Philosophy of a Mafiosi
Ian MacFarlane
Any American over the age of fifteen who has
not seen The Godfather has certainly
at least heard the catch phrase "I'll make him an offer he can't
refuse". The classic slogan is a
representative sample of the types of movies which glorifies the American
Mafia, casting it in a romantic, dangerous yet noble light. Indeed, Marlon Brando's mumbly Don Vito
Corleone emanates honor and respect.
Though it makes for a rather entertaining three hours, The Godfather is hardly an accurate
representation of the true Mafia.
"Hits," or killings, are rarely done in the same fashion as
that in which Sonny got it: a large, impersonal spray of machine-gun fire. Murders are committed by the target's
closest friend. Bodies are left lying
in the street, or are buried in shallow graves. Or, in extreme cases, they are drained of blood in the bathtub of
a filthy apartment, dismembered, wrapped in separate garbage bags, and
deposited in various garbage dumps; in effect, they cease to exist.
What could compel a
person to shoot their own friends, whom they have known since childhood? What kind of morals would a person who
dismembers a corpse, then shares a pizza with their co-murderers have? What sane person would brutally beat a
friend over the debt of five thousand dollars (Iannuzzi, p. 193), a paltry sum
for someone who blows one-hundred-thousand in one night at the racetrack? What kind of human being would be willing to
renounce religion, personal friends, even their own family, at the orders of
what at heart is simply a secret brotherhood of criminals? The typical Mafiosi is this kind of
person. Greedy thugs, cold-hearted
killers; this is the real Mafia.
The American Mafia,
which by definition can only have members who are Italian or Sicilian, operates
on a hierarchical system. At the top of
the particular "Family" (one part of The Godfather which was not a myth), is a boss, who supposedly
approves all killings by members of his family. Beneath him, an underboss, and a consigliere, or family advisor, a post usually reserved for a
senior Mafia member, often semi-retired.
Beneath them, several capos, or lieutenants, who in turn have under their
command several crews, or groups of made members and associates. These members have intricate levels of
associates, ranging from fellow criminals to legitimate businessmen. When Salvatore "Sammy the Bull"
Gravano was a small time hoodlum, before he rose to the post of underboss in
the largest Mafia family in America, he had associates in the vending machine
business, and at one time, even owned a horse and worked with a horse
trainer. The Mafia is particular in its
membership, but not when it comes to associates. In this field, all that matters is making money.
The typical,
law-abiding citizen may have trouble understanding the mindset of a Mafiosi, or
would-be Mafiosi. An average American
has a family (a real one), which they love and care for, friends who they would
never think of murdering, and a religion of some sort; a guiding faith which
keeps their life on a morally upright course.
Even someone who does not have strong religious beliefs generally has
morals and values which rule out the execution of criminal enterprises, or at
least serious ones. Or, failing this,
the laws of our society serve as boundaries not to be crossed, and the
punishment which awaits those who do cross them is usually an effective
deterrent. But for a made member of the
Mafia, nothing matters except "the life".
It could be argued
that it is a variety of sociological factors which turn someone to pursue such
a haphazard life. It is true, many
Mafiosi come from poor neighbourhoods, where the ones who held wealth and
power, the role models, were criminal members of this secret society. But this does not account for all cases,
such as the above mentioned Salvatore Gravano.
He came from a good home, far from wealthy, but not poor; a modest
upbringing. Yet, when he turned states
evidence in late 1991, he confessed to taking part in nineteen murders, in
several of which he pulled the trigger himself. It seems as though something goes awry in the mind of a Mafiosi,
not brought on by environmental factors, but rather by an awakening of the
self, and the realisation that they are better then the world (or so they
feel). This rules out the possibility
of determinism, or the idea that a Mafia member has no choice in turning to their
life of crime, at least on a social level (Royce, p. 191). The Mafiosi willingly chooses to pursue a
life of crime, chooses to remain there, and often chooses to abandon it. It is not at all the case Michael Corleone
states in The Godfather Part III:
"Every time I try to get out, they pull me back in!" As Joe Valachi, Joe Iannuzzi, and Sammy
Gravano can testify (no pun intended ), a Mafiosi can choose to inform to the
government any time they wish.
The basic driving
force behind a person who is likely to become a Mafia member is their own
desire for action. They cannot see the
point of labouring at a respectable job, to earn a meagre salary, some of which
is taken out and given to a government far removed from one's daily life. The "good life" for the average
citizen consists of a job with chance for promotion, a loving spouse, and
children to watch grow up. For a
potential Mafiosi, the good life is the thrill of a scam, a stick-up, a
hijacking, or the club scene, squandering money as fast as it is made. The average citizen saves for the future,
provides security for their family, and is content. A person with a Mafia-prone personality lives for the present,
not caring about the possible repercussions of their actions. It is easy to see why they do not have true
religious beliefs; they consider themselves god-like, practically
invincible.
