offered to members based on their dedication, loyalty, and performance within the gang. Members can likewise be "fired" -- or more typically simply killed -- for poor performance or behavior. The structure helped to prevent bloat and kept the Steels sharp. Underperforming members were swiftly and brutally excised while members with skill and focus found themselves quickly moving up the ranks. Skill among the Steels was rewarded well -- with more money but also greater authority and more responsibility. Great care was taken among the Steels to make sure that each man was serving optimally in his or her role.

The Steels were structured much like an organization, with the President (also called the Peacock) at the top. The President oversaw all gang activity and provided an overall direction for the group. Indomitable strength, relentless ambition, brutal efficiency, and an indefatigable drive for expansion were necessary for the President. A weak or ineffectual President would face the threat of a swift replacement should they flag behind. They have supreme authority over all other ranks within the Steels. Notable figures who hold or held this role include Benny House and Francois de Pierrot.

Beneath the President was the Vice-President - who, as the name implies, served as the President's right-hand man. The Vice President worked directly beneath the President and served as his advisor, aide, and confidant. The Vice President would also assume the role of President if the sitting leader died or otherwise went missing-in-action for longer than a month. Notable members who hold or held this role include Benny and Anthony House.

Underneath the President and Vice President serve the Struts, which function similarly to a Board of Directors. They were nicknamed the Struts due to their position supporting the president -- and also after the 'strut' of a peacock. The Struts meet with the President and Vice President regularly to help determine the gang's management and oversight. The Struts also oversee their own divisions of the Steel Gamblers and are elected to the position by their crews in a popular vote. They are intended to represent their own business interests. For example, one of the Struts might oversee drug importation and distribution while another might handle extortion and robbery. The Struts are expected to report on the activities of their crews and help offer direction/advisement to the President and Vice President.

Lastly, there are the Steels themselves - who function as footsoldiers among the Steel Gamblers. Each Strut controlled a group of Steels to help perform their work. If a Steel worked hard and stood out among his peers, he or she might be chosen by vote as the new Strut.

History
The Steel Chip Gang was formally established by Jerome Steale in the year 1869. Jerome Steale was a veteran returning from the Civil War where he fought on the side of the Union. Jerome made his fortune by selling military surplus goods and illegal, unregistered weapons to small-time criminal groups in the Windy City. He made a small fortune as a weapons dealer and put that fortune toward opening up a casino. The Steel Chip Casino -- which would later become the focal point for all of the gang's activities -- was a mild success but Jerome and his children had trouble expanding their sphere of influence beyond the casino's rigged games and modest alcohol sales.

After Jerome's retirement in the late 1880s, his son took control of the casino and the gang. Around this time, Francois de Pierrot -- a French immigrant -- emerged onto the scene in Chicago. Francois, who had ties to the French organized crime group known as the Milieu, quickly ingratiated himself with the Steale family by offering money, advice, and soldiers to help expand their business. However, the Steales' trust in Francois proved to be a mistake. Francois turned against the Steale family, ousting them and killing their most influential members. He took control of the Steel Chip Gang for himself in the early 1890s.

Francois de Pierrot and his right-hand man, Benny House, proved to be an influential force in Chicago. Francois led the gang to expand beyond the borders of the West Side, even encroaching into territory traditionally controlled by the Italians. Francois's relentless expansionism courted the ire of Vincentio Calabrese and there were rumblings of a gang war on the horizon. However, the election of Mayor Hadewich and the arrival of the Streetsweepers swiftly put a stop to any rumors of impending warfare. La Famiglia became embroiled in a struggle for survival against the Streetsweepers -- while the Steel Chip Gang thankfully escaped notice from City Hall. While La Famiglia hemorrhaged men and lost their leadership to arrests and sting operations, the Steel Chips were allowed to function and expand more or less free from competition or police attention.

The Steel Chips did not escape the onslaught of the Streetsweepers completely, however. With Vincentio Calabrese presumed dead and much of La Famiglia's leadership behind bars, the Sweepers turned their attention toward Francois de Pierrot. Pierrot, sensing that he might suffer the same fate as Vincentio Calabrese if he was not careful, chose to flee from Chicago -- leaving the Steel Chip Gang in the hands of his vice president Benny House.

Benny House initially oversaw a period of growth and expansion for the Steel Chips. La Famiglia Nostra was reeling in the wake of the Streetsweepers and forced to retreat underground. Benny had minimal competition for Chicago's West Side -- with La Famiglia and the Calabreses reduced to a mere occasional annoyance. This period of growth would last for about a year and half before the sudden assassination of Mayor Hadewich.

