The player is Travis Baker. He doesn’t take orders from anyone. He is the boss, so he takes the decisions and deals with the consequences.
Travis can go into missions himself, or he can send others to fight the turf war or do criminal jobs (the player plays those other characters). There are 21 unique teammates to play with and “infinity” of generated classic teammates.
Travis can make deals with the rival bosses or agree on truce. Sometimes they work together, but mostly against each other. And remember, the ultimate enemy is Sheriff Norris with the law enforcement units.