- "The Stokes family built greatness out of nothing. Nobody pushes us off that."
- ―Mariah Dillard[src]
The Stokes Crime Family was one of the biggest crime organizations in Harlem. It was founded by Buggy Stokes.
History[]
Harlem's Players[]
- "My husband, his brother, and me built this here Harlem game brick by brick. Numbers, pussy, guns."
- ―Mama Mabel[src]
Buggy Stokes, with his wife Mabel and his brother Peter, founded one of the biggest criminal organization in Harlem and centered his activities in the Harlem's Paradise owned by Stokes and his friend Quincy McIver. Under his leadership, Stokes family grew stronger and established their business in weapons selling and prostitutes like Desiree Jones, Kalinda Potter and Sister Boy but never dealt with the drugs what became a family's credo.[1] Also, Mabel put Benjamin Donovan through law school, allowing him to become a successful lawyer and became loyal to the Stokes family.[2]
Situation with McIvers[]
The Stokes challenging the McIver's legally
- "Sorry, babe. Told your mom I wasn't dealing with no goddamn lawyers."
- ―Mama Mabel to John McIver[src]
However, Italian criminals, Irish policemen and local politicians wanted to took control over Harlem's Paradise. They made a deal with Buggy Stokes to force him to murder Quincy McIver, who refused to sell the club. Buggy accepted the offer and shot his friend. However, McIver managed to shoot him in his belly before he died. Buggy died five months later. and on his deathbed, he asked Pistol Pete to protect Mama Mabel and the family.[3]
Mama Mabel burns Gwen McIver to death
Later, Mabel and Pete traveled to Kingston to discuss a business deal with McIver's wife, Gwen McIver, who asked for a fair share of Harlem's Paradise and profits of the Bushmaster Rum. However, Mabel, Pete and Benjamin Donovan openly refused her offer. By night, Stokes attacked McIver Residence and burned it with Gwen who was inside, killing her. While the house was burning to the ground, Mabel discovered that her son, John McIver had escaped just in time, as Mabel apologised to him for killing his mother, although she expressed no emotion.
Pistol Pete shoots John McIver in the gut
Two years later, Pete had managed tracked down John, who had since moved to Trenchtown and worked at a market selling fruit. As part of their plan to ensure that nobody challenged their ownership of their business assets, Pete had then shot John twice in the stomach, noting that this was also in retaliation for what his father did to Buggy, although John managed to survive the shooting, having been rescued by Anansi before he could bleed out. The Stokes Crime Family then continued building their businesses, putting the conflict with the McIvers behind them.[4]
Pistol Pete's Betrayal[]
The Stokes listen to Cottonmouth's music
Years later, Mama Mabel's grandson, Cornell Stokes than encouraged to go out in the street with Pop and Fredo Diaz, beating people up to steal cash, becoming notorious enough that they were once photographed by Jamel Shabazz. One night, Pop and Donnie visited Mabel and brought her cash and a stolen watch.
Mariah Dillard watches Donnie lose a finger
However, Mabel confronted Donnie on the fact that he had been selling drugs on the streets of Harlem. Donnie insisted that he was only trying to help her organization, noting that Salvador Colon was making a lot of money selling crack which they could get involved with. Mabel furiously confronted Donnie before using flower cutters to cut off his finger, before ordering Cornell and Pete to take Donnie downstairs in the basement and deal with him.
Mama Mabel has Pistol Pete shot and killed
Pete then decided to broke family's credo not to deal with the drugs and secretly contacted with the Colon Crime Family from Spanish Harlem. He discussed Stokes' involvement with their drug business with Salvador Colon. Mabel learned about that from Cornell and decided to punish Pete for his betrayal.
Mabel confronted Pete for betrayal, with Pete noting that he was trying to make a deal that would help them rule New York City. Then she revealed that Cornell was standing behind him, threatening Pete with a gun much to his horror. Mabel ordered him to force Pete outside to be executed for his betrayal against them. Pete desperately tried to reason with Cornell before he fired two shots into Pete's chest, killing him.[1]
Cottonmouth's Leadership[]
Cottonmouth controls the Stokes business
- "Nah, what I sell is pure. This is the kind of shit that can blow a hole in a battleship, but it's light enough to hold in your hand. Trust me Domingo, you can bribe someone's day permanently with this shit. Top of the line, the crème-de-la-crème, this that grade A, military, Justin Hammer level shit. A hundred large per case, ten cases, a cool mil, whole sale, brand spanking new, no serial numbers, because my connector's nice like that."
- ―Cottonmouth to Domingo Colon[src]
In the wake of the eventual death of Mama Mabel, Cottonmouth inherit family's business. Stokes established cooperation with another criminal gangs in Harlem, such as the Yardies, the Korean Mob, the Cuban Mob, and the Macoute.[5] In order to provide weapons business, Stokes befriended Diamondback, mysterious and powerful weapons dealer. To conspire his activities, Stokes contacted with Joel Spurlock from the Spurlock's Mortuary and several corrupt NYPD officers, like Detective Rafael Scarfe and Lieutenant Perez. Also, Stokes financed election campaign of his cousin Mariah Dillard who became a Councilwoman.
In 2015, Stokes arranged the meeting in Harlem's Paradise with his childhood friend Domingo Colon who became a leader of his family gang. Stokes organized a selling of weapons manufactured by Hammer Industries and obtained by Diamondback. Colon accepted a deal and their men met at the junkyard to finish the deal. However, they were attacked by Shameek Smith, Dante Chapman, and Chico Diaz who killed all gangsters at the scene to steal Stokes' money. Smith then killed Chapman who called up Tone and informed them about the robbery.[6]
Diamondback's Arrival[]
To be added
Mariah Stokes' Leadership[]
To be added
Members[]
| Name | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Samuel Stokes | Leader | Deceased |
| Mabel Stokes | Leader | Deceased |
| Peter Stokes | Leader | Deceased |
| Cornell Stokes | Leader | Deceased |
| Mariah Stokes Dillard | Leader | Deceased |
| Hernán Álvarez | Second-in-Command | Defected/In Custody |
| Henry Hunter | Enforcer | Deceased |
| Fredo Diaz | Enforcer | Deceased |
| Donnie | Enforcer | Deceased |
| Tone | Enforcer | Deceased |
| Zip | Enforcer | Deceased |
| Amos | Enforcer | Alive |
| Sugar | Enforcer | Defected/Alive |
| Koko | Enforcer | Deceased |
| Rocky | Enforcer | Alive |
| C-Money | Enforcer | Alive |
| Diontey | Enforcer | Alive |
| Ramos | Enforcer | Alive |
| Darius Jones | Enforcer | Mole/Deceased |
| Andre Jackson | Enforcer | Deceased |
| Ricky | Enforcer | Alive |
| Tony | Enforcer | Alive |
| Alex Wesley | Assistant | Deceased |
| Benjamin Donovan | Lawyer | Formerly/Alive |
| Darrell Mitchell | Accountant | Alive |
| Sister Boy | Prostitute | Alive |
| Kalinda Potter | Prostitute | Deceased |
| Desiree Jones | Prostitute | Alive |
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- In the comics, Black Mariah leads a gang called the Rat Pack. Early in her career, both she and Cornell Stokes were members of another gang known as the Fang Gang. Later on, they both joined the New Pride, led by Alex Wilder.
