If you take the number of mobsters out there in previous years and today, not many really are all that attractive. Some are ugly as they come.

But then you know, people get the wrong impression when they watch movies and are unable to seperate Hollywood from reality. So you hear things and comments such as "Why do so many mobsters dress like slobs?" Or "Why don't mobsters dress classy and in suits nowadays?"

Many mobsters as we know really don't have those Hollywood good looks or fashion sense that we see in movies such as the Godfather or Goodfellas, or even shows such as the Sopranos. The real world is much much different than what we see on tv. Unfortunately the average person really thinks that all mobsters look like they should be stepping out of a Hollywood movie 24/7 in fancy clothes. If they don't then you get the stupid questions that I have mentioned above. Are there guys out there that take pride in their appearance and clothing? Of course there are. But there are way more connected guys out there that do not give a fuck about how they look most of the time. This doesn't take away the fact that I do indeed believe that mob bosses should recruit guys who look and dress the part to take away unwanted attention from the guys doing the dirty work that makes the mob $$$.

Discuss.

I know little or nothing about today, but "Back in the Day" you wanted to look and act like Michael Genovese, Boss -Under boss, lol,of the Pittsburgh LCN.
He was the Man!

Half the battle is all about appearance, poise (or lack thereof), smarts, sharp look, and of course base intelligence to be able to get things done. There aren't too many guys like a Frank Costello or Joe Adonis anymore. They are far and few between (They always were. But nowadays its really dropped in able bodied sharp recruits).

I believe we both can agree that those guys were self made businessmen who could have ran fortune 500 companies but instead used their acumen to run their mob family instead. Only difference is one was illegal and the other was 100% legit. We also know that those guys did indeed run legit businesses to keep the feds at bay as much as possible and provide additional income for their mob family. You cannot be stupid or lack work ethic to be a successful mob boss. It takes just as much work ethic as any guy who runs a corporation. You are running a business and have to run it 24/7.

I don't think guys like Adonis or Luciano could have run Fortune 500 companies. They were smart, but not as smart a a CEO. A for how they dress today as opposed to yesterday, look at anyones. If you were to walk around Microsoft or Amazon headquarters today and compare their way of dressing to the leaders of major companies in the 1930's the comparison on how they appear would be the. Even clerks in banks had to wear a clean suit and tie back then. The average person going to work in the pre-1960's era (Minus laborers or factory workers) were dressed better than Mark Zuckerburg at one of his business presentations.

I don't think those questions are necessarily stupid at all, mob guys SHOULD take pride in their appearance, showing up in Ecko sweatsuits and Nike flip-flops is unacceptable! And you don't have to wear a 3-piece suit to look at least decent, but to dress like a straight slob? Really? Come on now.

Society got more casual and so did the mob.

Most photos available today are taken when guys are being walked in by the feds or after they’re released after being charged. It’s incorrect to judge them solely based on how they look like when they get picked up. When that happens keep in mind that 1) they’re in the early hours of the day 2) you don’t want to seat in handcuffs all day while wearing your best suit 3) you don’t know if/when you’re going to be released and don’t want any of your belongings to become souvenirs for federal employees.

Street surveillance pics taken in recent years show them as regulars dressed according to their age and location.

The mob always had a fair amount of slobs, lower caste guys who were not up to “fashion standards” compared to others. Not everyone was Castellano.

Their attire during trials (if allowed by the court) and during social events like out-of-the-can parties, weddings, funerals, crew/family dinners, etc is still unquestionably neat and formal.

LuanKuci has it right. Older guys as a rule dress better, and if anyone knows they are going to be held for a long time they dress as comfortable as possible. I will add, Gotti was and still is getting criticized for being well dressed, if he dressed casual they would attack him for that.

Fortune 500 companies lol. You make it sound like they simply chose not to go that route. Amazes me how people are fooled by the whole businessman myth.

Sure a lot of them were smart. So what? So are a lot of people. Doesn't mean they could run fortune 500 companies. And the people who do run those companies couldn't do a lot of other jobs. It takes all kinds.

These are degenerate, often sociopathic killers we're talking about. Don't like the competition? Threaten them. Murder them. Extort them. Steal the business. I haveva feeling even with guys like Castellano who loved to talk business, that those conversations were not nearly as deep as people like to imagine.

This was still a guy fucking dumb enough to be in a life surrounded by murderers, ordering crimes to be committed, etc etc.

I disagree AliceCooper, I don't think they had the opportunities, Castellano grew up close to his uncle Carlo Gambino and did well behavior-wise considering that. I think most came out of poverty, as opposed to the majority of CEO"s who came from wealth or upper middle class backgrounds. A fee exceptions of course. I think mafia guys were like anyone else brain wise, some smart, some not. I don't but into the sociopathic killer theory for most either. However when people say that Lansky or Luciano could run a Fortune 500 company, we are in agreement, they likely could not. I doubt any of us here could either.

I agree they didn't have the opportunities. Hell, even 99.5% of the people with the opportunities, brains, abilities and ambitions don't reach that level.

Conversely, it's unlikely that most of those top level people could have been a successful mob boss even if they had the opportunities.

I compare it to basketball. Bill Laimbeer was an NBA great. I hate him, but he's all time. He admits that he needed the rules and structure of organized professional basketball and it's established boundaries to play at that all time level. He was no street baller.

And even the greatest street ballers? There are reasons they're on the street and not on the TV set.

Hopefully that makes sense.

It makes perfect sense.

Michael Genovese testifying in his fancy suit

The difference between the slobs and the guys who take an interest in looking good is most obvious if you ever see footage of or attend a mob trial. There'll be guys in beautiful suits, perfectly tailored--and the guys next to him will be in an Adidas track suit with the fucking stripes. Ridiculous.

[quote=Millspgh]Michael Genovese testifying in his fancy suit

Michael wore hand tailored Hickey Freedman suits that he bought from the downtown Pittsburgh Larrimore's store. High line goods only!

I used to go to Moe Ginsburg for all my slacks, shirts and suits, right off 23rd b’way side of flatiron.

Now I wear gym wear or lounge shorts 6 days a week .

haha lol
you the best my friend !