Inside The Secret Rules Of The Italian Mafia
When crime films and television shows explore the lives of members of La Cosa Nostra and similar mafia organizations, they have a way of conveying both what attracts people to their ranks and the grim reality they're signing up for. Although membership seems like a fast road to money, power, and respect, it always comes at the cost of either a person's freedom, their life, or their humanity.
Despite the horrors that lurk under this glamorized lifestyle, however, organizations like the mafia couldn't last as long as they do without strict codes of conduct. Although the secretive nature of the mafia makes these rules hard to come by, enough of them have slipped through the cracks.
All members used to be 100% Italian
Although the Italian mafia has historically worked with people of all races, one of the most well-known rules holds that any confirmed member of a crew — or a "made man" — must be 100% Italian. According to a comprehensive 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management, however, this classic code is more than a little out of date.
As it turns out, this rule was responsible for recruitment problems by 1975, which prompted a change. Now instead of having to be 100% Italian, members need only have Italian ancestry on their father's side. That way — in the eyes of the organization, at least — they come by their surname honestly.
No paper trails allowed
Another reason why getting information about the mafia is difficult is that they have explicit rules against writing any of their codes or schemes down. Instead, all communication between members must take place orally. Otherwise, members risk creating a document that law enforcers can use against them.
As the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management mentioned, however, the only reason the public knows as much as they do about the mafia is that not everyone has followed the rules over the last century. For instance, a boss named Salvatore Lo Piccolo was found to have ten major rules written down when he was arrested in 2007.
There's a rule for introducing people to each other
Although mafias need new members to continue operating with each new generation, these new members tend to be the source of a lot of anxiety due to their potential to be government informants. For that reason, there are rules around how people can introduce themselves to members of a mob family.
In short, they can't. It's expressly forbidden to present oneself directly to a made man for the first time. Instead, a third party who that member already knows has to make the introduction. It's worth noting that this rule is more specific to the Sicilian mafia but it's fairly common practice in America as well.
The mafia is an old boys' club and that's by design
Due to the nature of some of the businesses the mafia controls, it's hardly unusual for mafia members to involve women in their business. However — much in the way that they technically work with members of other races — any work these women do for mob guys should not be confused with membership in the organization.
Indeed, there's a reason why the term "made men" has been used throughout the mafia's history rather than "made people." Even now, women are not permitted to be official members of any mafia organization.
Respect for the hierarchy is paramount at all times
According to the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management, one of the first rules revealed during John Gotti's 1992 trial stated that members of a mafia must "always show respect to those who command it." It's worth noting that this rule applies during even the most informal of situations.
For instance, let's say that a boss is talking to some associates about his daughter's upcoming wedding. Despite this conversation having nothing to do with business, a low-level soldier would not dream of joining it unless that boss specifically invited him to do so.
The mafia abhors snitching unless it's to the boss
Although it's considered humiliating to a crime family when one of its members breaks their oath of silence to outsiders — especially if that outsider works for the government — it's easy to underestimate how gossipy made men can be when they're among friends.
While it's arguably human nature to be like this to some extent, this behavior is actually encouraged by the mafia's rules. One of the provisions revealed during Gotti's trial holds that any witnessed failure to show respect should be reported to a member's "patron." If it seems that a boss knows everything that's going on, it's because their underlings followed this rule.
The other rules are explicitly enforced with violence
Although no organization can realistically expect 100% adherence to its rules among all its members, mafia organizations have steep penalties in place for those who step out of line. After all, it's hard to think of many other ways to ensure a modicum of trust between dangerous criminals.
Monetary punishments are hardly unheard of in the mafia, but one rule emphasizes that people who disobey the mafia's codes should expect to get hurt (at best) for doing so. As the rule states, "Violence must be used, even if only of a limited type, to ensure respect."
Mafia families prefer not to go to war with each other
Although violence is used to enforce the other rules a criminal organization may have, that doesn't mean that somebody is allowed to go around attacking whoever they want once they're a made man. While it's likely not hard to find instances were petty squabbles escalated into bloodshed throughout mob history, the crime families know these situations are best avoided.
To ensure relative peace and cooperation between mafia families, there's a rule advising members never to resort to violence while in a dispute with a member of associate with another family. After all, it can only take one violent act to start a chain of retaliations that escalates into a mob war.
Mafia families aren't fond of civil wars either
Although bosses can certainly use corporal or even deadly force to enforce the hierarchy in mafia families, they're supposed to have sole discretion to mete out those kinds of punishments. If everyone in a family can hurt their fellow made men, it won't take long for that family to descend into chaos.
At least in theory, that's why mafia families have even stricter rules for dealing with fellow members than for dealing with those of other families. According to the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management, this rule states, "Never resort to, or even threaten, violence in a dispute with a member of your Family."
"Omertà" is the number one rule of any mafia family
As the researchers behind the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management mentioned, gathering information of any kind on the Italian mafia is historically difficult. That's because of what is perhaps the golden rule of this organization: A code of silence called "Omertà."