With Hadewich dead and the threat of the Streetsweepers gone, La Famiglia Nostra began to emerge from hiding. Claudia Calabrese, the new Donna of La Famiglia, sough to rebuild her family's sphere of influence. However, her supply of soldiers was severely depleted from the war against the Sweepers. She approached Benny with an offer of alliance if he would lend her soldiers to help maintain control of her territory. Their meeting went sour, however, and Benny refused the offer of alliance. Claudia, losing her temper during the meeting, insulted Benny -- who then retaliated by setting fire to the offices of the Calabrese Waste Collection Agency.

Benny's actions kicked off a gang war between the Steel Chips and La Famiglia. La Famiglia Nostra, unable to fight against the Steels head-to-head, resorted to sabotage and espionage to try and undermine the Steel Chips. They struck up an alliance with the Dead Rabbits, an Irish gang from New York City that had recently set up shop in Chicago. Benny's daughter, Mira, ended up getting involved romantically with Cynnabue "Cyn" Sycamore, the leader of the Dead Rabbits -- which only served to exacerbate tensions and increase the violence. William Bascher, Claudia's lover and ally, formed a group of downtrodden French laborers known as the Cuirassiers who he then trained as soldiers for Claudia. The combined forces of La Famiglia, the Dead Rabbits, and the Cuirassiers proved to be overwhelming against the Steel Chips.

Benedict "Benny" House
The President of the Steel Chip Gang at the time of its collapse in 192X. Missing, presumed dead. See Benedict House.

Francois de Pierrot
The former President of the Steel Chip Gang. Francois de Pierrot was Benny House's mentor and predecessor. A brutally cunning and intelligent man, Francois de Pierrot managed to outwit and outplay La Famiglia Nostra for control of Chicago's highly lucrative West Side (though he was not able to drive the Italians out completely). Pierrot's power began to flag when he drew the attention of Mayor Hadewich's Streetsweeper force. In an effort to protect himself, Pierrot went underground and left his gang in the hands of his right-hand man, Benny.

Jerome Steale
Jerome Steale was the original founder of the Steel Chip Gang. He and his family got their start selling illegal, unregistered weapons and explosives. After establishing his fortune, Jermone went on to found the Steel Chip Casino, which became the iconic central location for the gang's activities. Jerome and his children were ousted by Francis de Pierrot, who took over the gang in the 1890's.

Anthony House
The Vice-President of the Steel Chip Gang under Benny House. Anthony was an inscrutable and malevolent force unto himself. Little information was known about Anthony -- to the point where it was unknown whether or not he and Benny were actually blood-related. Benny assigned Anthony to hunt down and kill Francis de Pierrot during his stint as President. Anthony House is currently missing, having disappeared after the collapse of the Steel Chip Gang. Anthony is being hunted by La Famiglia hitmen, though without much success yet.

Mark Lookwell
As one of Benny's Struts and his closest friend, Mark Lookwell had a great deal of authority within the Steel Chip Gang. Mark handled intelligence-gathering, as well as drug importation and distribution throughout the city of Chicago. Mark's cool intelligence and calm demeanor helped to balance out Benny's more brash and loudmouthed nature. Mark Lookwell is currently missing, having disappeared after the collapse of the Steel Chip Gang. He's being hunted by La Famiglia hitmen, though without much success thus far.

Jerry Crosston
Jerry Crosston was the Strut of the Steel Chip Gang's martial forces. Though lacking the intelligence of Mark and Anthony, he made up for it with sheer fighting force. Jerry ran the Steel Chip's enforcement, extortion, and protection divisions. He loved Benny as a brother and would have followed him to the grave. In fact, he did. Jerry Crosston lost his life during the period known as La Ricostituzione - where La Famiglia Nostra waged war on the Steel Chips. Jerry Crosston was killed by William Bascher's Cuirassiers in a bloody street fight in Chicago's West Side.

Miralia "Mira" Ciprani
Formerly known as Miralia House, Mira was Benny's secret daughter. Mira changed her last name in an effort to distance herself from her family's criminal dealings. She worked as a nurse in the Chicago Masonic Medical Center. She fell into the orbit of Cynnabue "Cyn" Sycamore, leader of the Dead Rabbits, and eventually began a romantic relationship with him. Mira's relationship with Cyn caused increased tensions and violence in the gang war. Mira eventually fled Chicago with Cyn, leaving her father behind.

Steel Chip Casino
The Steel Chip Casino was a fixture of Chicago's West Side for many years - and it was said to rival the casinos of Las Vegas for grandeur and profit. The casino featured a game floor with poker, slot machines, roulette, blackjack, and more. The Steel Chip Casino also boasted a large dining room and suites for guests and/or gang members to stay. The Steel Chip Casino was also a speakeasy featuring a wide selection of alcohols. Since the gang's collapse, however, the casino has largely been abandoned and is facing foreclosure.

Textile Mills
Benny House owned a handful of textile factories which, in addition to providing him with a steady stream of legitimate income and helping to launder his money, also served as lockups for the Steel Chip Gang's cocaine.

Related Pages

 * Benedict House