{{CharacterMajor
|species=[[File:Halfling Human icon.png |40px |link=HalflingHuman]]<br/>'''[[Canine halfling]]'''
|gender=Male
|born=E7-658, Decima 13
|died=''Alive'' <span style=font-size:80%>(46 years old)</span>
|sizes=5'9", 175 lbs
|looks=Light skin<br/>Black hair</span><br/>Green eyes<br/>Overweight build
}}
After Michael officially became an enforcer, he moved to [[Baden Town]], working under one of the local capos for around 7 years. Following the arrest of his capo, Michael took control of his crew, imposing himself as the new leader. With his father's approval, he officially became a [[caporegime]], continuing his operations in Baden Town for another 4 years, before returning to Greening in 688, in time for the eighteenth birthday of his youngest sibling, Lenny.
Upon learning that Lenny had worked his way into the family as well and had just become a made man of his own, Michael requested from his father that he and his brothers be part of the same crew, with himself as the capo and his siblings as his enforcers. Although Don Arsenio initially warmed up to the idea, his consigliere, Ciro Veleno, was staunchly opposed to the ideait, instead suggesting to the old Don that each sibling be separated and sent to work in different towns, giving each sibling the objective of forming and running successful crews, so that they could each prove themselves useful to the Syndicate and not simply rely on their family bonds. Convinced by the advice, Don Arsenio denied Michael's request and had all five siblings separated.
Michael, already a capo at this point, stayed in Greening and continued to run his operations, while the others were sent to each of the Syndicate's other towns; Tony was sent to Baden Town, Soren to Garica Block, Nicky to Lenox Corner, and Lenny to Viris Area.
Two years later, in 690, tragedy struck the Yatela family as their father, Don Arsenio, died suddenly while dining at the famous ''Ma's Bistro'' restaurant. His brother, Attilio, was also found dead shortly afterward, leaving no-one of their generation to run the Syndicate. Medical personnel officially declared the Don Arsenio's cause of death to be a stroke, attributed to the use of [[meds|cocaine]]; Attilio's cause of death was ruled to be a heart attack. Although rules of succession dictated that Michael was the next in line for the position of Syndicate Don, the consigliere, Ciro Veleno, took control of the Syndicate "temporarily", informing Michael and his siblings that he would run the day-to-day operations while giving them time to grieve.
However, after six months, Veleno refused to go through with the succession proceedings, repeatedly denying Michael's requests to discuss the situation. Relations quickly soured, and Michael accused Veleno of using the death of his father to stage a coup and take control of the Syndicate. According to Michael, Veleno's response was to hire a mercenary hit squad to attempt murdering Michael; and many eyewitnesses reported seeing four armed men following him outside of Greening, intending to carry out the hit in the UA. Michael, however, survived the encounter, killing all four of the mercenaries. Rather than turn back and cancel his trip out of Greening, he instead went into hiding, making Veleno believe that the hit had been successful.
For the two years and a half that followed, Michael Yatela's whereabouts remained completely unknown, and Veleno was effectively in control of the Syndicate. The Maze Police did not report any significant or unusual changes in Syndicate activity during this period.
Michael suddenly resurfaced in 693, having organized a hit squad of his own, composed of his siblings and an estimated 12 to 15 other associates and enforcers, among which was Michael's first cousin, Vance Valaso. Together, they assaulted Greening, reportedly transforming the Yatela Household into a battlefield for hours, during which Michael's hit squad killed every last one of Veleno's bodyguards and security personnel. Ciro Veleno was eventually found inside of Don Arsenio's office, reportedly about to surrender, when he was beaten, restrained, and dragged to Greening's social square center, where Yatela proceeded to give him a very public and very visible execution, through his trademark two shots in the chest followed by one shot in the head. Over Ciro Veleno's remains, he announced that "this is what happens to those who betray the family," before declaring himself the new Don, promoting all of his siblings to the rank of underboss, and giving each one control over the towns they had been sent to many years prior. Many of the surviving associates and enforcers that had helped Michael's hit squad received either promotions or generous rewards.
=== The new Don ===
The new Don Michael Yatela needed a new consigliere of his own. Having been part of the hit squad which resulted in the fall of Ciro VenenoVeleno's rule, seen as illegitimate, Vance Valaso was selected to be Michael's consigliere and right-hand man. The Don also declared that from hereonhere on, the consigliere must be part of the family to ensure absolute trust and prevent a new Ciro from rising.
With his siblings as the bosses of each town under the Syndicate's control, Don Yatela's ruling style is sometimes euphemistically described as "family-oriented".
Equipped [[weapons]]:
* Holster 1: [[Colt Python]] (6 /6, 6x [[.357 Magnum]], Pocket Dragon ('''JHP) - IS 5** Combined effects: FT +P1, 2.52x damage against unarmored ACs, 0.7x damage against armored ACs, Recoil +''') JHP)2, 4x Condition lost on a critical failure
* Eagle battle belt, Handgun holster: [[Beretta 93R]] (20+1 /20, 21x [[9x19mm Parabellum]], Standard FMJ)
** Combined effects: FT +1, IR -1
Inventory:
* Eagle battle belt:
** General carrying: 6x [[Speedloaders|.357 Magnum/.38 Special 6-round speedloader]] (Each: 6 /6, 6x [[.357 Magnum]], Pocket Dragon ('''+P+''') JHP)
** Ammunition 1: 2x [[Beretta 92 magazines|Beretta 92 20-round magazine]] (Each: 20 /20, 20x [[9x19mm Parabellum]], Standard FMJ)
** Ammunition 2: 2x [[Beretta 92 magazines|Beretta 92 20-round magazine]] (Each: 20 /20, 20x [[9x19mm Parabellum]], Standard FMJ)