Ready-made scenarios for indoor and outdoor quests: ⇒ Quests for children (up to 10 years old) ⇒ Quests for teenagers (up to 16 years old) ⇒ Quests for adults (over 18 years old)
The 20-30s of the 20th century went down in American history as the “gangster era.” The impetus for its flourishing was the adoption of Prohibition. The law did not bring the expected effect, but it became an incentive for the growth of bootlegging and smuggling. Gangsters took control of the illegal liquor trade, which brought huge profits. Elegant clothes, expensive cars, beautiful women in diamonds, shootouts with the police - the chic and dangerous lifestyle of the “bad boys” still attracts attention to this day. The phenomenon of “gangster cinema” even emerged in cinema. Films such as “The Public Enemy”, “Once Upon a Time in America”, “Scarface”, “The Godfather”, “Pulp Fiction”, “Chicago” have become classics. Because of its romantic and mysterious aura, a gangster theme will be an excellent theme for organizing a party. It is worth noting that this style for a theme party will be especially interesting for people over 25 years old. The gangster era is a time of dangerous chases and shootouts, robbery and persecution, the smell of whiskey and cigars, as well as a constant uncontrollable passion for power, money, women and weapons. It is this slightly rogue atmosphere that you should try to convey at the time of the gangster party. Or as it is also called - a mafia themed party.
Preparing for the party.
In order for the party to go perfectly and match the surroundings, you need to try to take into account as many details as possible. The preparatory stages include the following organizational processes:
1. Drawing up a list of guests, selecting a suitable place (room) for the party; 2. Production, preparation and distribution of invitations; 3. Think over your “gangster” image; 4. Think over the design of the room, selection of props, creation of a photo zone; 5. Select suitable dishes for the menu. 6. Make a list of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks that will correspond to the theme of that time; 7. Selection of thematic music; 8. Competitions, entertainment and board quest games - team quest “Al Capone’s Gangsters against the Russian Mafia” and board quest “Bank Robbers”.
What, I suppose you read the entire plan outlined above and became scared by the number of organizational issues? Don't be afraid, Don Zavodila is with you! As the old gangsters say, “Take a machine gun and don’t be afraid of anything!” Our detailed script will be your weapon in preparing for a mafia-style party.
Go …
How to organize a mafia-themed party?
As mentioned above, to properly organize a party in this style, it is important to take into account every detail. After all, only a thoughtful event, held according to a pre-drawn plan, can give your guests a lot of indescribable impressions. What should you pay attention to first when organizing a corporate event, a wedding or a regular meeting with friends in the mafia style?
- Preparation for such an event should, of course, begin with a specific plan according to which it will be carried out in the future. It is important to take into account every detail here. Do not forget that your guests should not be bored for a minute , which means the party should be full of funny and cheerful competitions, jokes and other entertainment events .
- Don’t forget to also invite an experienced photographer to a thematic meeting with friends who can capture the moment at the proper level. Just a few days after the event, you will receive excellent photographs printed in retro style. The presence of a videographer will also make this event more striking, because most of the participants will begin, so to speak, to play for the camera.
- Prepare unusual and original invitations in advance for all event participants . They can be given in person or sent by mail. These can be postcards in the form of revolvers, glasses of whiskey on ice, or wanted posters with the inscription “Wanted”. On each such postcard you can place a photo of the invited person.
What hairstyles can you do for wedding guests? Choose your favorite options from our article. From the following article you will learn how to decorate holiday table dishes with your own hands. At this address https://banquettes.ru/prazdniki/provodyi/armiya/stsenarii-ar/sostavlyaem-stsenariy-provodov-v-armiyu.html you can read about how to correctly write a script for seeing off to the army.
- Notify guests in advance that there will be a special dress code at the party . Have them look on the Internet or in gangster movies to see what clothing items were typical for the era of your themed event.
- Don't forget that the dishes you include in the holiday menu should also correspond to the gangster era . The same should be said about alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks for impromptu mafiosi.
If you are not sure that you can hold such an event at the proper level according to your own Mafia-style party scenario, seek help from a professional. An experienced presenter will write his plan, which, of course, will be agreed upon with you in advance.
We make a list of guests and choose a place for the party.
