He's going to be away for a long time. But, in some ways I do agree because there are still several guys who were close to Gotti who I think are still on the street.

He's probably gonna end up coming out with his own TV show one of these days.

I'd watch that

I don't know if I'd watch that, I hate everyone who ended up being a rat, so I probably wouldn't watch it.

I see it now:

"Welcome to the Rat-Out Hour, starring me, Sammy the Bull Gravano! My guest tonight is Thomas (Huck) Carbonaro!"

"Hiya, Sam, been lookin' for you."

"Yeah, I heard about that, Huck. Heard Peter Gotti had you dress up as a biker gang-banger, try an' whack me. What happened?"

"Uh, I got lost in New Mexico. Them square states confuse me. Thought I was in Tijuana, tried to get laid. Turned out I was inna art museum in Santa Fe. Threw me inna can."

"I bet you got laid there, Huck" [sounds of audience laughter...]

"Well, I heard you were inna swimming pool business, Sam. Good thing you gotta lotta cement--saves me havin' to buy my own to make you a new set of shoes." [more laughter]

Coming to a HBO station near you!

Haha.

In "Idiots Guide to the Mafia", Jerry Capeci cites Stephen "Stevie Coogan" Grammauta as taking part in the 1957 barbershop murder of Gambino Boss Albert Anastasia (we've all heard heaps of different claims and versions of this classic hit; i tend to give credence to Capeci's) This guy, according to Capeci "was seemingly inactive for decades. He reemerged in the late 1990's as the Capo of a the crew-" After a stint on a Gambino ruling panel, he is apparantly, as of 2002 at least, a Capo again.

Sure he spent 25 of those 35-odd years serving a heroin rap, but he obviously operates on a level above all but the nosiest and aggresive of investigators. San Francisco Boss James "Jimmy" Lanza apparantly managed to fake his own death in 87 and continue a life in the mob until supposedly dieing for real in 2006 (Admittedly, this could be false; the James Lanza dead as of 2006 could perhaps be a relative or cousin, though both born in 1917)

Really, id say that by running a tight ship and keeping crew members loyal through fair leadership and respect, by not being either a loudmouth douch like Gotti or a murderous nut like Scarfo and most importantly by watching what they say, do and deal with 24/7/365. Insulation is key.

For the average "button" man, wouldnt it all be in the rackets first, his reactions second? For example, a married man with a routine committing various white and low-key blue-collar crimes under the auspices of his "front"(think tony soprano and maserone garbage hauling) is for obvious reasons far less conspicuous than a dedicated hi-jacker/drug-dealer/enforcer, living far beyond his means with no reported source of income. Some people scream "gangster", some gangsters scream "grandpa"

Has a wiseguy ever turned down getting "made" that we know of?

If one ever did, he probably never lived to tell about it

You can't turn down getting made, you don't choose if you get made or not, the Boss chooses, and what he says goes.

Well, actually, Cleveland mob assosciate Carmen P. Zagaria refused the offer of his sponsers, Capo Joseph C. Gallo & soldier Thomas "The China-Man" Sinito, to be formally inducted, preferring instead to continue running his drug operation as he had been (although he was paying tribute to them anyway for protection, so i dont know why he'd supposedly refuse. THe guy later became a rat, so maybe the story is dubious.)

Gambino assosciate Salvatore Ruggiero, the brother of Gotti side-kick Angelo "Fat-Ange/Quack-QUack" Ruggiero, seemed content to work his heroin rackets on the fringes rather than follow his brother and maternal uncle Aniello Dellacroce into Cosa Nostra.

Andrew Gigante has served time for Union infiltration and extortion despite his father Chin Gigante's apparant redusal to formalyy induct him.

I dont think anybody who gets as far as the ceremony would be stupid enough to pike out at that point. ("Take this card a repeat after me. And let me prick your finger. Ill kiss you after" "Hmm, actually fellas this might not be for me.") Indeed.

Turning down getting made would be considered the ultimate disrespect and would get you killed.

This day in a age It can't be easy being a mafioso with all those cameras behind every back alley and even places you least expect staring at you... The Police GPS system has also gotten so good that they have to be very, very good to get away with a load of Armani suits from a truck hijacking job.. Forensic sience has even gotten so well these days that the wiseguys won't be able to get away with murder like they did before.. I think this is the reason the mafia in America is basically gone.. The only families that still are big are the 5 New York families and the Chicago Outfit..

Another reason the LCN is basically dead is 'cause us young Sicilian-Americans don't wanna have nothing to do with it.. Even John "Junior" Gotti has said he wishes his father never got him mixed up in the life. Because that's what are ancesters did.. That was their life.. Even though some of us still share the same traits we don't wanna get involved.

I checked it out and I was actually right in the past about Junior being 75% Italian 'cause Victoria has said in an interview that her mother of the same name is half Italian of a Sicilian orgin and her father John Gotti was Napolitano. My friend showed me last night, but I'm having trouble finding the link.