New Bordeaux Postcards are a pre-release teaser put out by 2K Games containing coded correspondence sent from Vito Scaletta to Leo Galante in Empire Bay. It can be found on the Mafia Game official Facebook and Twitter pages. All the postcards are addressed to Fowler & Webb Fine Tailors, Little Italy 25, Empire Bay 03491 and postmarked March 7 through June 14, 1967.
Postcard #1[]
- Date: March 7th, 1967
- Decoded message: Dear L, 17 goddamned years after all this time, you'd think Uncle Sal would get tired of jamming his head up my ass, like that's ever gonna change. I'll deal with it, what I can't deal with is how this place is a god damned sweat box. You need me back in EB, just say the word I'll report back on our favorite Uncle after I speak with him next week here. Getting together on April 19 at 8 A.M. ET. - Vito
(This postcard is coded in a Caesar cipher where each letter is shifted 13 places right. [A = M, B = N, C = O, D = P, etc.]).
Postcard #2[]
- Date: April 14th, 1967
- Decoded message: L, I found the perfect hiding place for that rat problem you ran into in '55. Hell, I'd heard rumblings that it might be sniffing around for some cheese down around these parts. Guess Uncle Sal has a fondness for the rat. Of all the odds, right? - Vito
(This postcard is coded in a Caesar cipher where each letter is shifted 5 places right. [A = F, B = G, C = H, D = I, etc.])
Postcard #3[]
- Date: May 3rd, 1967
- Decoded message: L, it took long enough, but I finally got a bartender that makes a half-decent blinder, then some local reporter comes through wanting to write up a review of the restaurant. Not sure what the guy's angle is, but he sure seemed to love the seafood. Speaking of which the last couple fish you sent down here from Empire Bay got dealt with as requested. - V
(This postcard is in plaintext. The message is decoded after every three words.)
Postcard #4[]
- Date: May 23rd, 1967
- Decoded message: If you told me 16 years ago I'd be sitting on the sidelines while I watch some mooks pushing junk on the streets, I'd have said you're nuts. I know I'm not supposed to get involved with Uncle's affairs, but this is bullshit, him cutting me out of the action. Local news been sniffing around lately. He's keeping a lid on it for now. - Vito
(This postcard is in plaintext. The message is decoded after every two words.)
Postcard #5[]
- Date: June 14th, 1967
- Decoded message: L - I've been asked to represent family interests next week in California for some mutual friends of ours. I don't know if this is Uncle's idea of a set up or if he's got something else in mind. Only saving grace of this trip, I got one day to see the ponies and maybe look up somebody I owe a visit. - V
(This postcard is coded in a Caesar cipher where each letter is shifted 8 places left. [A = S, B = T, C = U, D = V, etc.])
Postcard #6[]
- Date: March 4th, 1967
- Decoded message: L - I'll always have a soft spot for the Rat Pack when it comes to music, but there's a lot of opportunities - we could be taking advantage of - especially in New Bordeaux. More than just operating out of back rooms. I'm talking about legitimate businesses. Considering how influential music is in this town, it could be another angle to get around my favorite uncle. - Vito
(This postcard is coded in a Caesar cipher where each letter is shifted 9 places right. [A = J, B = K, C = L, D = M, etc.])
Postcard #7[]
- Date: March 11th, 1967
- Decoded message: L - Word has it that Uncle S has some ambitious expansion plans. I'd even heard talk of places far as Germany. I'll find out more next week. - V
(This postcard is in plaintext. The message is decoded after every two words.)
Postcard #8[]
- Date: March 16th, 1967
- Decoded message: L - Time to visit more family interests up north. As far as Seattle goes, what the hell am I supposed to do in that town? Fish? Count raindrops? Feels to me like I'm just getting sent all around and kept out of sight so that I can't be around to report on what else Uncle's up to these days. - V
(This postcard is coded in a Caesar cipher where each letter is shifted 13 places right. [A = M, B = N, C = O, D = P, etc.]).
Postcard #9[]
- Date: March 28th, 1967
- Decoded message: L - Uncle S has been bringing on board some new people. No doubt all of 'em trying to handle that loudmouthed prick of a kid he's got. That hothead, though, is only going to get someone killed and I don't wanna be around when his number's up. There's been talk of some action coming up. This might be it, the big one, and God help me, Uncle S might insist on his knucklehead of a kid being involved in this one. I'll let you know when I hear more. -Vito
(This postcard is coded in a Caesar cipher where each letter is shifted 3 places right. [A = D, B = E, C = F, D = G, etc.]).
Trivia[]
- The use of the 13 cent stamp is anachronistic, as the cost of postage for a postcard in 1967 was only 4 cents. The price didn't reach 13 cents until 1981.
- The zip code 03491 used on the postcards does not correspond to any United States location.
- Most of the postcards are coded in the Caesar cipher, a popular type of substitution cipher where each plaintext letter is mapped to another letter at a fixed position in the alphabet.