From reading some posts on here, I can see you guys really know your stuff. I was wondering how you guys gained so much knowledge? Just reading books about organized crime? What else?

We are all initiated Google gangsters :-)

Just kidding...some of the other (much more knowledgeable) posters can tell you...

Like a lot of other people here, I initially learned by reading books and articles. Then I got more into it and looked for original documents, such as birth, death, marriage, census and immigration records. I obtained FBI files and went to archives, libraries, and special collections all over the country. I also did genealogical research using American and Italian microfilms. I contacted living relatives of Mafiosi and retired Mafiosi. I obtained American and Italian legal documents, and so on. Then with the documents I have to cross-verify the facts and discuss some of the information with other experts. That's what it takes.

Grew up in a neighborhood which was Russian mob infested. Mostly real life stories took my interest and then I started to research more. Not so hardcore as the guy calling mafioso relatives, but usual internet info plus what people can tell me in real life.

For my part,I can tell you that any knowledge I might have about the organized crime world came from a combination of reading any non-fiction material I could get my hands on,watching documentaries,conversations with friends who knew a lot more than i did,and in general pursuing it as I would any hobby.

If you have the same drive as many of us do, you'll find that there is a ton of material out there. As you become more educated on the topics,you'll start spending more time researching and in no time,you'll be jumping in with the rest.

I followed this Board for over a year before I registered,and now it is one of my favorite pastimes. Most of the posters will help you with info,and you can check the topic archives to get a crash course on Mob stuff.

Welcome,and enjoy.

I don't consider my knowledgable, but i'am learning. I have a particular interest in The Chicago Outfit, especially the post-Capone era. Regardless of your interest, numerous members of this forum/board are very knowledgable relative to organized crime.

I've spent hours, days, weeks, months and years searching the Internet for newspaper articles and magazine stories; I do it every day. I've also read several books and have established contact with four Chicago organized crime historians. A lot of the information is redundant, but I keep trying to find something new.

There are several members of this board who are very well informed about Chicago and provide credible information. For the most part they stay out of the rude name calling and let those who infiltrate this forum and claim to be experts, just do their thing.

Remember that most information is subject to being embellished, sensationalized and distorted. Accurate, credible information is hard to come by. You have to dig deep and spend hours researching the topic of your choice to find answers.

A couple of other sources are FBI files and newspaper archives. Some information from these two sources are free and some require a fee.

Good luck.

Read the Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires by Raab. Everything you need is right there.

I planned on doing this anyhow as my first book.

Well it all started back in the 60's. Me and my friends played with football cards. Only problem was these cards didn't have pictures of football players on them. Oh ya and there was no gum.

If you're a member of a "club" and on the walls of this "club" there are pictures of large groups of Italian men with their shirts off and in addition there are Mass Cards with pictures of young Italian men pinned up on those walls of this "club" you become saturated with knowledge.

The first thing that got me goin was the connection with "legit" older guys from my neighborhood with their times and travels,trials and tribulations and life "adventures".After that,I gotta admit,was the movies,documentaries and other stuff.Than came the books(the first book ive read was "Double Cross"the Giancana stuff,but don't know how true are the stories in it but I loved it very much) and ofcourse google(fbi files,court transcripts,various articles).So that's it.....for now

read, google, read, google.....

<------in the mob

having a fuckin made man as a father as well as an uncle and the highly ranked grandfather sure can do it

Internet, Books, limited personal experiences/contacts,...anything that spikes your interest will do. Just as another member already stated: I too don't consider myself as 'knowledgeable'. And for one, I do know much more about other ethnic organized crime entities/gangs than I know about the American Mafia.

I try to keep up with current events like the philly trial and theres always something going on in new york, sites like five families and gangland are great and books and docs are always a good history lesson. Joined here to try to learn from much more knowledgable people. First post.