If you want to engage your guests in the 1920s mood for your Jazz Dinner, there are a few ways to set the tone. One idea is to have a password to your “speakeasy” printed on the tickets, which guests must divulge at the door.
Another way, which we’ve talked about in another blog, is to hand out English-to-Gangster dictionaries that list the most common slang of the era that your patrons may use during the night. That can make for a whoopee time if your guests are ducky enough to learn it.
And finally, if you are doing assigned seating at your Jazz Dinner, adding a gangster name to each of your guest’s name cards will add to the playful atmosphere. Here are a few ways to generate a gangster name for your guests that’s the bee’s knees:
Gangster Name Generator for Your Jazz Dinner
The Mob Museum put together a delightful generator which will give you some killer nicknames, after you fill out a short questionnaire. Some questions include: “What side are you on?” or “What racket are you involved in?” Depending on how you answer these questions will decide which fitting nickname your gangster guest will have.
Nickname List for Your Jazz Dinner
You have to love RPG (Role Playing Games) websites that will do the leg work for you. The Fantasy Name Generator website started as a hobby project to provide names for creative types who needed character names for their stories or D&D campaigns. This website produces a list of 10 nicknames (male or female) for you to add to your guest list.
The Names Nerd generator website also gives you gangster nickname ideas. Some ideas for your audience are: Sarah “The Banshee” Henderson, Nick “Meatball” Johnson, or Mateo “The Fixer” Ramos. Just make sure you don’t use any nicknames like “Big Nose” or “Big Eyes.” Commenting on physical appearance is an iffy area, and unless you know the person well, it’s best to stay clear of anything that might cause offense.
Mob Family Names for Your Jazz Dinner
If giving each audience member a nickname is going to be too time-consuming (especially when looking at 200 people or more), another option is to give specific tables a mob family name. The Sci-Fi Ideas website generates mobster family names that are the cat’s meow. How about “The Hawk Lads” or “The Laughing Crew”? You can even write up a background on their mob family and which other mob tables they have a beef with.
Engaging Audience Members With Gangster Names
All in all, you want to engage your guests in the 1920s atmosphere. The more you can get them to play along, the more entertaining the night will be. Whether that’s through speakeasy passwords, mobster nicknames, or a polite table turf war at your Jazz Dinner, getting your audience to play along with your cast will enhance their enjoyment and, hopefully, make them loyal attendees for next year.