First, we make a guest list. After all, it depends on the number of guests how many invitations to make, what size room to look for, what menu to create. When choosing a place for a holiday, take into account its location so that all guests can easily reach it. Don't forget that thanks to a gangster party, you and your guests should be transported to the atmosphere of the 30s, and this is the time of underground casinos and illegal bars. Therefore, depending on the number of guests, we recommend the following places for your party: 1. If your guest list includes up to 6 people , then such a party can be held in an apartment. 2. If there will be from 6 to 25 guests, then consider the option of a country house, cottage, cafe or restaurant. 3. If there will be more than 25 , then a storage facility (hangar) may be an excellent option.
Party up to 6 people:
When organizing a party in an apartment for a small company, immediately take into account the duration, which should not exceed 5 hours, since in a confined space guests can quickly become emotionally exhausted and the theme of the party will gradually become unnoticeable. In order to keep your gangster friends constantly in suspense, warm up the mood, think over thematic tricks that you will implement throughout the evening. For example, an hour after the guests have gathered, enjoyed the atmosphere of your interior, took pictures with each other, offer everyone a small aperitif and smoke a real cigar or roll up a roll of tobacco. A rolling kit and tobacco are not expensive and can be purchased at any tobacco store. For girls who smoke, take care of long cigarette holders with which they can smoke a cigarette elegantly. If you do not allow smoking in the apartment, then organize a special place for smoking, as well as smoking accessories - matches, ashtray.
Also, at the time of the feast, you can please your friends with whiskey aged 15 years. And also tell some happy story that you saved this bottle for a special occasion, since it is very valuable to you and you borrowed it 5 years ago from the director of the National Bank at the time of your successful robbery. If there are no smokers among your guests, then you can get by with sweet cigars. To do this, take chocolate tubes, arrange their box like a cigarette case, and place a lighter next to it. Now even your non-smoking guests will be able to smoke a cigarette and be in the subject of all the intimate conversations that usually take place in the smoking room.
Party from 6 to 25 people:
When choosing a venue for a gangster party for up to 25 people, think about which establishment from among those you have visited best suits the interior in the mafia style or the interior of the old city in the style of the 30s. If you don’t know such establishments, then use the Internet. Now every self-respecting establishment has a website where you can see photos of the hall and find reviews on social networks. Also take into account the fact that if your guests are no more than 15 people, then there is no point in renting a whole cafe for this. You need to find a venue with a separate room for your event (VIP room) and agree to rent this room.
If your guests will be more than 15 people, then it makes sense to rent the entire establishment and arrange a real gathering of the leaders of mafia clans.
Party from 25 people:
An abandoned warehouse (hangar) can also be an excellent option as a party venue. Just imagine the festive atmosphere when, approaching such an abandoned place, your guest sees an elegantly dressed young man standing on the street with a machine gun. Having approached him, the guard will menacingly ask: “Your name?” Hearing the name, he will take a notepad and pencil out of his back pocket, check his notes and say: “Yes, you are on the list!” After which he leads the guest to the large door of the brick hangar and loudly shouting “Johnny, it’s me!” will open the gates! Having gone inside, your gangster friend will find himself on the territory of a warehouse, where, in addition to some boxes, boxes, wooden pallets, he will see a bar counter, hear music and smell cigars and whiskey. This atmosphere will highlight and add a little spice to your party.
How to entertain guests?
At such a themed event, you should definitely hold several competitions , which in style should be suitable for a party of real mafiosi.
Can't write poems to send off a colleague's retirement? We have many ready-made quatrains. The following article contains several options for cool congratulations on your wedding anniversary.
Here are options for such tests for your guests:
- Game "Freeze Frame" . To carry it out, you need to prepare in advance a cut from frames of Italian and American films about gangsters and mafiosi, which you can find on various Internet resources. Invite guests to guess which film this or that frame belongs to. The same can be done with music from such films.
- Card game "Mafia" . To carry it out you will need a small table with a green cloth. The rules of this exciting game are very simple. You can use both special and regular cards to play it. You can play it with a large team - from 7 to 25 people. The main thing is to explain the rules to all participants in advance and choose an experienced presenter who is well acquainted with this game.
- You can also organize a game of poker or roulette , using fake dollars and playing chips.
You can also entertain your guests by watching an Italian or American film about real mafiosi . You can also arrange a photo shoot at a Mafia-style party in images chosen by the guests . This way you will kill two birds with one stone - you will brighten up the time and leave pleasant memories of an unusual evening in the form of original retro photographs.
Ready-made quest scenarios ⇓
Add a pinch of extreme. To organize a gangster party in such a place, you will additionally need to take care of:
- Find a suitable hangar.
- Clean the premises.
