Cutters
 | |
| Colors: Gold and Green | |
|---|---|
| Symbol: Crossed Switchblades | |
| Connection | 3 |
| Type | Gang |
| Player May Join | Yes |
| Health | Maintaining |
| Area of Operation | Seattle |
Faction Information
Summary
The Cutters are a North American gang, with active members in most sprawls, making them transnational. While they got their beginnings in drug dealing and street-level violence, they’ve evolved over the years into a pseudo-corporate force with the resources, income, and structure of a small corporation. Although they deal in goods and services that qualify as black-market or illegal in many jurisdictions, they do so with a primary concern for profit. Violence is a side effect of their primary for-profit goal, and this group is not involved in political or social terrorism.(SR4 Vice p130-131)
The Cutters mimic corporate structure to the point that their leadership is called the board of directors, and they have a CEO who runs the gang, under direction of the Board. A CFO, CIO (Chief Intelligence Officer), and a VP of security all report to the CEO directly, while other parts of the gang are organized and labeled with similar corporate terms. For example, their Department of Logistics and Supply Management deals with cross-border smuggling as well as shifting goods from one branch of the gang to another. This organization has slowly evolved over recent decades, as the gang has shifted from a more street-level, disorganized group into the top-tier gang it is today. And, in fact, the gang is so remarkably similar to an actual corporation that it isn’t uncommon for some files to get misplaced or a shipment to get accidentally rerouted, so that the men-on-the-streets find themselves receiving a shipment of medkits instead of a crate of Ares Alphas. Supposedly, the field leaders are good at improvising and working with the inevitable mix-ups, so they simply restructure their plans and file a report to the appropriate department.(SR4 Vice p130-131)
Organization
The Cutters have their gang organized by departments, rather than geographically. Each department is overseen by someone given the title of VP. Their “Logistics and Supply Management” department coordinates moving their blackmarket goods, using their own established smuggling routes that supply all of North America and even reach into the British Isles and Europe. Their “Procurement” department is responsible for purchasing arms, vehicles, and drugs, while their “Sales” division coordinates everything from their large black-market arms sales to their street-level drug dealing. Due to this vertical organization, police organizations are often stymied, because the arrest of the street-level members (the most likely to be caught and arrested) is the equivalent of arresting the accounting clerk. It doesn’t even make a ripple in the overall organization.(SR4 Vice p130-131)
Unlike many gangs and ethnic crime syndicates, the Cutters do not appear to discriminate on race, gender, or ethnicity in their membership—with the possible exception of elves. The few elves that they do have rarely seem to rise above the street level. The Cutters utilize Awakened talents in their gang and appear to be welcoming to changelings. Rumors of shapeshifters or other sentient creatures in their membership continue to circulate, although other information suggests the gang uses the rumor to boost its image on the streets.(SR4 Vice p130-131)
Profit Centers
The Cutters deal in drugs, arms, protection rackets, and other street-level crime. They also appear to interact freely with independent criminals, acting as brokers, fences, and fixers. They deal in extensive black-market goods, including smuggling metahumans into and out of UCAS for slave labor or sexual exploitation. It is also rumored that the Cutters have access to military-spec weapons, which they sell to other criminal organizations and street gangs. According to Interpol’s Drug Enforcement Agency reports, the Cutters were not involved at significant levels in the recent tempo drug trade. They do, however, dominate the street market in many sprawls with other drugs and illegal substances, such as novacoke. Rumors also suggest they may get some (perhaps much) of their goods by working hand-in-hand with certain corporations to buy up production overruns, surplus stock, and fabricated “shrinkage,” and then reselling them on the black market for a profit. According to the UCAS IRS, they believe the UCAS-based Cutters see annual profits of 50–100 million nuyen.(SR4 Vice p130-131)
Goals
Major Locations
Leaders
Background
Allies
Enemies
Current Status
Health Summary
Members
Contacts
| Name | Connection | Archetype | Profession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adderall | 1 | Service | Cutter Gang Decker |
| Bandido | 2 | Service | Ganger Street Shaman |
| Jewels | 2 | Service | People Stabber |
| Juan "Guapo" Manuel | 1 | Service | |
| Pappy | 4 | Fixer | Street Security Professional |
PCs
None