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I knew a lot of those guys growing up, but I always wanted to stay out of that life, I always figured I could do better. One of my best friends is now a made guy back there, and he's far form the prototype. Smarter than most, more sensitive than most, but more lost than most too, I'd have to say. People don't realize that the mafia goes back to a resistance militia in Southern Italy first organized to revolt against French occupation because of the newly formed weak corrupt central government; anyway that's why the Italians were so good at it.
The thing I hated about the mob was the bullying thing that you could see sometimes, the protection rackets were especially distasteful, the strong arm practices usually directed at their own. The old not entirely accurate adage was that, "They only kill their own," and when that was the case I didn't see much to complain about. But when people are dragged into it that are trying to stay out of it, and I have family in Bensonhurst and so I know it was a lot less clear cut there , but I always hated to see it.
Just to edit here, that many times "Protection" was a good thing. Little Italy's are most often the safest neighborhoods in a city. But what I'm talking about is when they throw a brick through a business owner's window and then show up an hour later to sell him protection against that kind of thing.
It's sad to hear how it changed from protection and defense to greed and personal retribution. The bad stuff happened before my time but the stories were amazing.....the lessons were even more amazing and I wouldn't change it for a thing. Today, my grandfather is in his late 70's and still refuses to have a connection with his brothers who remained attached even after it all went sour. I'm just glad I am able to be a part of the positive aspects and culture of it instead of the negative aspects.
It's sad to hear how it changed from protection and defense to greed and personal retribution. The bad stuff happened before my time but the stories were amazing.....the lessons were even more amazing and I wouldn't change it for a thing. Today, my grandfather is in his late 70's and still refuses to have a connection with his brothers who remained attached even after it all went sour. I'm just glad I am able to be a part of the positive aspects and culture of it instead of the negative aspects.
It's a rich, thick history. I think "the bad stuff" started in the 70's when some got into the drug business. For many of them, too much profit to stay away from. But of course that's what more or less crippled the mob, and the RICO ACT was the last nail in the coffin. It had been around since the 50's, and it took Rudy Giulliani before he was mayor, when he was just the DA of NYC to dig it out and use it against the mob. Then, all of a sudden, you had guys who'd always been the most loyal turning states to get out of a twenty year manditory prsion term.
Last edited by ExPit; 10-20-2008 at 01:18 PM..
Reason: to correct myself.. Rudy was mayor, not governor.
wow, i just grew up poor. nothing too serious. no beatings. no forced marriage. no drunks. none of that.
just sharing clothes, playing with sticks and mud. oh and being made to feel ashamed by other kids. nothing serious at all.
im blessed i suppose.
Their were drunks to be found and those were poor times. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
That is also why I am the world's biggest cynic.
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