Reading a post of Don Michael Corleone learned that in a love letter you could take every third or fourth letter the name of the poeple they wanted to kill. It could be a way.

But I want to know how possible could be to run a family from prison, giving orders(killing, payments, etc)and all that stuff. A boss tells his son to send the word to kill someone? Isn`t the conversations monitored? They have tv cameras and microphones, how can you give an order(an illigal one of course)without the cops hearing? writing in chinese?

Most US prisoners are allowed to have visitors from an approved list. In most cases, friends, relatives and lawyers can visit regularly; only former convicts are barred from visiting, and that rule isn't always enforced. What's more, visits can occur in common areas that aren't bugged. And, in many cases, guards can be bribed. So, it's not impossible for a mob boss to give orders from prison.
There are exceptions, such as the "ultra-maximum security" prison in Marion, IL, that John Gotti was held in. There, the list of approved visitors is very restricted, and all visits must occur face-to-face across a mesh screen--and the conversations are recorded. That's one of the reasons why Gotti lost control of his family.

Can Vittorio Amuso and Carmine Perisco Jr give orders without being heard by the cops where they are held?
Could Vincent "The Chin" Gigante do that where he was?

In the book " My Life In The Mafia" written by former New England mobster Vincent Theresa, he tells how for 6 years, New England Crime boss Raymond Patriarca ran his family from inside the prison.


Turnbull is 100% correct. Here's a story that ran this past summer talking about what Turnbull has said above :

Mafioso and prison guard run racket behind bars

Jailed Mafia boss, Santi Timpani, and prison guard, Attilio Peppino Iannazzo, have been caught running a protection racket from a Catanzaro prison, sending orders to henchmen and threats to victims via SMS messages.

..."According to investigators, Iannazzo smuggled a mobile phone into Timpani's cell, from where the boss sent his SMS messages demanding money. A number of phone calls made by Iannazzo to potential victims, containing implicit or explicit threats, were recorded by Messina police after one targeted businessman turned to authorities for help.

... This is not the first time mafiosi have been caught running their affairs from their prison cells".



Don Cardi

I could be wrong but I don't think the government can prevent mail from being sent or received forever (I think they can do a week or two as a punishment) So packages and letters can always be used to send orders. The other thing is that since the bosses aren't going out collecting money it doesn't make a difference if he gives the "nod" in a letter sent in the mail or in person.

Why don't they put all maffia bosses in prisons like the one you described? They know those Don's still hold a high risk, even in prison and yet they don't really prevent them from giving orders from within prison.

Fair question, Enzo.
Convicts are sent to prisons according to the length of their sentences, severity of their crimes, and the perceived danger they pose to society and to other prisoners--not necessarily their status in The Mob. Gotti was convicted of planning the murder of Castellano, and was therefore sent to a very tough prison. Others were convicted of somewhat lesser crimes, and were therefore sent to less stringent prisons. Before RICO, most mob guys were convicted of relatively minor crimes, and were sent to "easy" prisons like the Federal lockup in Lewisburg, PA, where they ran their own wing of the prison and lived better than the others. An accurate portrayal of life for Mob guys in Lewisburg is found in the movie, "Goodfellas."

Normally some conversations, like between a doctor and his patient or a lawyer and his client, are confidential
When you are locked up in a "ultra-maximum security" prison like John Gotti, can you still talk to your doctor and/or lawyer in private? Or can the FBI get permission to bug all of your conversations?

Prison authorities have the right to open all mail and other packages sent from the outside to inspect them for contraband. They can also censor both incoming and outgoing mail.

Prisoners are not permitted to have private doctors in any lockup--even a local lockup. If a prisoner needs medical attention, he'll get a doctor employed by the prison, or by a contract firm that supplies physicians and other services to prisons. A prisoner in an "ultramax" facility like Marion can have privileged (unbugged) conversations with a lawyer, but not in private. They probably have a room in which the prisoner and lawyer sit on opposite sides of a table, with a screen between them, and guards watching them. The guards will be just far enough away so that they can't hear the conversation if the prisoner and lawyer speak quietly--but close enough to pounce on either if they get out of line.