What words come to mind when you hear or see the word mafia? My words- ruthless, uncanny, harsh, real, murder, drugs, money, bad use of sex, the godfather of course, don's, italy, new york, underbosses, soliders, and blood! That's how I define it how do you? I was gonna say food, but I just don't see how it would tie in!~

When I think about the Mafia I think of the origins in Sicily. A force for the people. A secret society as an act of protection. But things have changed with the times. The code of honour is more likely to be broken nowadays. Theres less respect to people who would once been known as 'men of respect'.

So really I think of the origins and how it has changed.

Agreed. I think the mob, within the last ten years, turned into nothing more then street gangs who had good taste in clothing

I think that "mafia" is a metaphore for all organised crime.

Organised crime exist is every country and in every city.

The "real" mafia still comes from Sicily, basta. Altough there are more organisations that we all call Mafia. Russian's, Japanese, Colombians etc.

Corleone rules the world, Not the US of A, not Russia. The BOSS sits in the town of Corleone and he reigns the world.

"Mafia" is a media concoction...The Sicilian mob would only accept the term Cosa Nostra, "Our Thing". If the FBI hadn't nearly wiped them out, do you think they would have been able to keep the Chinese, Russia and other mobs under control? O r would they still be a near irrelevancy?

I, myself am getting tired of the street kids/low life thugs who think they're bad ass gangsters. especially in music, like the rap artistst talking about doin mob stuff like they're repping for the mafia. it started out in sicily like it was said b4 in posts, people are arent even italian try to be cool like they're apart of that culture or life. its hilarious to me. the mob was created as a form of power and respect, for their town and families. like any form of groups in the world. im 16 years old and i am italian, the mafia isnt drugs and all that u talked about, like in the godfather, he wanted to keep it respectable business because only the dullwitted animals turn to drugs and other enterprises for money. the mafia has a code of honor and respect. this is my opinion upon the mob, thanks.

ciao il mio amico, all' ultimo qualcuno dal paese vengo da dove siete, io provengo da Catania Sicilia. A proposito, totaly sono d'accordo con voi. grazie!

[ August 12, 2001: Message edited by: Don_Michel ]

Again, the word Mafia does not describe the Cosa Nostra. These are two seperate things. Dont confuse them. The Mafia is a freeforall, hard to convict, ruthless, blood covered money hungry monster. The Cosa Nostra is a beaten, greedy workhorse with some "rules" and "honor" codes. It belongs to the Italian people, but the Mafia is comprised of all races and gendres.

well to me the words i think of are honor, loyalty, and omerta, to bad there is no such thing as loyalty or honor. Any more another word i would use is respect. to many thugs out there now trying to get rich quick by making book deals and movie deals the old code of omerta means nothing to them. thats to bad.

I can't remember who got my attention to this site/album. I think it was Don Michel but I could be mistaken. Anyway, thanks alot whoever it was. It's an album consisting of various artists making some music/songs about the mafia. One of the songs is quite informative. Here are the lyrix, and if you're interested in the whole album check out the link at the very bottom.

By the way, the songs are in Italian/Sicilian (I'm not sure which language), but this is the translation of the song: "'Ndranghetà, camurra e mafia"


One night a long, long time ago
Three cavaliers took leave of Spain
And passed through Campania and Sicily
To settle down in Calabria
For 21 years they kept out of sight
To found the rules of their society
Laws of honour and of war
Major and minor, criminal too
Laws of blood and secrecy
Passed on from father to son
These are the laws of our society
Laws that have shaped history
The 'Ndranghetà, Camorra and the Mafia
Form this organized society
The 'Ndranghetà, Camorra and the Mafia
Honourable Calabria, Sicily and Naples

One morning out at sea
I saw a sailing ship
With five sails and seven sailors
One of them asked me
"Young man, what do you seek?"
"Blood and honour", I called back
"Then board this ship
Because blood and honour mark our path"
And they took me to sea
To an island they called Favigniana
O you who can see me
You may see the shore, but you'll never know how far away
The 'Ndranghetà, Camorra and the Mafia
Laws of honour, laws of secrecy
The 'Ndranghetà, Camorra and the Mafia
Whoever breaks them will find no mercy

On the island there was a palace with three halls
The first full of the stench of treason
I found three drops of blood in the second
And in the third a society gathered
Who took me as their own
And under the tree of knowledge I was baptised
Honourable circle, I greet you all
Together until death
I am one of your own for blood and for honour
To hunt down the unworthy and the traitors
We know no mercy and we never forgive
That is the way of our society
The 'Ndranghetà, Camorra and the Mafia
Form this organized society
The 'Ndranghetà, Camorra and the Mafia
Laws of honour, laws of secrecy

[Italian/Sicilian Lyrix]

'nta na notti di un tempo che fu
Tri cavaleri da spagna se partiru
Da l' abbruzzie a sicilia passaru
E poi ca in calabria se firmaru
Ventun anni lavuraru sutta terra
Pe fundari li regoli sociali
Leggi d'onori e di guerra
Leggi maggiori, minori e criminali
E sti regoli di sangue e d' omertà
Da padre a figghiu si li tramandaru
Chi sti su i leggi da societa
Leggi cu signiu 'nta storia lassaru
'Ndranghetà, camurra e mafia
E societa organizata
'Ndranghetà, camurra e mafia
Sicilia, Napoli, calabria onorata

La mattina menzu di lu mari
Na barchicedda vitti navigari
Cincu veli e setti marinari
Uno di chi sti me vosi domandari
Giuvanottu diciti chi circati
Onori e sangu ieu ci rispundia
Supra a sta barcha si vui inchianati
Onori e sangu truvamu pe la via
E me purtaru a menzu di lu mari
'nta n' isoletta i nomu favigniana
O genti tutti chi stati a scutari
Chista e na terra vicina e assai luntana
'Ndranghetà, camurra e mafia
Leggi d' onori leggi d' omertà
'Ndranghetà, camurra e mafia
Pe cu sgarra nudda ha pietà

'nta c'éra nu casteddu cu tri stanzi
Undi la prima puzzava infamità
Tri gucci di sangu 'nta secunda 'nci truvai
Mentri 'nta terza nu corpu di società
Degniu e meritevoli fui arricanusciutu
Sutta l'arberu da scenza abbattiatu
Onoratu circulu a tutti vi salutu
Finu a la morti a cui su vinculatu
Io fazzu n' omu pi sangu e onori
E pi scacciari l'infami e tradituri
Mentre e perdunu nuddu ha pietà
Chistu m'imponi stu corpu e società
'Ndranghetà, camurra e mafia
E societa organizata
'Ndranghetà, camurra e mafia
Leggi d' onori leggi d' omertà

Check out the full album:
Il Canto Di Malavita

That's beautiful. Superbly written. Why couldn't the Cosa nostra be like that today

Ok Sonny, it was really me who talked about that album, i think it was one of my first postings.

I'm glad that you ordered the album and like it.