Shameful! More paparazzi than defendants.
What’s this world coming to? You can’t hire good help because there is none out there. (“It’s the staff, you see.” –Basil Fawlty)
Even in the Mafia, the quality of new recruits is “miserable” (https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/sopranos-real-life-cosa-nostra-wiretaps-show-sicilian/). So say the Sicilian crime bosses, caught on wiretaps.
Or, as Tony Soprano once said, “See, things are trending downward… Guys today have no room for the penal experience.” Well, yeah: they turn state’s evidence as soon as they’re arrested. It used to be, if you sang, you got whacked. Now all they want to do is make deals with prosecutors.
Or as Caligula once said,”People really are despicable.”
Well, Don Cheech, it ain’t like you old-guard Mafia are alone in this. Our crooked politicians don’t measure up, do they? Biden could’ve stolen half the country if he’d put his mind to it. And if you think organized crime has hit the skids… have you seen any movies lately? Disgraceful!
Looks like the Mafia is in the same boat as the rest of us.
As strange as it may seem, within their own world, Organized Crime see themselves as a source of stability, and not particularly criminal. There exists a code, of sorts, and the breakdown of the social order is apparently taking a toll, even in that world.
These people don’t see themselves as criminals, but more as a protective force in their respective communities. Strangely, they don’t tolerate petty crime within their realms, but might utilize extortion to enforce that local businesses use the “correct” suppliers. If someone stepped out of line, a broken storefront window might serve as a reminder. What makes it all work is silence; people in those communities avoid talking to the police, if they want to remain popular among their peers. I would imagine that turning state’s evidence would be a very unpopular move.
But the world has changed, and the old rules seem to be breaking down.