La Madrina

La Madrina is a mafia-themed larp where family is everything. Inspired by iconic films like The Godfather, GoodFellas, and Road to Perdition, this larp is set in 1930s New York, where three Italian immigrant families try to navigate the chaos of the Great Depression and the end of Prohibition. The plot is inspired by a real event that has happened several times in the history of organized crime.

The Italian Mafia may rule the streets, but they are ruled by their relationships and personal ambitions. The families must unite against outside threats despite old grudges, but how do you work with someone who might stab you in the back if it means being better off? Trust is fragile between people who need each other as much as they dislike each other. 

This larp is not about gunfights or heists; in La Madrina, the world of organized crime is merely the backdrop against which the characters and their complicated relationships unfold. At its core, it is a drama about parents and children, siblings and lovers, caught between duty, ambition, and love, about what happens when bonds of blood and loyalty are tested, and about the lengths to which each character will go to achieve their goals.

  • Genre

    Family drama, historic larp, Mafia

  • Date

    Run 3: 23-26 October 2025
    Run 4: 30 October to 2 November 2025

  • Language

    One run in English and one in German planned, depending on number of sign-ups in each language

  • Duration

    Arrival Thursday afternoon, in-time from Friday morning to Saturday evening, departure Sunday morning

  • Accommodation

    According to character either in double rooms or shared rooms (with a maximum of four beds, linen included)

  • Catering

    Full board (four meals a day)

  • Price

    €375 (discounted €225 and supporter €450)

  • NPCs

    2 NPC spots with minor plot for 100€ (maggiordomo and housekeeper)

  • Age

    18+ due to liability reasons

Themes

  • Family drama and relationship conflicts
  • Negotiations and matchmaking
  • Intrigue and power games
  • Sexism and homophobia
  • Secrets and scandals
  • Wishes vs expectations
  • Modernity vs tradition

Story

New York, 1931: Herbert Hoover is President, the Great Depression has reached its lowest point yet, and the economic crisis and Prohibition have led to a brutal rise in crime. The struggle for bare survival fuels distrust, avarice, and greed among the city’s citizens. To make matters worse, criminal gangs have sprung up on every corner, and bloody street battles for control of neighborhoods occur almost daily. Hopelessness and despair make the citizens vulnerable to all forms of oppression and exploitation. The three major Mafia clans have suffered real territorial losses in the last two years, and to make matters worse, rumors are circulating about the end of prohibition and the establishment of an FBI forensic laboratory.

A war on the streets would be the death of the Mafia, because destroyed livelihoods no longer pay protection money; where there’s no money, there’s no laundering; if you can’t even afford bread, you won’t buy drugs, and if the economic crisis continues, your debtors will never become solvent. What can save you is strength in numbers. That is why Gaetano La Rosa, New York’s most influential Mafioso, has invited the most important representatives of organized crime to his country house to discuss a possible common approach. Specifically, the Famiglia La Rosa (a Cosa Nostra with strong political influence and roots in Sicily, which mainly controls Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn), the Cosca Conti (a ‘Ndrangheta with roots in Calabria, which mainly controls Queens and the Bronx), and the Bel Sito clan (an up-and-coming Camorra with roots in Naples, that controls parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island and supports itself primarily through speakeasies and gambling) – all aware that they will eventually be wiped out by law enforcement or rival groups if they decide to continue operating on their own.

Gaetano has stated that he would democratically elect the new head of the family as a result of any merger. If he were to run himself, there would be no doubt that he would win, as his family is not only the largest, but he also commands the most respect from the other families. However, if for some reason he does not run, each family would naturally want to see someone from their own ranks at the top of the Alliance – and then it would all come down to who can be strategic and find the most supporters, as the redistribution of the remaining territories is also at stake.

If that happens, we’ll see where everyone’s true loyalties lie.

Location

What to expect

  • Pre-written characters
  • Characters have secrets
  • Cooperative play style (play to lift)
  • Ressouce play
  • Safety mechanics
  • Self-preparation and workshop on site
  • Pre-game hype and communication on Discord
  • Organizers play full characters at the larp
  • In-game entertainment (horse racing, gambling, Lindy Hop)

What NOT to expect

  • Absolute historical correctness
  • Reenactment
  • Point-based system
  • Achieving your character’s goals (play to win)
  • Transparent game
  • Play on racism
  • Play on antisemitism
  • Gunfights
  • Servant characters that serve food & drinks and help with getting dressed

Content Warning

  • Sexism
  • Homophobia
  • Transphobia
  • Violence (physical and emotional)
  • Murder/manslaughter
  • Fake blood
  • Open fire
For some characters:
  • Incest
  • Sexual violence
  • Domestic violence

Gallery

A picture is worth a thousand words: The Kelric View has accompanied Run 1 and Nummi Run 2 and captured the best moments with their camera.

Characters

We have up to 29 playable characters (including 2 NPCs) for you to choose from.

Credits

Story and characters: Marik Roos and Nicholas Chung (original by Marik Roos)

Sign-up and finances: Nicholas Chung

Production: Marik Roos, Nicholas Chung

Props: Marik Roos, Nicholas Chung, Tibor, Liverollenspiel Förderverein e.V. Ludwigsburg

Kitchen: Tibor

Crew: