THE PIZZA CONNECTION
FROM CRAZY DON SUBRIZI'S DESK
I created The Pizza Connection as a writer first and developer second. These digital pages hold my love letter to the authentic mafia world x classic era computer gaming. Every hustle, every character, and every line of dialogue pulls from an insider's understanding of how the life really works.
This isn't just another game—it's an interactive descent into a world that operates by its own twisted code of honor. The Sierra-style gallows humor doesn't soften the reality; it highlights the absurdity of a life where today's capo is tomorrow's concrete foundation.
I wanted to give you a story worth experiencing and replaying—one where choices echo through generations and every path comes with a price tag someone has to pay. Let's just say my knowledge comes from places you don't find in books.
FAMILY BUSINESS
- ""Some men make their fortune with stocks. Others with tech. The smart ones? Make big moves in silence.""
DUAL METER SYSTEM
- Heat Meter: 5-tier progression from Clean to Most Wanted
- Respect Meter: From Nobody to Godfather tier progression
- Location-specific heat tracking for strategic movement
- Visual effects intensify as meters reach critical thresholds
BOSS MOOD SYSTEM
- Your capo's temperament ranges from blood-boiling Furious (where you'll earn table scraps at 0.5× rewards) to suspicious Generosity (1.2× rewards with strings always attached)
- His mood doesn't just affect your pocket—it determines whether you're attending a baptism or becoming fish food
- Dynamic character reactions based on current mood state
- Boss Mood impacts everything from respect gain to mission opportunities
CREW MANAGEMENT
- Recruit specialists whose loyalty lasts as long as their envelopes stay fat
- Each brings unique abilities to your outfit—until they're offered more to forget them
- Territory assignment with attribute bonuses
- Loyalty system with potential betrayals
CORE ATTRIBUTES
FISTS (10-100)
Because sometimes diplomacy requires five knuckle-based negotiators. Controls physical prowess, combat effectiveness, and intimidation tactics.
- Enhances combat minigames like Da Collector
- Determines territory defense success rate
- Affects physical task outcomes
BRAINS (10-100)
The muscle gets respect, but the brains get rich. Controls strategy, business operations, and money laundering efficiency.
- Critical for Clean Hands money laundering
- Improves stealth and planning in minigames
- Essential for complex legal defenses
GUTS (10-100)
When the heat's on, most fold. You don't. Controls courage, risk tolerance, and resilience under pressure.
- Crucial for high-risk, high-reward operations
- Affects Steel Nerves intimidation success
- Determines prison survival chances
HEART (10-100)
Loyalty isn't just sentimental—it's survival. Controls crew management, charm operations, and family dynamics.
- Enhances Good Deeds heat reduction
- Improves crew loyalty and recruitment
- Critical for family-based story events
FIVE HISTORICAL ERAS
FOUNDING ERA
Old World values meet New World streets. Blood ties are everything when you have nothing else.
- HEART-focused skill checks
- Journey from Sicilian lemon groves to Little Italy
- Immigrant protection rackets
PROHIBITION ERA
When America went dry, the smart ones got wet.
- FISTS-focused gameplay
- Explosive territory expansion
- Political corruption in a world of speakeasies
GOLDEN ERA
The height of respectability with blood-soaked foundations.
- Balance legitimate business with criminal operations
- Expand from Havana casinos to Vegas empires
- Political manipulation at its peak
DARK ERA
Federal pressure mounts. Rats become more dangerous than badges.
- GUTS-focused challenges
- RICO investigations and informant management
- Complex money laundering operations
MODERN ERA
Old School meets New Tech. Every conversation is recorded, except the ones that matter.
- BRAINS-focused digital evidence management
- Global criminal networks
- Balance of technology and tradition
DYNAMIC EVENT SYSTEM
Nothing happens by accident in this world. The game's all-seeing eye—like the Virgin Mary in your mother's kitchen—watches every move you make.
