There’s trouble at the North Pole. The Amalgamated Order of Real-Bearded Santas are experiencing a power struggle that resulted in a coup d’état.

The once-fraternal Santa impersonators began to split last year when a power struggle unseated their top Santa and most of his board of directors. Further polarizing the Santa world, new splinter groups have formed to woo disaffected Clauses and their allies. The new Fraternal Order of Real-Bearded Santas, for example, also welcomes “affiliates of Mrs. Clauses, Designer Beard Santas and Elves.”

However, the deposed former Don of the Santa Crime Family is not going to let this happen without a fight. This situation probably won’t end without someone getting whacked.

The deposed top Santa, Mr. Connaghan, is building his own group, the Red Suit Society. Directors of chapters from the group’s Pacific and Rocky Mountain regions have filed articles of separation from the Amalgamated Santas. Among their complaints: portraying a “vindictive and persecutory attitude” toward members, ethical violations in establishing a “Santa tribunal,” and “engaging in Un-Santa like dialogue.”