The Intoduction
The Order of the Family:
Capo Crimini: Super Boss
Capo di Tutti Capi: Boss of Bosses
Cupola: Commission
Don: Boss
Consigliere: Trusted Advisor; Counsellor; "In-house lawyer"
Consiglieri: Plural of Consigliere
Sotto Capo: Underboss (number 2 in a family)
Capo Bastone: Same as Underboss
Contabile: Financial Advisor
Capodecina: Captain of ten
Capo: Same as Caporegime
Capi: Plural of Capo
Sgarrista: High Soldier
Picciotto: Low Soldier; "Buttons"
Giovane D'Honore: Associates (non-made members)
The Mafia Induction Oath
The induction ceremony was conducted by the boss of the family. The underboss, the consiglieri, and the rest of the top ranking capi in the family were also presesnt.
The group would hold hands that formed a circle. They would then break the circle, get the new inducties into the circle and form the circle again. That symbolized that the family has opened up and accepted the newly inducties into the family.
During the induction ceremony, the inducties trigger finger is cut. They take blood from the wound. A holy card with an image of the family's patron saint is burned on his hand.
An example of one induction oath is like this:
"I (NAME GIVEN) want to enter into this organization to protect my family and to protect my friends. I swear not to divulge this secret and to obey with love and omerta. As burns this saint so will burn my soul. I enter alive into this organization and leave it dead."
桧merta:
A code of silence. A vow never to reveal any Mafia secrets or members under threat of torture or death. 謬otal obedience to the boss. 柊ssistance to any befriended Mafia faction, no questions asked. 柊venge any attack on members of the family, because an attack on one is an attack on all. 柊void any and all contact with the authorities.
This is Andrew Volstead. He was a Minnesota congressman who brought prohibition in the USA in 1920. It was known as the Volstead Act.
Prohibition came into effect January 16th, 1920. It was the enactment of the 18th Amendment. This is what really started organized crime. Prohibition closed down thousands of saloons and pubs. Bootlegging came to many towns. They supplied alcohol to many, through the hands of crime gangs. There was much money being made through this industry. There was hardly a judge or a policeman that couldn't be bought off. At this time there were millionaire criminals. They manufactured and delivered to final sales. This had to ran as a business. The high powered gangs of the early 1900's took charge. The organized crime gangs were established.
Mafia Methods Of Death
Barrel Murder
A corpse was dumped into a barrel and abandoned. This often happened in New York City & New Orleans among the immigrants. The barrel was often dumped in the ocean or shipped by rail to another city. The last known barrel murder was in 1976. It was Johnny Roselli,, and he was found in a 55 gallon oil drum in the Florida Everglades. Roselli was with the CIA plot to assasinate Fidel Castro of Cuba.
Dead Man's Eye
When someone dies, the last scene is forever imprinted on the retina of their eyes. The eyes are shot out. That was a Sicilian belief.
Ice Pick Murder
The murder makes it look like the person died of natural causes. An ice pick is forced through the eardrum into the brain. That causes a cerebral hemorage. Usually it involved 4 killers. It was very little blood. Israel (Ice Pick Willie) Alderman from Minnesota is an Ice Pick Specialist.
Italian Rope Trick
The person raps a rope around the victim's neck and they have a tug of war.
