The mayor has the power to appoint a number of Mayoral Aides to assist him with official duties. Each of these aides is given a special badge with instructions to the police and city officials to render the bearer all courtesy and assistance. While the mayor does have 2-3 actual aides who do work for his honor, the remaining dozen badges have been given to the worst sorts of gangsters who use them as virtual skeleton keys and get out of jail free cards (some speculate that the Monopoly card so named was inspired by these badges).