And yet, the final
step to becoming a Mafia member is a large one that very few individuals are
allowed or willing to take. It is so
great, in fact, that it has to overshadow the idea of the individual's personal
self. Someone who has spent their life
playing by their own rules must be willing to sacrifice their own desires, and
become part of the larger organisation.
In a book about his life, Salvatore Gravano discusses his initiation
into the Mafia, and the words of his boss at the time, Paul "Big
Paulie" Castellano:
"' You want to
believe in God? You want to believe in
your
country? You want to believe in your own family? That all
comes way after
this '"(Maas, p. 87)
He goes on to describe the harshness with which disobedience is
punished. All members have to answer to
the boss, if he gives them an order, and the penalty for refusing is
death. John Gotti, a flamboyant boss of
the Gambino Family, the largest Mafia family in America, was caught on tape
discussing the murder of one of his soldiers, Robert DiBernardo:
"He's gonna
die because he refused to come in when I called.
He didn't do
nothin' else wrong"(Davis, p. 415).
To devote one's life to the Mafia is clearly a dangerous
choice. Gotti was convicted in 1992,
and sent to prison for life, with the help of these tapes, and the testimony of
Gravano, his underboss.
Mafia, true Mafia,
is based on a Machiavellian set-up. The
idea of strong leadership, ruling with an iron fist, yet incorporating a
generous nature, makes for the ideal boss.
The bosses who have succeeded were those who had the traits of both the
lion and the fox; strong willed, and powerful, but sly and cunning in their
dealings. Carlo Gambino was this type
of boss; he died peacefully in his bed at a ripe old age. Paul Castellano was not; he violated several
of Machiavelli's most important guidelines set forth for a ruler. Castellano, the boss of the Gambino family
after Carlo became greedy, began taking more money from his soldiers then he
was entitled to under Mafia codes.
Thus, he was soon hated more then he was feared, one of the worst things
a ruler can accomplish (Machiavelli, ch. 17).
He died in the gutter outside a New York restaurant, shot to death with
his driver Tommy Bilotti, perhaps his only friend left. Those who adhere to the principles
Machiavelli sets forth in his book The
Prince succeed in the Mafia life.
In fact, John Gotti read and tried to base his policy on Machiavelli's
principles. He tried to refrain from
taking too much money from his subordinates, and tried to preserve the state of
their organisation. When he became too
well known amongst the media, and less concerned with maintaining La Cosa
Nostra, he began to be disliked, an thus was betrayed.
Above all else, the goal of a Mafia member is
to "earn"; to make money through any means necessary. Money is all important to a member, and is
spent as quickly as it is made. There
is no room in a Mafiosi's world view for planning ahead when it comes to cash
flow. They live for the here and now.
It seems odd that
such an organisation and it's members, who take money out of the pockets of the
law abiding citizens, who threaten, beat and murder victims who stand between
them and their profits, who have no religious feelings or beliefs, and who have
no loyalty to life-long friends and family, should be thought of by so many
people to be about honor, respect, ring-kissing and irrefusable offer
making. It is unfortunate that
Hollywood's obsession with so-called "bad boys," and the public's
willingness to embrace those who thwart the law, has obscured the true nature
of La Cosa Nostra. The Mafia is about
betrayal, extortion, murder, and above all else, greed. The typical Mafiosi is a selfish, greedy
thug, who lives life for himself and for no other reason. The incident of Mafia turn-coats is proof
enough that when the organisation fails, the members will do whatever is
necessary to save their own skins. They
have no values in their life; they kill or betray anything that stands in the
way of their own interests. If one
accepts the Freudian theory, it is clear the id dominates a Mafiosi, reining
unchecked by the ego (Strachey, p. 5).
If one believes that humans have souls, surely then there lies a deep
corruption in the soul of a Mafiosi.
Ultimately, when the layers are peeled back, and they have betrayed law,
religion, friends, family, and even the Mafia itself, the true substance of
their life is revealed; nothingness.
Iannuzzi, Joseph
"Joe Dogs". Joe Dogs; The Life and Crimes of a Mobster. Pocket Books,
Simon & Schuster, Inc. New York,
NY, 1993.
Maas, Peter. Underboss;
"Sammy the Bull" Gravano's Story of Life In the Mafia. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. New York, NY, 1997.
Machiavelli,
Nicolo, (W.K. Marriott, translator). The Prince. HTML Version, Institute for Learning Technologies, Columbia
University. 1995.
Pistone, Joseph D.,
with Richard Woodley. Donnie Brasco. Signet, Penguin Books USA,
Inc. New York, New York, 1989.
Pileggi,
Nicholas. Wise Guy; Life in a Mafia Family.
Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster, Inc. New York, NY, 1985.
Royce, James
E. Man
and His Nature. McGraw-Hill Book
Company, Inc. Seattle University, 1961.
Strachey,
James. Sigmund Freud: An Outline of Psycho-Analysis. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. New York, New York, 1969.