This rule forbids any discussion whatsoever of organizational activities with people outside of the organization. This especially applies to law enforcers, but this rule carries the understanding that any outsider can be bad for business if they know too much. Ideally, members are supposed to give the impression that there is no mafia.
Dipping one's pen in family ink is a dangerous game
Although this rule is emphasized more within the Sicilian mafia, it can also be a matter of critical concern for American mob bosses. After all, it's much easier to command underlings not to kill each other when a boss addresses the reasons they might have for doing so.
The codes found at Salvatore Lo Piccolo's home during his 2007 arrest spell this provision out clearly, "Never look at the wives of friends." Infidelity is common among mafiosi, but those who extend that infidelity to the wives of their fellow made men and associates may put themselves at risk of death.
This may seem like a no-brainer but life can get messy
Although no mafia member is depicted as being a fan of the police in The Sopranos or in any gangster movies, there are nonetheless circumstances in which they might associate with specific law enforcers. After all, police organizations will sometimes find that not all of their members follow their rules either.
Yet while some American mafiosi may see some benefits to working with corrupt cops and federal agents, the Sicilian mafia's rules suggest the risk of exposure is too great to entertain these relationships. That's why one of their rules states, "Never be seen with cops."
This rule marks the biggest difference between countries
For decades, part of what has attracted some Italian-Americans to the mafia is the flashy lifestyles its members publicly led. At the height of their power, members could get the best accommodations anywhere they went and often flexed their ability to tip generously.
However, the rules that Salvatore Lo Piccolo was caught with suggest that Sicilian mob bosses are much less tolerant of this flashy behavior than American ones are. In order to maintain secrecy, they devised a rule that states, "Don't go to pubs and clubs."
This is a subtle rule but breaking it causes a lot of suspicion
One of the most famous former mafia associates who testified against his former friends was Salvatore Gravano (pictured). Although that's his birth name, he's more well-known as "Sammy The Bull," and there's a good reason for that.
Although there's usually a clever origin story for mafia nicknames, people get them because fewer mafia members go by their surnames than people may realize. According to the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management, there's a specific rule against asking American mobsters their surnames. Presumably, a person breaking this rule will either look like a cop or a police informant.
The mafia have been careful with phones for decades
Although law enforcement organizations have a range of options at their disposal to secretly obtain information, one of their oldest methods involves wire tapping telephones they expect criminals to use. For almost as long as they've been doing this, the mafia has been aware of it.
For that reason, the American mafia has specific rules in place for talking on the phone. As mafia families see it, the only reason their members should be using phones is to arrange a safe place for meetings, preferably while speaking in code. Any actual business should only be discussed at that meeting location.
Mafia members are following the rules when they're vague
When movies show mafia members talking, it's hard not to notice how vaguely they'll discuss their business. If the audience hadn't seen a hit take place in the previous scene, they'd likely have no idea what a boss is talking about when he asks, "Did you take care of that thing with the guy with the hair?"
While it's easy to assume that this unwillingness to discuss specific details is just a common convention, the truth is that it's an explicit rule. It came to light during John Gotti's trial, and it states, "Avoid mentioning specifics when discussing business — for example, names, dates, and places — beyond those absolutely necessary for understanding."
It's hard not to be paranoid in the mafia
In addition to the code of silence around outsiders, there's also a more general rule that cautions against talking recklessly, even within the Family. After all, mafia members never really know who they can trust with certain information.
In a similar fashion to the rule that recommends speaking vaguely about business, another rule seems to advise saying as little as possible at all times. As one of the rules revealed during Gotti's trial states, "Keep your mouth shut — anything you her, anything you see, stays with you, in your head; do not talk about it."
The "family" is supposed to be more important than family
While it's not unusual for legitimate bosses to be demanding outside of work hours, the consequences for ignoring their calls are much more serious in the mafia. No matter when bosses reach out to their soldiers or what else is going on in that soldier's life, they're supposed to drop everything for their boss.
This may be true to an extent among American mafia families, but it's specifically codified among the Sicilian mafia. As their rule on the matter states, "Always being available for Cosa Nostra is a duty — even if your wife's about to give birth."
Punctuality is surprisingly important in the mafia
As mentioned, people in the mafia only like to discuss business through in-person oral communication. This means that the only way to conduct important business is through carefully planned meetings. Naturally, this makes the act of showing up on time for these meetings crucial.
For the most part, this seems to go without saying in The United States, as nothing from John Gotti's trial suggests American mafia families have had to make specific rules to this effect. However, it seems that Sicilian mafiosi have had to deal with flakier people over the years because "appointments must absolutely be respected" is one of their rules.
In the mafia, there are many stupid questions
Although some mafia rules are about establishing hierarchy and maintaining order among a family's ranks, many of them are made to protect the group's secrecy. They typically encourage saying as little as possible, a reflection of the atmosphere of paranoia that characterizes mob life.
