Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Aggielife

David Fisher [Click to enlarge]

A man walks through the streets of New York City with a villainous assignment in his mind and an air of purpose lingering with each step he takes. On any given day, such a man would blend in with the moving herd, and this day is no different. Despite the seemingly tense shoulders and faint line of sweat forming on his brow, this man looks as if his very life is a mystery - a piece of the puzzle that will never be noticed, an enigmatic key to the underworld of organized crime. Though according to David Fisher, bestselling author and creator of a new Playstation 2 game, "Mademan: Confessions of the Family Blood," such is the life of a hit man: secretive and unknowing.
"In the mid 1970s, an agent who had a client who was a hit man in the mafia asked me if I would be interested in working with him," Fisher said. "As a freelance writer, you try to write about as many different worlds as you can. People in organized crime who live outside the boundaries of ordinary society interest me."

Thus a spark was set within Fisher, and he developed a keen interest on the happening of organized crime, which would in turn inspire writing several books and eventually a videogame.

"Acclaim (a video game developer) called me out of the blue and asked if I was interested," Fisher said. "I of course said yes - it was something I hadn't done before."

The only reporter to be granted complete access to the FBI's crime lab, Fisher has spent much time delving into the underbelly of society through research of the mafia. With this knowledge, he had the ability to pour all of his knowledge into the creation of the videogame.

"All of the characters are based upon real people," Fisher said. "The different levels of the game take you through the different levels of organized crime. There is not nearly as much shooting in real life, though."

Fisher said the game does in fact mirror real-life organized crime.

"In organized crime, how you move up the ranks depends on earning," he said. "The more money you earn, the higher you become. The biggest compliment you could give to a guy is to say 'He's a good earner.'"

Despite the gilded image of the mafia portrayed by the entertainment industry, Fisher said the mafia no longer exists in the same capacity as it once did.

Continued...

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