Chapter Text
That Damn Dame
Chapter 1:
It was 1925 in New York City. Morals and safety levels were high and the rate of drinking was low - or at least that’s what the police thought. Instead, the prohibition laws that were placed in 1920 were completely ignored by the public and only encouraged lawbreakers to manufacture and sell it illegally. Across the city, officials estimated that there were 20,000-100,000 speakeasies, or illegal drinking dens. Criminals and people who just wanted a drop of this poison frequented in these secret bars regularly. They ranged from fancy clubs with jazz bands and ballroom dance floors to dingy backrooms, basements and rooms inside apartments.
The public hated this new law and demanded that they weren’t camels but people. Camels could survive without water yet they believed that they couldn’t survive without hooch. None of the laws can stop the public from trying to get their hands on any sort of liquor. None of the laws are able to halt the rise of gangs and organized crime. These gangs wanted to make a profit fast and the public wanted their alcohol.
This illicit distribution of alcohol was known as bootlegging, also known as one of the Diamond family’s best games. The Diamond family is one of the most feared and notorious gangs in New York, if not, the world. They’re known for being consisted of only female members and being incredibly sly. They could steal a whole barge of illegal drugs right under the authorities’ noses. They could eliminate anyone and that person would be forgotten, almost as if they never existed. Plenty of police forces tried to stop this powerhouse of women but the woman behind it all was too clever and cunning.
Her name was Whitney Diamond, or better known as White Diamond. She owned a secret club in Manhattan called the Diamond Palace that only allowed the richest of eggs and high end people. They sold alcohol, held illegal gambling, and played swinging jazz music (which was new and rebellious).
Anyone that wanted to double cross them and tell the feds would be immediately eliminated by having a gun barrel to the head. They wanted to keep their club a secret from any prying eyes and nobody wanted to end up dead. In other words, you did not want to rile up the boss or any of her lackeys.
Speaking of her lackeys, they were strong and not easy to get along with. White was the mother of three daughters, who had no choice but to to be a part of the group because of blood relations. There was Barbara Diamond, or Blue Diamond. She was one of the underbosses for the Diamond Mafia, which meant that she was second in command for her mother. If White needed to step out, Blue was always there. There was also Yasmine Diamond, or Yellow Diamond. She was an underboss as well but also served as a captain to lead the gang’s soldiers. She lead them well because they were feared among other gangs.
There was another sister of the Diamond family but she was no longer with them. Her name was Pauline Diamond, better known as Pink Diamond. She was the youngest of the three sisters and had a very rebellious attitude. She did not wish to be a part of her mother’s gang and would try her best to get out of anything. At first, Pauline did not agree with anything that her mother’s gang did. She did not like that they used force to get what they want and the fact that they ignored the prohibition law. Her perception soon changed once she saw the money flow and began to become greedy. She began to want her own gang where she could call the shots and she would get the most money.
Knowing the rule of not being allowed to quit the gang, she fled unannounced. Her family grieved, believing that they had lost their little Pink forever except that was not the case. Pauline tried to form her own gang by pulling some of Whitney’s members out by convincing that they would get more cut of money than they already did with Whitney. It was similar to a rebellion. She donned the name Rose Quartz to not raise suspicions from her family and tried to rival against the gang.
Pauline’s plan of going against her mother did not go so well.
She went so far into her plan that she convinced her family that Rose Quartz murdered the littlest daughter during the skirmishes of both gangs. Whitney became angry and waged war on Pauline’s small gang.
-We will be right back with Pauline’s story-
There was a reason behind of everyone having gem related names. Not only was Diamond Whitney’s last name but she wanted everyone to have some sort of code name so others wouldn’t get suspicious. She knew that other gangs had cheesy names so she wanted to be different with more regal names. Gems were expensive and she had expensive taste. She also adored jewelry so she kept a headpiece with white diamonds placed. Just like their mother, Yellow wore a yellow diamond necklace and Blue wore a blue necklace.
There were many soldiers-well they weren’t actual soldiers except some of them were ex soldiers. They were normal people with other jobs but needed another outside job to rack in more income in this competitive world. They were the ones who went on robberies, rackets, assaults and murders. If White Diamond needed a job done, she could rely on her soldiers to do it. They were loyal to their boss through and through.
Loyalty was important when it came to doing illegal activities. If one person started to feel guilty of what they were doing, they would immediately regret it and would have an oncoming storm of angry members with weapons. If that one person wanted to go to the police and rat everyone out, they’d get a bullet to the head.
Once you were apart of Whitney Diamond’s gang, there was no exit.
The ladies of the Diamond Family were not to be messed with. They use their gender as an advantage when they get into scuffles with other rival gangs. They can manipulate guards by seducing them with their beauty until they receive a hard blow to the head instead of where they would want to be blown. They enjoy to tease others by saying, “wow! You just got beaten by a girl!” which would result in the opponent feeling quite embarrassed.
There were some downsides with their gender, though. Even though they just got the chance to vote from an amendment passing in 1920, there were still some men who believed they shouldn’t. They were doubted for their abilities and intelligence. They were expected to wear certain clothes, speak and act certain ways.
It wasn’t right. Whitney hated how her sex was treated.
She tried desperately to show people that women could be just as strong as men by using extreme force. That force wasn’t always the best but it did prove to people that she shouldn’t be messed with.
The attitude of women changing their ways inspired them to become flappers, or rebellious females. They had the intention of enjoying themselves and flouting conventional standards of behavior.
Times were changing around in New York City. People wanted to break free from the mold that held them captive and express themselves.
Maybe it was time for Spinel to do the same.