Racket

Operation: Racket is an operation planned between Caesar's Legion and the Omertas around 2281.

Background
The Omertas have always been a shifty bunch, but the other Strip families never thought they would plan to openly attack them and attempt a takeover of the Strip. During the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, if still under the leadership of Big Sal and Nero, the Omertas stage a coup within the New Vegas Strip, attempting to run the other Strip proprietor's out. The operation was planned and settled by Caesar's head frumantarius Vulpes Inculta.

For months, Caesar regularly fed bribes to Nero to assist in their betrayal of Mr. House; the end goal in mind was to induce as much chaos as possible during the Legion military campaign across the Mojave. Despite Legate Lanius being leery and angered by the treacherous operation potentially sullying the Legion's victory at Hoover Dam, Caesar paid no mind and went on with the plan.

Gomorrah had a reputation for being the most popular brothel in New Vegas and tended to attract lonely NCR personnel looking for certain "company." Coupled with potential disobedient hookers who broke past the entrapping conditions of the place which was combating addiction or similar vices. Nero and Big Sal saw this as an opportunity to use in part of Operation: Racket.

Working in hand with the frumentarii, they blackmailed NCR personnel to work for them as Clanden, a brutally sadistic but highly skilled chemist and bomb maker, would rape, torture and murder some of the hookers. Selling the snuff tapes as a side income to sadists while using the dead hookers as blackmail material to force certain high-value targets like Troike to work for them as either smugglers or foot soldiers. The frumentarius Picus was tasked to disable the monorail which would allow the rapid deployment of NCR infantry in the event of an attack on the Strip.

The Courier's involvement
The plan had run into difficulties however, with Clanden lacking materials to make anything that could kill as many people as the Omertas wanted, and Troike losing a shipment of smuggled weapons to the Fiends. The Courier, upon arrival on the New Vegas Strip, could intervene, either bringing the plan to fruition or completely derailing it.

The Courier could find evidence that Omertas lieutenant Cachino was making secret deals that went against the family's interests, something that the Omertas punished with death. Giving it to Big Sal and Nero, the pair had Cachino killed, and recruited the Courier to further help with the plan. Telling them to speak with Clanden and Troike to help solve the problems they had run into, the Courier retrieved the disassembled weapons shipment stolen by the Fiends, and acquired a container of chlorine so Clanden could make a chlorine gas to help with the attack.

However, the plan could also be ended before it truly began. By blackmailing Cachino with knowledge of his off the books dealings, the Courier could have been informed of the plan as well as Troike and Clanden's involvement. Finding evidence of Clanden's murders, the Courier could have turned him into the New California Republic Military Police, blackmail him into leaving Vegas, or get him alone and kill him.

Troike had been blackmailed into helping the Omertas after supposedly killing a hooker while high on Jet, and he suspected the Omertas intended to betray him once they got enough weapons, and made some thermite as insurance to destroy the weapons he had smuggled into the casino. After destroying the guns, the Courier was called to meet with Big Sal and Nero, who were aware of their involvement in the destruction of the guns. The pair attempted to kill the Courier, however they won the ensuing gun fight, leaving Cachino in charge of Gomorrah and Operation: Racket in tatters.

Regardless, no matter who won the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, the White Glove Society, Chairmen, and securitrons were able to dampen the coup if it went ahead and stop the Omertas.

Outcome
The following messages are played by NCR Emergency Radio during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam if the mentioned conditions are met.

Appearances
Operation: Racket is mentioned only in Fallout: New Vegas.