- Consider seating, necessary furniture, toilet, etc.
- Provide suitable lighting.
- Provide music.
- Consider an option with a bar counter, a bartender, and dishes.
- Solve the issue with the menu, as well as with cutlery.
Preparing for this kind of party will take quite a lot of time, effort and material resources, but the effect of such realism will really take you back to the 30s of Chicago.
Staff and welcoming guests:
The number of staff depends on the budget, the size of the party, and the number of guests. If you are throwing a party at home, for a small circle of friends, you can handle it yourself, but for a large party you need at least a bartender.
Ensuring that the guests do not get bored and that the atmosphere is maintained is the task for the party host. So think over the scenario for the entertainment part of the event yourself or discuss it in detail with the host. A good holiday requires musical accompaniment; this problem can be solved with the help of musical equipment that will play pre-recorded music; if the party budget allows, then invite musicians or a DJ. You can invite a professional photographer. If a gangster party is organized entirely in-house, then all these organizational tasks fall on the shoulders of the owner of the house. Separately think about the process of welcoming guests. A properly organized meeting will stir up interest in the party and set a festive mood from the very threshold. Invitees will like it if they are met on the street, or on the threshold of their home. In the premises itself, guests can be greeted by a waiter (or the owner of the house) with drinks and cigars. Further “guardianship” of the guests is taken by the host of the party or its owner, if there is no host.
Underground casino
How to create the atmosphere of an underground casino and the corresponding mood among guests?
- Specially made invitation cards will surprise and set your friends up for adventure. It’s better if you give them secretly and play out the intrigue in the script. You can stylize the invitation as a cigar, a pistol or a yellowed newspaper, include an original holiday greeting and indicate that the gathering of bandits is secret and a dress code is required. The design and style of the invitation should match the style of the entire holiday.
- The music will convey the spirit of that era from the first minutes. Of course, this is jazz, blues, Italian tango. A good option is to include tunes from The Godfather, The Sopranos and other films. But such musical accompaniment is suitable mainly for the background. For an entertainment and dance program, you should choose music to suit your taste.
- Decorating the hall is the most difficult task of the organizer. It’s good, of course, if the event takes place in a stylized cafe. But often the most ordinary interior needs to be turned into an underground casino in Italian Sicily.
Twilight will help create an aura of danger and mystery. It will also hide the ordinariness of the room. If possible, you can smoke it a little, light candles in candlesticks. The main colors of a mafia-themed party should be red, black and white.
Heavy dark red curtains, snow-white tablecloths on small round tables, perfect table setting, decks of cards, money and chips scattered everywhere. A real gambling house. Let your guests feel like real mafiosi by playing poker and roulette. Vines with bunches of grapes (they can be artificial), black and white photographs of Sicily, and fake weapons will help decorate the walls. And you still need to find something rare. This could be a telephone, dishes, a watch, a gramophone or a mirror. Balloons are not suitable for decoration - they reduce the cost, and the decor should be rich.
The photographs will remind you of an unforgettable evening for a long time. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a special place for a photo shoot, where the ladies will also demonstrate beautiful outfits. Let guests feel like real criminals, take pictures in front of a stadiometer and posters with their image and the signature “Wanted”. For the photo zone, real-size images of a city at night and a retro car with bullet marks are suitable. Old weapon models will help you create an adventurous and fatal image. A dummy Thompson submachine gun would look great at a mafia party. Staged photographs will be truly interesting, so it’s worth inviting a professional photographer.
Unusual stylized names will add a romantic aura. You can instruct the guests to come up with them themselves. You can take it at random. At the entrance, place two boxes with signs: one for men, the other for women. One contains women's names, the other contains men's names. The elongated name is assigned for the entire theme evening.
Production, preparation and distribution of invitations.
