Every New York neighborhood has a mafia, of sorts. In Chinatown, it’s the Chinese, in Little Italy, it’s the Chinese and in Midtown, it’s the Times Square Alliance. Self-described as a “district [that] covers most of the territory from 40th Street to 53rd Street between 6th and 8th Avenues, as well as Restaurant Row,” it’s a rather alarming amount of territory that the alliance has jurisdiction over.
Made up of employees that consist of the sanitation department and police officers, the alliance smacks of a hotbed of seedy activity, especially considering that the aforementioned professions are among the smarmiest (see: Tony Soprano and Al Pacino in any cop movie for reference). Plus, they have their own jackets–what screams mafia more than that? The best way to avoid trouble with the Times Square Alliance as an office worker is to keep your head down and avoid eye contact. You’re on their turf now.