Mafia III Assigning Districts Guide: Underboss Management & Territory Control

Understanding Underboss Management in New Bordeaux

As Lincoln Clay takes over more of New Bordeaux in Mafia III: Definitive Edition, he cannot run every criminal enterprise alone. To dismantle the Marcano family, Lincoln recruits three distinct lieutenants: Cassandra, Vito Scaletta, and Thomas Burke. Each underboss brings their own crew, unique skill set, and operational background to the war effort. Successfully managing these personalities is vital for controlling rackets, securing valuable upgrades, and ultimately determining the fate of the city.

Choosing who runs each business and district directly dictates the favors, weapons, and support each underboss is willing to provide. Mismanaging these distributions can lead to dangerous consequences, including open mutiny. To make informed decisions, you must understand who your lieutenants are and what they bring to the table.

Meet Your Lieutenants

Before dividing up the territory of New Bordeaux, it helps to know the background and operational strengths of your three key partners:

• Cassandra: The leader of the Haitian gang operating out of a voodoo shop in Delray Hollow. Her crew specializes in running guns and contraband through the city, providing Lincoln with essential combat supplies and weapon upgrades.
• Vito Scaletta: Hailing from Empire Bay and operating out of the docks in River Row, Vito brings a deep, professional working knowledge of the traditional mob. His hired goons serve as invaluable backup during intense firefights.
• Thomas Burke: An old-world IRA sympathizer with a notoriously quick temper and a deep personal vendetta against the Marcanos. His men operate a chop shop in Point Verdun, offering specialized vehicle and getaway support.

How Distributing Territory Works

When Lincoln successfully takes control of a new racket within a district, he must choose which of the three underbosses to place in charge. Handing over a racket increases that specific boss's overall "earn" and immediately unlocks new upgrades and favors for Lincoln to utilize.

Once all rackets within a specific district are dismantled and the overseeing Marcano lieutenant is eliminated, you must assign a single underboss to rule the entire district. This decision shifts control of all the district’s rackets to the new leader.

Be mindful of prior choices: if you previously assigned a racket to Vito, but decide to hand the overarching district control to Burke, Vito will lose control of those rackets—along with the earnings and benefits that come with them. This shifting dynamic requires careful planning to ensure you do not inadvertently anger an underboss you rely on.

Avoiding Mutiny and Balancing Power

One of the most critical gameplay mechanics revolves around loyalty. If you repeatedly pass over one or two underbosses when assigning control of major districts, they will grow disgruntled.

Warning

Betrayal Risk If you continually slight an underboss by ignoring them during district assignments, they will eventually turn their back on Lincoln and actively betray him, forcing you to eliminate them before reaching the final mission.

To avoid a violent mutiny, community reports and player experiences suggest maintaining an even-handed approach. Because there are six major districts to conquer throughout the story, assigning exactly two districts to each underboss ensures all three remain satisfied.

While spreading the wealth evenly might mean missing out on some of the game's absolute highest-tier individual upgrades, it guarantees that all three underbosses stay loyal, allowing you to unlock the achievement or trophy titled "We're in This Together".

Conversely, if you choose to focus entirely on favoring just one lieutenant while completely neglecting the other two, those neglected bosses will rise up against you. Reaching the final mission with only a single surviving underboss unlocks the alternate "Just You and Me" achievement.

Underboss Endings and City Control

Your choices in territory management carry weight all the way to the narrative conclusion. Whichever surviving lieutenant controls the most territory by the end of the game will be left in charge of running New Bordeaux if Lincoln decides to leave the city:

• Vito's Ending: Vito takes control of criminal operations, successfully modernizing and legalizing many local businesses. He even finishes building Marcano's long-planned hotel and casino, where he ultimately resides.
• Burke's Ending: The Irish faction steps into the role of supreme crime lords. Burke eventually buys his way onto the city council, renaming the area Bourbon City. Tragically, his story concludes in 1984 during a violent gang war between the Irish and Cuban families.
• Cassandra's Ending: Cassandra takes absolute control of New Bordeaux, successfully fending off local government challenges and rival challengers. However, as retribution for assassinating the Governor of Louisiana, the federal government severely cuts all funding and aid to the city, leaving it vulnerable to devastating economic hardships and natural disasters.

By carefully balancing your assignments, weighing the benefits of individual upgrades against faction loyalty, and keeping your eye on the overarching narrative goals, you can successfully conquer New Bordeaux on your own terms.