Once the list has been compiled, the date and place have been agreed upon, we send out invitations to guests. An invitation is the first step to immersing guests in gangster surroundings. You can make invitations yourself or order them. If you decide to make your own invitations, we provide you with several options:
A simple and uncomplicated option . If you don’t see the point of spending a lot of time on invitations, then this option is just for you. We find on the Internet the relevant pictures and pictures you like on the topic of gangsters, mafia, weapons, etc. Using a graphic editor, add your invitation text to such pictures, print it on a printer, roll it into a bundle, tie it with a scarlet ribbon and the invitation is ready. (see photo No. 1)
- In the form of a playing card. To do this, use a computer to write the text of the invitation, add the designation of a playing card in the corners and print it on a printer. Then carefully glue the printed text to the cardboard (coated on both sides), round the edges of the card and the invitation is ready. (see photo No. 2)
- In the form of a tuxedo. This is one of the simplest, but at the same time visually original ways to make an invitation. A black sheet of cardboard is folded on the left and right sides so that the folded edges meet clearly in the middle of the original side of the cardboard. At the left and right folded edges, you need to additionally bend the edges at an angle so that they resemble a tuxedo collar. On the left side of the tuxedo we make a slot and insert a piece of white cardboard into it, as if a white scarf is peeking out of the tuxedo. Next, we print out the invitation in A5 format and insert it into the tuxedo, which was previously made from black cardboard. (see photo No. 3)
- In the form of a pistol. To make such an invitation, you will need black cardboard, A4 paper, a computer, a printer, glue and scissors. We print out an image of a pistol on a printer (2 pieces per invitation). Cut out the printed image along the outline. Next, we cut out a gun from cardboard in the shape of the printed image so that the two halves of the cardboard are connected to each other in the muzzle area (as shown in the photo below). Next, we glue the cardboard and the printed image together. Inside the pistol we place a sheet of invitation rolled into a tube, make a hole in the area of the trigger so that the invitation can be tied through it with thread to prevent it from falling out of the pistol.
5. In the form of a wanted poster (printed in a printing house). A creative and funny way to invite your friends to a gangster party is to have a poster with a personal photo of your guest. It is best to print such a poster not on a home printer, but in a printing house. Take funny photos of your guests from social networks, write a funny text (preferably individual for each guest) like: “Attention!!! A dangerous criminal, a seducer of women, a lover of strong drinks and strong tobacco is wanted! If you have any information, please contact me by phone number (indicate your number) or appear for personal testimony (indicate address, date, time).”
Do not design invitations in bright colors; it is better to choose black and white. In the invitation, in addition to the date and time of arrival at the “gangster party,” we make sure to draw the guests’ attention to the importance of the dress code. Indicate in large print that a stylized costume is required.
The dress code is important for the atmosphere, for conveying the spirit of the party, so the more details guests are advised on this issue, the better. You can send your guests a short list of rules for your party along with the invitations. All points of such rules should be presented with humor, so that your gangster friends can immediately anticipate the fun format of the party.
Gangster image or description of costumes (outfit) for a gangster party.
In their “golden times,” famous gangsters formed the elite of society and paid close attention to their personal wardrobe. It was customary to have suits made to order from personal tailors. When creating a male look, the suit should be a classic two-piece or three-piece, made of smooth fabric in blue, gray and black shades. The shirt is plain or vertically striped, perfectly ironed, and the shoes are no less perfectly polished. Under no circumstances should you use sneakers or any elements of a sports style as footwear. Every self-respecting gangster had a fedora with a soft brim. It’s great if you have one like this in your wardrobe, it will add realism to the image. You can complement your look with accessories such as suspenders, cufflinks, pins, massive pocket watches, cigars and, of course, weapons.
To create a female look in the style of the gangster era, we take straight-cut dresses. The color of the dress is your choice, but it is advisable not to experiment with multi-colored dresses with flowers and polka dots, but to give preference to classic solid colors such as red, black, white, blue. A great addition to the look can be: long beads, feathers, veils, furs, sequins, gloves, fishnet tights, mouthpieces. We complement the image with a hairstyle, bright makeup and an equally bright manicure.
If your city provides rental services for gangster-style costumes, we advise you to indicate the addresses of such points in your invitations. Perhaps this will make the task easier for some of your guests, and for others it will prompt them to create their own unique image.
What should you wear for a mafia-themed party?
A mafia-themed party, like any other themed event, requires a special dress code for guests . Deciding what clothing items can be used for this event is not at all difficult; all you have to do is watch a few gangster films and pay attention to what their characters are wearing. Women can wear short dresses that hug their figure tightly . However, their length can vary from mini to maxi, the main thing is that the fabric from which the evening dress will be sewn emphasizes the waist and hips . The bottom of such dresses can be narrow or fluffy - it all depends on the woman’s preferences and on what kind of outfit she finds in the store. During the times of mafiosi and gangsters, women wore dresses made of corduroy or velvet in dark colors . It is worth noting here that recently organizations offering costumes for themed events have appeared in large cities. All the wardrobe items necessary to create an unusual look can be purchased or rented . For accessories, ladies can use gloves above the elbow in white, bright red or cream color, pearl necklaces , boas made of natural fur and small hats with a light veil . For those who smoke, you can purchase a long, original cigarette holder . A woman with such an accessory looks more impressive than with a regular cigarette in her hand. Don't be shy with your makeup - dark shadows, winged eyeliner and bright red or cherry lipstick are the perfect makeup for a gangster party.
