Dispelled preconceived notions on the Mafia.

[Antiliar]

Maranzano didn't create the 5 Families and Luciano wasn't the only one who created the Commission (which was based on earlier commissions), those are two dispelled myths.

However, Maranzano did create the STRUCTURE of each Family because he patterned it after his idol Julius Caeser and the Roman Empire.

Uh, no. The structure with bosses, underbosses, consiglieri, capodecine, and soldiers all existed before Maranzano became the boss of what is now the Bonanno Family. Joe Masseria's underboss was probably Morello and his consigliere was Saverio Pollaccia. We don't have a lot of other specific names with ranks before 1931 simply because of the lack of information. There are documents in Sicily going back to the 1870s that include the capi (bosses; also called rappresentanti), sottocapi (underbosses; also called vice-capi), capo decine and the soldiers (picciotti). Consiglieri are harder to find, so we don't know how far back that rank goes, but there was an informant who mentioned the title in Sicily in the late 1910s or early 1920s. These are all titles that were used by the military and government officials in the 1800s.

In the USA, a small Family may not need to have every rank, while larger ones would need them. Anyway, Maranzano didn't have power over any Family other than his own, but he did have influence that required political support. The more dictatorial he became, the more support he lost. Forcing other Families into a certain structure would have been dictatorial. Maranzano was killed -- in a matter of months. Masseria was only Capo dei Capi for around two years, and he alienated people, lost his position, then was killed. Toto D'Aquila was Capo dei Capi for about 16 years, which is saying something. D'Aquila must have been a smart politician to last that long. Maranzano should have copied whatever D'Aquila did that worked. He was the provincial boss of Trapani before he came to America (similar to a Capo dei Capi over all the bosses in the province of Trapani, Sicily), so he had experience, but his ego got ahead of him. So take what you read on Maranzano with a grain of salt. A lot of lazy writers copy and repeat the mistakes of earlier ones because they don't take the time to do research, and that's what happened here.

[Camo]

Think Confederate was just joking the same way Pogo and Chris Christie often do about Maranzano.

Good post though.

[Confederate]

Every writer I ever read must be lazy and only repeat what some other writer has stated because they all say that Maranzano created the structure of the American Mafia after his Idol Julius Caeser and the Roman Empire. If The exact structure ALREADY existed in the 1870's In Sicily with all the small Mafia Clans, then why would Maranzano have a big meeting in New York after the Mafia War was over to explain the structure to everyone? Wouldn't everyone already know it? if You have documents from 1870 that show that the exact structure Maranzano talked about already was in place 60 years before he mentioned it, then could you please post them? That would be an interesting thing to read.

[Angelo Santino]

Every writer I ever read must be lazy and only repeat what some other writer has stated because they all say that Maranzano created the structure of the American Mafia after his Idol Julius Caeser and the Roman Empire. If The exact structure ALREADY existed in the 1870's In Sicily with all the small Mafia Clans, then why would Maranzano have a big meeting in New York after the Mafia War was over to explain the structure to everyone? Wouldn't everyone already know it? if You have documents from 1870 that show that the exact structure Maranzano talked about already was in place 60 years before he mentioned it, then could you please post them? That would be an interesting thing to read.

1 Many writers writing about current or recent eras rely on classic mob history from books that were based on books that were based on incorrect books. I wouldn't call them lazy as one cannot focus on everything, especially the least important part when they have a deadline.
2 The ranks do pre-exist Maranzano. Undebateably. From 1870's onward there's evidence of it in Palermo, Agrigento as well as one early American informant speaking of it. These ranks existed- not only as mafia ranks- since the early 1800's so it wasn't exactly a new blueprint.
3 It was never intended to be Ceasar's Legions. The district divisions and ranks within each group were intended to be similar to political positions that governed the criminal fraternity. They were intended to be bureaucratic rather than authoritarian.
4 Prior to 1950's Sicily and 1910's USA, when groups got larger they splintered into several or more Families. Later on you would see a semi-reconstitution under the mandamento system. In NYC, after 1912, D'Aquila either by design or indifference, didn't continue or press this, most likely due to the fact that he had the largest group. This would have lasting implications as 3-400 Family members was unheard of and completely unthinkable in Sicily. Come 1950's and 60's, Canadian groups wanted to be linked with The Five and the Sicilian Commission wanted a joint one with the Americas.

As time has gone on, I've become less and less impressed with the structure, it's really nothing special and unless there's a dispute, really doesn't impact these guy's lives all that much. 90% of organized crime is organized crime. There were other groups that were 3x as structured with intricate layers - and I'm sorry but I cannot elaborate - that only wielded 1/3 of the power of the Sicilian mafia. You get 10-20 guys together you can create your own mafia family but without the culture, connections and proper criminal biosphere it'd be as successful as Detroit's Black Mafia which dried up after a federal charge and no one's continued it, which begs the question: How and why has the Italian Mafia survived when every other one of their ethnic contemporaries are gone? It doesn't have to do with the ranks and structure, at least not entirely.

[Pogo The Clown]

If The exact structure ALREADY existed in the 1870's In Sicily with all the small Mafia Clans, then why would Maranzano have a big meeting in New York after the Mafia War was over to explain the structure to everyone? Wouldn't everyone already know it?

My friends! Honorable men! I welcome you today as your Caesar. The boss of all bosses! To give impartial leadership, I have turned over my interests to other members of my family. In return, I will receive a fair share of the proceeds from all the families across the country. From now on, we will be divided into five families. And the boss from each family will report to me... Mr. Thomas Gagliano; Mr. Joseph Bonanno; Mr. Joseph Profaci; Mr. Vincent Mangano; and Mr. Charles Luciano, who will supervise the entire operation under my direction. Now I ask you to come forward and pay respects, not to me, but to the office I hold.


