Empire Bay
A city of power, betrayal, and family.
Empire Bay is a fictional city in the Mafia series, first appearing in Mafia II. It is based on New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, and Detroit.
Quick Facts
- Setting
- Empire Bay, Louisiana (fictional, modeled on New Orleans, LA)
- Primary antagonists
- The Marcano Family (Italian mob)
- Ally faction
- The Haitian mob
- the black mob
- and the Irish mob
Lore & Background
Set within the fictional city of Empire Bay from 1945 to 1951, the story follows Vito Scaletta, a young Sicilian-American mobster and war veteran, who becomes caught in a power struggle among the city's Mafia crime families while attempting to pay back his father's debts and secure a better lifestyle. The city is divided by a river and consists of several districts, including wealthy suburbs, slums, and tenement blocks for different ethnic groups, as well as industrial complexes, a port, a railroad station, a prison, parks, and shopping malls. The criminal outfits include three mafia families — the Falcone family, Vinci family, and Clemente family — a Chinese Triad outfit, the Irish Mob, and several street gangs.
Reader's Guide
In Mafia II, the city of Empire Bay is navigated on foot or by vehicle. The player character's criminal activities may incite a response from law enforcement agencies, measured by a 'wanted' system. The game features 50 era-accurate vehicles, licensed music, and three in-game radio stations. Police awareness works similarly to the previous game, but the player can bribe officers after committing an offense.
More in Story & Campaigns
Elsewhere in Mafia
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