Men planning to attend such an event should opt for such clothing items as a two-piece or three-piece suit with pinstripes.
You can also buy a bow tie and hat , like real mafiosi. Patent leather shoes with pointed toes and a cane will also help complement the image of a real gangster . Every man, preparing in advance for a mafia-style party, can grow a small, narrow mustache . You can style your hair with gel by parting it in the middle of your head.
Decorating the room, selecting props, creating a photo zone.
Gangster parties are held both in entertainment venues and at home. If you find a bar or pub that works in the right style, it will make the preparation task much easier. If there is no “ready” space, we decorate the room ourselves. There are nuances that need to be taken into account in the design: we use black, red and white as the main colors; We make the lighting dim; We close the windows and doors with heavy curtains. In those days, this was necessary so that no one would see that a meeting of gangsters was taking place, at which they not only decided on their important issues, but also drank illegal alcohol. There are some interior features that will definitely help you when decorating your interior. ♦ 1. Print in a printing house or printer, and then hang posters with views of Chicago or New York, black and white images of celebrities of those times on the walls. First of all, these are portraits of famous gangsters - Al Capone, Johnny Dillinger, Tommy Morello, Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, and others. Images of “movie gangsters” will also add a party atmosphere. ♦ 2. You should also hang the posters on the wall, which we wrote about in point No. 5 “Preparation of invitations.” Place "Wanted" posters on your walls with pictures of your friends and a funny description. This design will definitely lift the spirits of your guests. ♦ 3. What is a gangster without passion? Also use dice and cards as interior elements. Place them on furniture and a holiday table. ♦ 4. Wooden boxes, which can be stacked in a chaotic manner at the entrance to the room, are suitable as excellent props for the interior of a mafia-style party. The boxes may contain empty bottles or straw, indicating that something fragile was transported in the boxes. ♦ 5. On some boxes with straw, you can use a stencil to make the inscription “whiskey”, and also put a couple of bottles of whiskey in the box. ♦ 6. In the 30s, gangsters loved everything luxurious, so pay special attention to various kosher interior elements - pearl beads, feathers, etc. ♦ 7. An excellent option to emphasize the financial success of your gangster party would be a large number of packs of dollars that need to be laid out on furniture, table, etc. For such dollars, you can use napkins with an image of a 100 dollar bill printed on them. The napkins look very realistic, so they will definitely add their own thematic charm.
Ready-made scenarios for home and street quests ⇓
♦ 8. We also advise you to pay attention to jute bags or, as they are simply called, “burlap.” Such bags can be filled with something bulky and folded at the entrance to the holiday room. Your guests will feel like they are in some kind of underground warehouse. ♦ 9. As a tablecloth for a festive table, we advise you to order on the Internet a green cloth with an image of game cells printed on it, just like in a casino. If you couldn’t find such a tablecloth, then buy a piece of green fabric in the store, preferably its quality should be similar to the fabric that is used to cover billiard tables and roulette tables. This will give your guests the feeling that they are sitting at a gaming table in a casino. ♦ 10. If you have old vinyl records, they are also perfect as props for your mafia party.
Photo zone:
When decorating a room, plan a separate space for a photo zone. Surely guests will be delighted with stylized photographs. For a photo zone, you can use a prison stadiometer, handcuffs, dummy weapons and, of course, a large number of souvenir American dollars in a suitcase. You can also separately make various signs with thematic inscriptions, such as: “The Mafia is immortal!”, “Wanted,” “Attention! Dangerous criminal." etc. With such signs your guests will be happy to take pictures. Also, having bought a black piece of fabric measuring 1.90 m X 1.5 m, you can draw a body outline on it with chalk, as a reminder that there was a shootout in the room in which Big Joe, a militant of the opposing mafia clan, was injured. Spread such a piece of fabric on the floor. If there is an advertising agency in your city and your party is taking place in a cafe or restaurant, then you can order a professional photo stand. For example, you can make a photo zone with a real-size car of that time that was shot at.
To ensure that guests behave appropriately and do not forget who they are visiting, be sure to post the rules of your party in the most visible place. Every gangster present must respect your rules.
