Valachi terminology

[B.]

- When Joe Valachi initially cooperated with the FBI, he used the following terms to describe the structure of Cosa Nostra: "boss", "sottocapo", "consigliere","caporegima", and "soldier".

- This clears something up, as in his book some other terms are used, particularly "lieutenant", which is used constantly in the book to refer to captains. Based on Valachi's early FBI interviews, it appears this was not a term typically used by Valachi, but was done to make the book more accessible to mainstream audiences. This is similar to "capodecina" in Joe Bonanno's book becoming "group leader", an awkward phrase nobody used on the street. Based on his initial cooperation, we can see that Valachi and the Genovese family used similar language to everyone else.

- It also brings into question when the term "underboss" became used within the organization and by whom. It's a fairly straightforward interpretation of the Sicilian mafia term "sottocapo", which was connected to the traditional term for boss ("capo") but I'd be curious what sources first used the term "underboss" given that an Americanized soldier like Valachi used "sottocapo" as of the early 1960s.

- Valachi said he never heard the term "mafia" used and only knew the organization as "Cosa Nostra". He says he has only heard the terms "mafia, "button", "combination", "organization", and similar terms used by outsiders. This is interesting, as other member sources indicate they knew the organization as "mafia" until the 1950s/60s, and only later heard Cosa Nostra used. If Valachi's memory is correct, Cosa Nostra must have been in use by the early 1930s in NYC. More likely, the term was used casually back then and later became used more formally (the same could be said of the term "mafia", according to Joe Bonanno).

[bronx]

REPRESANTANTE is term for boss if that's what he said, he didn't use the sicilian version either... capo regime? not capo decina? maybe it was lost by the agent doing the 302's

[johnny_scootch]

- Valachi said he never heard the term "mafia" used and only knew the organization as "Cosa Nostra". He says he has only heard the terms "mafia, "button", "combination", "organization", and similar terms used by outsiders. This is interesting, as other member sources indicate they knew the organization as "mafia" until the 1950s/60s, and only later heard Cosa Nostra used. If Valachi's memory is correct, Cosa Nostra must have been in use by the early 1930s in NYC. More likely, the term was used casually back then and later became used more formally (the same could be said of the term "mafia", according to Joe Bonanno).

I think I read somewhere that Bonanno said he first heard the term Cosa Nostra from Vincent Mangano.

[B.]

Valachi said "boss", not rappresentante. Rappresentante is what Magaddino, Bruno, Patriarca, DeCavalcante, etc. all used when they were taped, so that was the proper term used by the rappresentanti themselves.

Detroit members were still using the term "il capo" (pronounce "u gob") into the 1960s to refer to the boss, which is what Nick Gentile and the Sicilian Mafia used, but in America few were calling the boss "il capo" by that point.

I've wondered before where the terms "caporegime" and "caporegima" come from, as it is not proper Italian and zero Sicilian sources use it. My own theory has been that "caporegima", which appeared in reports before "caporegime" appeared, was a corruption of "capodecina". In Sicilian dialect, "d" sounds like "r", "c" and "g" are used interchangeably, and "m" and "n" sound alike.

I finally saw the FBI acknowledge this in an early report thanks to a couple of Sicilian-American agents with the New York office. They had recently been introduced to the term "caporegima" and believed this was the result of illiterate, Americanized members not properly understanding the term "capodecina" and therefore mispronouncing it, along the lines of what I had figured. That would explain why Valachi got it wrong, as he was a great example of an uneducated Americanized member.

What's amazing to me is that this mistaken pronunciation would become the norm, with "caporegime" becoming much more common in recent decades than the traditional "capodecina", probably in large part to members seeing charts, reports, and articles that used it. Similar to the incorrect term "La Cosa Nostra" becoming used by members in recent years.

[gohnjotti]

Representante is still used today in the Colombos to describe acting bosses like Andy Russo. Are there any other families that have been taped using the term in the past few decades?

[B.]

I'm also curious when members started to use "capo" as shorthand for capodecina. There was a point in time where if a member called someone a "capo", it would have meant boss of the entire family. Flash forward to present day, where it is the most common term for captains.

Offhand, Frank Bompensiero's cooperation in the late 1960s is the first time I've seen a member source refer to a capodecina simply as a "capo". Prior to this, I've seen sources use the terms "cappy" / "capi" as shorthand for captain / capodecina ("capi", though, would be plural of "capo").

