"The occult community he had in mind was the usual New Age, crystal-gazing, tarot-turning, palm-reading crowd you see in any large city. Most of them were harmless, and many had at least a little ability at magic. Add in a dash of feng-shui artists, season liberally with Wiccans of a variety of flavors and sincerities, blend in a few modestly gifted practitioners who liked mixing religion with their magic, some followers of voodoo, a few Santerians and a sprinkling of Satanists, all garnished with a crowd of young people who liked to wear a lot of black, and you get what most folks think of as the 'occult community.'
Of course, hiding in there you found the occasional sorcerer, necromancer, monster, or demon. The real players, the nasty ones, regarded that crowd the same way a ten-year-old would a gingerbread amusement park."
----from Death Masks, the fifth novel in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.

the Russos

Gavin Russo
Inspiration: former mentor and other real-life persons

Once the center of suburban LA's occult community Russo fell far and fast when he became "the Dark Man", allowing himself to be possessed by Baron Samedi. He lost house, wife, friends, health, and finally life, all in exchange for the touch of real magick.
Introduced as 'the Dark Man' in the Release the Bats chat session. Killed offscreen by The Corps when Samedi possessed him and surprised a Wheel of the Sword.

Nancy Russo
Inspiration: real life friends who've been through divorce

Divorced from Gavin, she kept the house in Lynwood where the two of them once held court among the occultists and other eccentrics of suburban Los Angeles. Mentioned

the Goths

Social outcasts at their own high school, this group hangs together with their artistic and occasionally occult pursuits, seeking beauty and happiness in the darkness. Sometimes they even find it.

Jordan is the moral leader, an artist with an off and on relationship with Eliza.
Eliza, shy and vulnerable, she splits her time between her mom in Los Angeles and her dad in Riverside. Pepito the Impudite took advantage of a rebound from Jordan to get into her home and her life.
Gideon is the oldest and most athletic of the group. He has an extensive collection of swords from various eras and fictional worlds. Featured in Release the Bats
Lizette is sweet and vulnerable, sociable and fond of poetry.

the Breckenridges

Inspiration: Jim Breuer as Glen Henderson in the SNL skits "Goth Talk"

Unable to cope with his mother's grief and his "brother"'s personality change, Glen became a videographer for a cable TV party show. When his little brother turned out to be a demon he was angry but not particularly surprised.

Jen Breckenridge

Widowed four years ago and having nearly given up hope when her younger son Chris suffered a lethal blow in a car accident. Fate--or more accurately Dark Humor--intervened and 'saved' her son, replacing him with the demon Pepito. When Glen disappeared she held onto what she thought was her last remaining son.