You and your family move to a US state in the Midwest where connections matter. You invest most of your money into a casino which becomes hugely successful.
The locals don’t like this, since you don’t really have “roots in the community” and you’re seen as something opposed to their traditional religious values.
Every year, there is a hearing that is held to renew your gaming license to run the casinos. Since you’re on the whole legit, this is usually a mere formality and you regularly get cleared.
Over the summer, a new employee was in charge of the slot machines. He allowed two young gamblers to walk out of the place with their winnings after getting two complete perfect slot runs.
You conclude that the employee was either in on it with the gamblers or else grossly incompetent. After a heated argument, you fire him and kick him out.
On the way out he tells you: “You can’t treat me like this! This isn’t how you treat people!”
Later on, you are told by your advisors that the employee has underworld connections and he wasn’t a nobody. Turns out that he’s distantly related to a powerful young Mafia Queen.
Despite appearances, the Mafia Queen runs a very powerful criminal syndicate that has its tentacles in everything, legal and illegal. The Queen travels across a large network of mansions scattered across the States and exerts a huge amount of influence over many levels of US government.
A few days later, during afternoon tea time, the Mafia Queen herself comes to see you personally in your office. The Queen is polite and friendly, but has clearly come with a purpose.
“Maybe you didn’t know it,” she said cheerfully while sipping some tea. “But old Jack here is a distant relative of mine. Maybe it was all a mistake right?” You tell her that you fired Jack because he was either corrupt (involved in rigging slot machines) or else grossly incompetent.
The Mafia Queen tells you that she “understands” your situation. However, she says she would consider it a Great Personal Favor if you were to rehire him. This personal favor would be repaid in the future.
She agrees with you that “old Jack” was bit of a “silly goose.” She offers you a creative solution; you can re-hire him but have him not do much. He’d be “fine and dandy” so long as the position sounded good on paper, and he got a decent pay for an intern.
You are not impressed and you tell her that as a responsible manager you shouldn’t do that sort of thing.
The Mafia Queen then suggests to you that if you don’t help old Jack in some way, there’s no telling “what could happen” in your next gaming license renewal hearing.
And on that note, she leaves your office and disappears.
You consult your advisors. They tell you it’s not clear if the Mafia Queen has people in the gaming boards or not but it’s a strong possibility; without the license renewed, the casino would have to shut down and you’d be in a black hole financially.
The police are widely considered to be on Team Mafia.
You don’t really have any underworld connections or “muscle” to help you if things further escalate.
However, you believe that you fired the employee on fair principles.
What do you do?
Do you re-hire Jack? Or do you stand by your principles and take a risk? Please justify your decision.