As a result, even the questions that a subordinate may have for their boss can put them under scrutiny. This seems particularly true in the United States, as one of the rules that came up during Gotti's trial states, "Do not ask unnecessary questions. The amount of information given to you is all you need to carry out your instructions."
When people do need to speak, bosses want the truth
In The Irishman, a boss named Angelo Bruno asks the titular character for information, which leads him to default to the usual method of remaining silent. Although it's clear that Bruno understands why he would do this, he says, "Now is not the time to not say."
This response characterizes one rule that is particularly emphasized among Sicilian mafia families. As the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management noted, this rule states, "When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth."
Marital problems are considered bad for business
Considering how common it is for mafia men to have romantic partners outside of marriage — who are mistresses called "gumars" — it may seem a little strange for one of the Sicilian mafia's rules to demand that "wives must be treated with respect."
However, the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management added a little more context to this rule by categorizing it among the rules used to maintain secrecy. By that logic, the happier a mob wife is in a marriage and the less obvious her husband makes his indiscretions, the less likely she is to become fed up enough to talk to people who could make trouble for the family.
One aspect of a mafioso's private life can get them killed
In The Sopranos, one storyline sees a capo named Vito Spatafore (pictured) go into hiding in New Hampshire after two of his associates spot him frequenting a gay nightclub. Although this would be an unfortunate and sad overreaction in many lines of work nowadays, it's a sensible course of action among mobsters.
Although there isn't a practical reason for this besides the fear of looking weak to other families, one of the codes that American mafiosi are particularly strict about is that none of their members can ever engage in "homosexual activities." Although the Sicilian mafia likely shares similar values on this, they haven't codified them like the U.S. mobsters have.
The mafia knows how quickly fights over money escalate
Above all else, the point of forming a mafia family is to make money. And since criminals are usually inclined to take as much of it as they can, it stands to reason that one of the most important ways to maintain order in a mafia family is to discourage this impulse.
Although gangsters deal with stolen money all the time, the Sicilian mafia nonetheless has a rule that states, "Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families." That doesn't mean they expect their members to be Boy Scouts, but rather that their criminal activities can't involve stealing money from other made men.
The Sicilian mafia is strict about who can join
Although American mafia families loosened their ethnic requirements for membership in 1975, it seems that recruitment standards for the Sicilian mafia are much stricter than they are stateside. While some disqualifying factors are objectively measurable and make sense, others seem much harder to define.
According to the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management, men are prohibited from joining La Cosa Nostra if they have a close relative who works for the police. However, they're also barred from membership if they have a "two-timing" member of the family or if they "behave badly" and don't act with regard to "moral values." Presumably, these nebulous qualities are subject to a given boss's discretion.
Retirement from the mafia almost never happens
Although it didn't appear as a specific, codified rule in the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management, those who become made men in the mafia generally understand that they're entering a lifetime membership, which there's not supposed to be any way out of.
Indeed, there doesn't need to be a specific rule on this because initiation ceremonies feature an oath explicitly pledging lifetime service to the family. And while Insurance Journal noted one exception that allowed Joseph Bonanno (pictured) to retire in Arizona, that was effectively a boss agreeing to exile in the wake of a mob war. No subordinate can expect a similar deal if they want out.
Some rules were purely administrative
Although many mafia rules describe actions that could result in fatal or otherwise dramatic consequences for those who disobeyed them, some are less mysterious and more akin to housekeeping. In particular, one rule amounts to a specific act of delegation.
As the 2015 study in The Scandinavian Journal Of Management noted, one American mafia rule states, "If your patron arranges for two parties to work together, he assumes responsibility for arbitrating any disputes between the parties." It's not hard to imagine that this rule was the result of one boss trying to drag a bunch of others into a problem of his own making.
There are limits to even a boss's killing power
The popular image of a mafia boss is someone with almost unlimited power. Unless he thinks it will cause problems with other families or law enforcers, it's easy to assume that he can have anyone killed for whatever reason he wants. However, this isn't exactly the case.
Sure, the first provision of one American mafia rule plays into this perception, as it states, "The boss can unilaterally direct violence, including murder, against any member of his family." However, these whackings aren't as unrestricted as they sound, for even he can't engage in murder-for-hire schemes. He can order murders, but he can't profit directly from them.
Inter-family murders can only happen in specific cases
Although bosses can effectively kill whomever they wish within their own families, they have to move much more carefully when it comes to the made men working for other families. That is if they want to avoid sparking a mob war.
It's not impossible for such a murder to occur without consequence, but it would have to follow some pretty embarrassing circumstances for the other family's boss. That's because the rule states, "The boss cannot use violence against a member or close associate of another Family without prior consultation with that Family's boss."
Mafia members have to vet new associates carefully
Although there are some differences between Sicilian and American mafia families, they both agree on one fundamental practice. Recruitment is predicated on a series of referrals in which trusted crew members vouch for others seeking to become involved in their business.
However, these referrals carry significant risks for the men conducting them. As one American mafia rule states, "Vouching for someone who turns out to be an informant or an undercover officer entails the death penalty." That's not a mistake anyone wants to make.