Olivant, I think that you are correct. That was the bottom line. Luciano and company realized that Schultz had become too risky for the mob, wanted to take out a prosecutor, and was bringing too much attention to the business. So the bottom line, as you have said, was that if they took him out, they would be able to cool things down and absorb his rackets at the same time. Money was usually the catylist in these types of situations.

As far as the percentage thing of the mafia, well to be a member there was NO requirement heritage wise.

Lansky, Seigel, Sedway, Dalitz, Eastman, Cohen, etc. These don't sound to me like Sicilian or Italian names, yet all of these guys were highly important, highly respected, and were key men in mob families. Many were cold blooded murderers who structured and ran many of the mobs rackets.

As posted above the Mafia was at one time a Sicilian thing that came to America. Over the years they tried to get rid of the myth of the mafia and then the organization became known as La Cosa Nostra ( see Turnbulls post ).

To become a MADE member of the mafia, la cosa nostrsa or the mob at one time required that one be of FULL Sicilian decent. Then eventually, as the years went on, to become a MADE member of the mafia, la cosa nostra or the mob the "rules" were changed and one only needed to have a father of Italian heritage.

But being a member of the mob or being a made man of the mob are two different things.

In my opinion the made man thing was just a tradition that was kept up by many of the old school mobsters. Modernized mob guys like Lucky Luciano, again in my opinion, probably couldn't have given a damn about Sicilian background or Italian heritage. As the bottom line with him was that if an associate, or anyone for that matter, could provide income for him and his cronies, then they would be welcomed into his circle. Think about it, who did Luciano go to to learn about the business and how to make money at it? A jewish man named Arnold Rothstien.


Don Cardi