I don't think it's a matter of assimilation as by all accounts Italians are fully assimilated into American society. Political power, religious institutions,economic power,civic institutions,military achievement, represented in academia,etc,etc,etc,


Within each group of hyphenated-Americans...there are going to be families and individuals who take advantage of the educational and commercial opportunities available in America and those who don't.

There are poor and working class members of ethnic groups that arrived in America well ahead of the Italians and well after. Assimilation didn't eliminate the 7-8th generation Americans from the older groups and won't wipe out the working class from the newer groups.

As someone else wrote, the "mob" stands out because of of press/hollywood but other white ethnic groups have criminal organizations that are still active and still have young guys joining up.

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Having said that though, what role do you (or anyone) think that the changing demographics in some of the urban centers has played in young Italian men maybe entering criminal world for protection?

Neighborhoods that might have been exclusively Italian before are now flooded with newer immigrant groups...Blacks or Latinos...and as the numbers shift the remaining Italians might feel the need to clique-up to not get pushed around by the Black or Latino street gangs.

Sort of the reverse order of how gangs start I guess.....normally the new group has to clique up to protect themselves from the established ethnic group. Latest example of that real life "west side story" theme ..Dominicans formed gang in NYC metro area to protect themselves from Puerto Ricans.

I think these are the factors that might drive kids who otherwise wouldn't enter criminal life....to go down the path that eventually leads them to maybe go into the mafia.

And that's exactly why the mob is in the shape it's in .

I can't think of a single good reason. An enterprising independent crook can make money on his own although it may be harder in the NYC area. You make a little less but don't have to share it with anyone. These days anyone can dislike you or be jealous of you (In the mob) and spread the rumor that you are a rat, and you're gone. Also with all the rats recently, you could be exposed to arrest because of some shithead. And, as an independent, you can pick up and go to a different area for a while. The downside is that you don't have that network/connections that you would in the mob.

Neither do I. Unless you can't do what you want to do alone or with just one other guy. You take a big chance if you do.

If you are using local fences to get rid of what you stole. Then people will know who you are. But if your stealing small they are making money off you and your safe. Steal big that could be a problem.

If they need help they might approach you if they know you since you were a kid. You still might be safe.

If they don't know you that long. Then leave and go somewhere else to steal.

The advances in electronics nowadays makes it so hard

A cop on a TV show I watched said the only reason the mafia is still alive is because Hollywood has glamourized it. "Otherwise they would have died out like any other street gang".

In large part I agree with this cop. The real mafia probably isn't half as great as the mafia in which your boss is James Gandolfini or Robert De Niro. Who would you rather work for...fat ass Roy Demeo or Robert De Niro?

An addition to my comment above: The mafia would have died out by the 1990s in my opinion had Hollywood not glamourized it. By the 1990s, between the witness protection program, RICO laws and advanced surveillance the government had the mob beat. But the mafia keeps filling their ranks....because Goodfellas and the Sopranos makes it look so fun!!!

Roy he looks like he was more fun if he could make money off you. DeNiro has no personality an introvert He could put you asleep.

There was a black singer I don't know her name who loved DeNiro. Black people call him Robert DeNigro because thry know he loved black women. He wanted her to sing at his birthday party. He had Pesce call Irene cara and asked her to get this girl to sing at his party. She did and he never called her back. she was devasted by that I was told.

Detroit,

Goodfellas maybe though Henry Hill is not someone most people would want to aspire to be like. I have to disagree about the Sopranos.The Sopranos was an advertisement for all thats wrong with that life and the black hearts that participate in it. You guys remember the uproar over the show by some italians feeling they were being unfairly portrayed

I think an adult can see what you are saying NNY89 - that these mob movies end with betrayal, murder, prison - nothing positive.

But just like children can be easily swayed by cigarette ads on television (this is why televised cigarette ads were banned decades ago), kids only see the "highs" of mob life in Goodfellas and Sopranos - the huge stashes of cash, easy beautiful women, hanging out in the social club instead of working 9-5. I'm just saying...these movies must be a big promoter of mob life to kids. I told my parents I wanted to be in the mafia when I was about 13 - this is when I first saw the sopranos. Shortly after this, my parents would no longer allow me to watch the sopranos.

Obviously there are multiple reasons the mafia stays alive and people still want to join them....but I think these movies/shows are one of those reasons.

Like Melfi's husband said in the Sopranos, "Hollywood tries to give these guys a tragic grandeur."

I was forty when "The Sopranos" premiered. I really freaking hate you guys .

Perna went to seton hall and even wrestled so with some of these guys even college degree isn't a deterrent . Easy $ is easy $ I guess

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Sometimes and I know this sounds weird but it isn't the money. Its the feeling of belonging too something only a few have belonged. It's the feeling of getting over.

Not weird at all. Some of them are attracted to the image and the power as much as they are to the money. But they still like money .

The actor who portrayed her husband was the same actor who portrayed the shy in the movie Mean streets. The guy that killed DeNiro.

One day Hollywood will produce a good and honest mafia film.

Donnie Brasco didn't glorify it at all. Good movie too.

I'll have to give that a watch

A cop on a TV show I watched said the only reason the mafia is still alive is because Hollywood has glamourized it. "Otherwise they would have died out like any other street gang".

Obviously that cop never been to LA nor Chicago. Those gangs never died out.

That's because black people breed three times faster than whites and 50% of blacks are criminals... that's why negro street gangs don't die out.

Where do you come up with this shit?

I visited compton once.

I am sure your not serious are you? Their might be more crime among blacks it is because of a lot of things.

More poverty among blacks. Family structures have broken down. A lot of street kids that have nothing to do with all the time they have on their hands. Only the unloved hate that line was from Charlie Chaplins speech that he made in the Great dictator. It on YouTube all over the place you should watch it.


The gangs that are out their are actively recruiting through fear. They join for their own personality safety. Then once your in a gang your life chances and not for the better.

Black families and white families have one thing in common. I know this is true and you probably know this is true maybe uou dont? They want a better life for their kids then they have had

I hate to be judgemental, but your posts are becoming trollier and trollier by the minute. Are there black street gangs? Sure, lots of them. But statements like "50% of blacks are criminals" are intentionally offensive and just plain racist.

Adding to that: it's estimated that there're 1 million street gang members in the USA. This includes African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Whites and Native Americans. There are around 40 million African Americans living in the USA. I guess you're not a math genius, but even if all of these gang members were African American, you still wouldn't even come close to 50%.

My Aussie pal , if you truly believed that disappointing since your chatting with a black person. Don't know how you was brought up over there but I'm here tell right here a quick facts about my people:
1. 50% of us aren't criminals , how would you know ? You met all 40 million of us?
2. We don't bred no faster than any other ethnicity, and if that was the case then we would still be the largest " minority" group.
3. You visit to Compton is right next door to our gang capital which have MORE mexican gangs than black gangs.
4. If you want stay on these boards longer, I suggest you learn more about DIVERSITY in our country. Being ignorant is one thing but being a prick is another.
Peace .

I'm proud to be white, I must be a white supremacist.

This is for our Australian friend


Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FMNFvKEy4c&feature=youtube_gdata_player