It's been said that...

"You can't change the people around you. But you can change the people around you."

“Vali cchiù un tistimonìu di visu, chi centu d’oricchia." ~ (The testimony of one eyewitness is worth more than the hearsay of a hundred) ~ Ancient Sicilian proverb

Always worth a repeat for those people in the back or across the pond.....

"Time is free...yet priceless. You'll never own it, but you spend it...you can't keep it, but you use it...and once its lost, you will never get it back." ~ Buddha

“Take mafia out of the trial and there’s no case here. Put aside any preconceptions or prejudices you might have about the Mafia. Membership alone is not enough to be a crime.” ~ Closing argument of Carmine Persico, who represented himself during the infamous Mafia Commission trial in 1986.

This well-worn classic Italian phrase, I think, sums up the base mentality of the Italian people quite well...

"Fare una bella figura" --- which, when translated into English means --- "To make a beautiful impression"

In their unique dialect, the Sicilian people refer to a little boy, up to approximately the age of 10 or 11, as a picciriddu (the latter R is silent.)

Thereafter, he is called a picciteddu.

"Give without remembering. Receive without forgetting.”

Don Calogero advises…

“Refrain from telling your friends everything…and your enemies won’t know so much about you.”

Like a good neighbor... stay over there! lol

Plato once commented that…

“Wise men speak because they have something to say…fools, because they have to say something.”

“All men have eyes, Machiavelli says, but few have the gift of penetration.” ~ Joe Bonanno, A Man of Honor

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." ~ Chaucer (circa 1374)

Similar to the late 14th century French proverb...

"Qui onques rien n'enprist riens n'acheva."......."He who never undertook anything, never achieved anything."

"The more I see of people, the more I like my dog." ~ Mark Twain

"I hate when people confuse education with intelligence. You can have a bachelor's or master's degree and still be an idiot." ~ Unknown

“Beware of an old man…In a profession where men die young.” ~ Don Calogero

'Between two evils, I always choose the one I've never tried before." ~ Mae West

GOING NUTS

A guy walks into a bar after a long day at work and takes a seat at the far end of the bar where nobody will bother him.

He gets a beer but then hears a voice say, "You look very nice today!"

He looks around but doesn't see anyone. So he passes it off as his imagination.

But he soon hears the voice again, and it says, "You know, the color blue looks great on you."

Perplexed, he calls the bartender over and asks him, "Hey buddy, what the hell is in this beer? Every time I go to take a sip I keep hearing voices talking to me, saying nice things to me."

The bartender just smiled and replied, "Oh, don't worry about that. Those are just our peanuts. They're complimentary!"

“In my business, we don’t take notes.” ~ Johnny Roselli

Confucius say...

"It is only when a mosquito lands on our testicles, that we realize there is always a way to solve problems without using violence."

“What do you wanna do, shoot me? So shoot me! But I’m not going to answer any of your questions. You gave me the 15 years already....so do whatever you wanna do!"

~ Former Genovese Family Underboss Venero ‘Benny Eggs’ Mangano after being called as a witness at Vincent Gigante’s trial against his will

"You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the street….You do it at home. The rest is all bullshit and you know it." ~ Francesco (Frank Costello) Castiglia

“If I am as big and as bad and powerful as they say I am, then I’ll demand that good be done for the people.” – Brooklyn Mafia boss Joe Colombo

“Water off a duck’s back.”

Here's a good one.



Confucius say…

“Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome.” LOL

The word of the day is "Indestructible"

‘Don’ Calogero reminds us that, “La famiglia è tutto”


Which — when translated into English — literally means “The Family is everything”

"Non e’ né carne né pesce!"



Translation: He is neither meat nor fish!

'Don' Calogero explains this expression describes someone or something that lacks distinct personality or defined characteristics. It’s like being stuck in limbo between two distinct states – not quite meat, and not quite fish. Using this phrase to describe someone sometimes comes across negatively.

I can think of numerous people who could fit this description...

Wednesday nights are a good time for a bit of reflection, don’t you think? Midweek is when things start to come into focus -- who's playing the long game and who’s just playing games. It's a chance to take a step back, size up the scene, and see who’s smart enough to stay quiet and who can’t help but make noise. And with that,....

...Funny how some folks think they're wiseguys, but forget that in the digital world, the trail always leads back. When you play with fire, you end up burning yourself, and these days, even 'anonymous' ain’t so anonymous. The Feds love untangling webs, especially when those who spin them think they're untouchable. A little piece of Wiseguy Wisdom for you: 'The smartest guys in the room are often the first to realize they’re not as smart as they thought.' Mess with the wrong people, and you'll find out just how unforgiving the house rules really are.