Representante is still used today in the Colombos to describe acting bosses like Andy Russo. Are there any other families that have been taped using the term in the past few decades?

John Gotti used it on the Cirelli tapes when he was talking about what would happen if he went to prison. He referred to himself as rappresentante and then said Gravano would be his acting boss.

[gohnjotti]

I'm also curious when members started to use "capo" as shorthand for capodecina. There was a point in time where if a member called someone a "capo", it would have meant boss of the entire family. Flash forward to present day, where it is the most common term for captains.

Offhand, Frank Bompensiero's cooperation in the late 1960s is the first time I've seen a member source refer to a capodecina simply as a "capo". Prior to this, I've seen sources use the terms "cappy" / "capi" as shorthand for captain / capodecina ("capi", though, would be plural of "capo").

Representante is still used today in the Colombos to describe acting bosses like Andy Russo. Are there any other families that have been taped using the term in the past few decades?

John Gotti used it on the Cirelli tapes when he was talking about what would happen if he went to prison. He referred to himself as rappresentante and then said Gravano would be his acting boss.

Thanks. Proposed member Gaetano Fatato also used the term in court testimony.

[bronx]

the godfather movie used capo regime term i guess even americanized guys adopted it..americanized guys introduce guys as skipper or captain..from what i understand .hope that helps

[Stroccos]

the godfather movie used capo regime term i guess even americanized guys adopted it..americanized guys introduce guys as skipper or captain..from what i understand .hope that helps

Bronx you ever heard the term stram used ?

[B.]

the godfather movie used capo regime term i guess even americanized guys adopted it..americanized guys introduce guys as skipper or captain..from what i understand .hope that helps

Oh yeah, I forgot about the Godfather. I'll bet that had a big influence. It's also the reason why people refer to the boss as "godfather". Before that, if someone said "compare" / "godfather", nobody would have thought they were talking about boss.

The Valachi charts also used "caporegime" in huge letters. The Godfather probably used it because of the Valachi charts, since they made an identical version of the same chart for the Corleone family.

[Villain]

Some additional terminologies such as Capo famiglia...

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... no_chicago

[Ozgoz]

Frank Culllota said something very strange on his new YouTube channel the other day, he said made guys were referred to as sash or something, I couldn’t quite understand, sounded like a military term. He was discerning between NY and Midwest mob vernacular lol

[bronx]

Strocco.. as in stramberg.yes for a made guy

[maxiestern11]

It’s not true fella’s. Capodecina was used back in Sicily for many decades. Depending upon where u came From in Italy like Calabria or Naples they each have different terms. But in Sicily Capo di decina, capodecina, were in use. Early mafioso in America of course brought those and OTHER terms over. Everything becomes Americanized so in time, Capodecina is Caporegima, is capo, is captain, then “skipper” like on a ship..... and so on and so forth.

The Godfather and Mario Puzo were great. Loved the movie.... he’s a genius writer. But he’s NOT that smart to create ALL those terms.

And the word Godfather is only the anglicized version of “compare” which EVERY ITALIAN since the beginning of time has used to denote a close friend, mentor, father like figure...... Puzo, and FF Coppola Americanized words for American audiences (not to lose them).

“Consigliere” means Lawyer (or counselor) in Italian. Street guys used it as the position that it was; that of a counselor or advisor to the “family” or Familia (in Sicily they adopted cosca - signifying the artichoke which they liken to the family).....in the street today, they say “comp” meaning compare.

Sotto capo became anglicized by “zip” mafiosi who brought it over as they dealt with the more American born young street guys to the point it became “underboss”. Which means virtually the same exact thing..... some American Italians couldn’t speak Italian.

Picciotti is children in sicilian which connotes “associates” the American term. Soldato or soldier was also common to their terminology.......

All these terms were used interchangeably over the decades AND changed also. Influenced somewhat by the Americans and and Americans by the Italians. More so than the media or Hollywood per se.

Just the way “Button guy” was a VERY VERY common phrase in the streets during the 1940’s to 1970’s era. Today, not so much!

Sotto capo became “underboss” when anglicized.

..... even in this country. In different parts of the country, like in Chicago, Detroit, New England, the west coast, they all use different little variations for the same positions. So it’s a fluid and interpretative thing.

Like ALL of life in general popular words become fluid over time, and are of course influenced by social events to a degree.

.... THIS IS JUST MY INFORMED “OPINION” FELLOWS. Do with it what you will.

[maxiestern11]

It’s why we named our site “Button Guys” lol