Pogo

[Wiseguy]

As time has gone on, I've become less and less impressed with the structure, it's really nothing special and unless there's a dispute, really doesn't impact these guy's lives all that much. 90% of organized crime is organized crime. There were other groups that were 3x as structured with intricate layers - and I'm sorry but I cannot elaborate - that only wielded 1/3 of the power of the Sicilian mafia. You get 10-20 guys together you can create your own mafia family but without the culture, connections and proper criminal biosphere it'd be as successful as Detroit's Black Mafia which dried up after a federal charge and no one's continued it, which begs the question: How and why has the Italian Mafia survived when every other one of their ethnic contemporaries are gone? It doesn't have to do with the ranks and structure, at least not entirely.

While I tend to agree with the article below, which attributes much of the longevity and success of the Italian mob to its structure, I do agree there are other factors. It's criminal tradition is a big part of it, as you said. Another factor is it's diversification.

Structure Keeps Mafia Atop Crime Heap
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424 ... 2318489246

[Angelo Santino]

If The exact structure ALREADY existed in the 1870's In Sicily with all the small Mafia Clans, then why would Maranzano have a big meeting in New York after the Mafia War was over to explain the structure to everyone? Wouldn't everyone already know it?

My friends! Honorable men! I welcome you today as your Caesar. The boss of all bosses! To give impartial leadership, I have turned over my interests to other members of my family. In return, I will receive a fair share of the proceeds from all the families across the country. From now on, we will be divided into five families. And the boss from each family will report to me... Mr. Thomas Gagliano; Mr. Joseph Bonanno; Mr. Joseph Profaci; Mr. Vincent Mangano; and Mr. Charles Luciano, who will supervise the entire operation under my direction. Now I ask you to come forward and pay respects, not to me, but to the office I hold.


Pogo

Dei grazie... in Italorum... in volarte.


(You know, given there's no photo of Maranzano, I always envision Michael Gambon as Don Faranzano in his place. )

[Confederate]

Pope Salvatore Julius Caeser Maranzano giving absolution to the Five Families after hearing 500 Confessions.

[johnny_scootch]

Every writer I ever read must be lazy and only repeat what some other writer has stated because they all say that Maranzano created the structure of the American Mafia after his Idol Julius Caeser and the Roman Empire. If The exact structure ALREADY existed in the 1870's In Sicily with all the small Mafia Clans, then why would Maranzano have a big meeting in New York after the Mafia War was over to explain the structure to everyone? Wouldn't everyone already know it? if You have documents from 1870 that show that the exact structure Maranzano talked about already was in place 60 years before he mentioned it, then could you please post them? That would be an interesting thing to read.

You're on your way to a whole new level of understanding. I suggest you keep asking questions as long as these guys are responding because you couldn't find a better group to learn from (B, Chris Christie, Antillar, Pogo, Wiseguy & Co.) these guys know what the fuck they are talking about and one day maybe you will too.

[Confederate]

Why thank you Johnny Scootch. I really was only half serious because I like to bust Antiliar's balls sometimes because he is so serious. However, I really wasn't sure about Maranzano but you're right, the guys on this Site are very good overall. No question about it. In the last 6 months, I learned wayy more about the American Mafia than ever before by comparing answers here with things I researched.

[Angelo Santino]

Thank you kindly. But honestly, for every 1 thing I know there's 1000+ things I lack a clue on, I'm still learning and not without my own faults and biases. But I have to really give credit to Antiliar, I gave all this up in 05 or so and 'just as I thought I was out, he pulled me back in' around 2011, brought me up to speed on all the new resources available that weren't half a decade prior. Within months I was traveling across the country to archive centers and we began collaborating on projects, many still ongoing since we both have lives.

I have an ever-evolving look on this. I'm currently learning new shit right now about New York that just makes me do the occasional "inventory" where I go over what I think I know. For instance, you could have read that Luciano got the nickname Lucky from surviving the hit, it's been published in enough sources so you might not think to check it. I kinda try and check everything just to see how sturdy the infrastructure of my beliefs are and I can correct mistakes. Luckily, everything that gets published is checked, often in triplicate. And the article Antiliar and I published in 2014 together, I haven't found any more new details that discount anything we wrote. There's more that we've learned and could have included but the purpose of the article was for receiving credit before someone else published Di Gaetano-Schiro which I found first(!) (credit where credit is due). It's essentally a 300 page book condensed down to 70 pages (with 30 pages of citations and sources). And that is arguably only half of the story. There's another half which is still a work in progress but we won't disappoint. Can't really go into any other details beyond that.

[Antiliar]

Why thank you Johnny Scootch. I really was only half serious because I like to bust Antiliar's balls sometimes because he is so serious.

That's because you forgot to include the smiley face. I answer questions here, on Facebook and on Quora, and often I'm snarky beyond belief. Believe me.

[aleksandrored]

I was reading this article from you:

http://informer-journal.blogspot.com.br ... ky+luciano

I'm loving it, it's very good and very informative, besides the fact that it will help me a lot at the time of reading The Last Testament.

[Pogo The Clown]

Dei grazie... in Italorum... in volarte.

Can you translate this line for us? Thanks.


Pogo

[Angelo Santino]

"Use this opportunity to give praise Italian (style)." And by that he means envelopes stuffed with 'scarole.

It's Latin not Eye-tal.