CORE TRIGGERS
- Cross invisible lines and fate kicks in without asking permission
- Each neighborhood remembers your sins differently
- 15% chance to bump into someone who matters in their territory
- First comes the beat cop wanting his envelope, then the RICO team
SIGNATURE EVENTS
- Prison Events: At 90+ Heat, trade your silk suit for prison denim
- Court Battle: At Heat 51+, face a judge who may already have your sentence written
- Made Man Ceremony: The 51+ Respect ceremony where you become "a friend of ours"
- "The Last Supper": The final confrontation tailored to your criminal career
DATABASE ARCHITECTURE
The game is powered by three massive interconnected databases that track every element of your criminal empire.
CHARACTER DATABASE
- 20+ Unique Characters with individual personalities
- NPCs remember interactions and become allies or enemies
- Characters tied to specific territories for organic encounters
- Full history of every interaction with each character
LOCATION DATABASE
- 37+ Unique Locations spanning cities and secret hideouts
- Each location requires minimum respect levels to access
- Geographical coordinates affect travel time and costs
- Special properties that affect local gameplay mechanics
ITEMS DATABASE
- 135+ Unique Items across multiple categories
- Each item affects character attributes differently
- Era-specific items unlock through historical progression
- Legendary artifacts with game-changing effects
BLOOD-SOAKED ARCADE CABINET
IL SAPORE DEGLI UOMINI
A noir assassination gallery where every target has a dossier and every kill leaves a signature.
- Target prioritization mechanics
- Hostage situation management
- Critical hit system with noir-style cutscenes
NONNA & ZIA
Cook for two matriarchs who judge your sauce as harshly as they judge your life choices. Failure means more than a bad meal.
- Food consumption challenges
- Family respect building mechanics
- Recipe competitions with real consequences
DA COLLECTOR
Every debt needs collecting—some with words, most with fists. Your knuckles tell the story of payment plans.
- Neo Geo quality beat-'em-up combat
- Sierra-style quips with each successful hit
- Combo system that builds both cash and heat
CLEAN HANDS
Paperwork hides blood. Make the numbers dance until even God would testify to your innocence.
- Document manipulation with clues to hide
- Inspector bribery timing mechanics
- Business audit evasion system
BIG SCORE
Thread through security grids that separate you from what's rightfully yours (once you take it).
- Strategic grid-based movement
- Guard vision cone evasion
- Multiple exit strategies with risk/reward
SHADOW TAIL
Follow your mark through rain-slicked streets. The camera is your weapon; blackmail, your ammunition.
- Stealth movement and cover system
- Photo evidence collection mechanics
- Guard pattern memorization
STEEL NERVES
Two men at a table. Only the one with unblinking eyes walks away with respect.
- Intimidation dialogue choices
- Nerve control mini-game with tension meter
- Reputation consequence system
PUMP AND DUMP
The stock market—one more system to manipulate. Buy, sell, and crush like you crush everything else.
- Market timing mechanics
- Media manipulation system
- SEC heat avoidance mini-game
NUCLEAR WAR
The final negotiation with rival families—using warheads instead of words. There are no winners, only those who lose less.
- Strategic targeting system
- Alliance manipulation
- Fallout tracking with doomsday countdown
PASTA TRIVIA
Vegas meets Sicily in a knowledge contest where wrong answers cost more than money. The host's smile never reaches his eyes.
- High-stakes betting with regional knowledge tests
- Time pressure answers
- Double-or-nothing rounds with Vegas lounge aesthetics
THE INFLUENCES
FILMS & DIRECTORS
- Umberto Lenzi's unflinching crime films where violence isn't glamorized but inevitable
- Damiano Damiani's political corruption themes
- Gomorrah's street-level brutality that Hollywood wouldn't dare show
- Scorsese's wiseguy humor that finds jokes in the darkest corners
LITERATURE
- Mario Puzo's family dynamics beyond The Godfather
- Andrea Camilleri's Sicilian cultural insights
- Roberto Saviano's journalistic exposure of organized crime's reality
- Raymond Chandler's noir poetry applied to the mob world
GAMES
- Sierra's merciless consequences from Police Quest and Leisure Suit Larry
- Baseball Stars' character development system
- Wasteland's moral ambiguity where good decisions lead to terrible outcomes
- Sid Meier's Pirates!' crew management with a body count