Okay, I have an answer from the mods. THe Numbered are easy prey and are also being very public figures as 'hero' types, and that latter one makes them a threat that the mafia want to get rid of. The mafia will be looking to cause some low level damage, and if that damage isn't enough to make a statement, then they'd go on to an actual roughing up of the Numbered person involved.

Also those ideas sound great. The second one particularly has me grinning, because I can see him being so mad already.