Katra had a knack for observing certain things among the world around her. One of her favourite things were to read up on journals and then look at the world that currently was around her. Everyone will reminisce she knew but one floating thought seemed to keep resonating through her mind, Loyalty. There was something of late, possibly a trend, that she couldn't quite grasp.

Standing on the overused and somewhat battered soapbox merely because she was relatively short. She wanted to be sure that she would be heard.

Time and time again this topic comes up. Often I will be told that my line is a rare breed where this is concerned. Perhaps it is true, perhaps not. However, what is true is that it seems to be a trend with those that move over from a losing side of a war to gain the italic suits, and even the bold one from time to time.

Does this mean that those people have absolutely no sense of loyalty? Can they so easily turn their backs on those that had sheltered them previously? The worst offenders are those that were given slanty suits in their former cities.

Don't get me wrong I do not plan to point fingers at examples, but you cannot be naive to miss who they are. My question to you is, is it possible to be loyal to someone if you cannot be loyal to the family before you?

She eyed the masses up. She knew a few may be open to discussing it and many others would probably back down so that they would not rock the boat.

Scriba had been searching amongst the masses for the news of the day. He liked to poke about the streets and give an ear to various conversations from time to time. He enjoyed the social aspect of it all. Why not? It gave this life an added vibrancy. Every man and his dog could shout and demand attention if they so pleased. Being amongst the chatter proved to be sometimes informative. Sometimes inspiring. Sometimes degrading. At the very least entertaining, if one held a sense of humour about it all.

After strolling the streets, listening to those bold enough to step forward and stir the minds of the masses, he settled on a small yet growing group of spectators. As he moved through the crowd and took his place near the front, he noticed a relatively short yet confident looking Mafiosa standing on a battered soapbox.

The word 'Loyalty' caught his attention. After respectfully listening to Katra complete her introduction, he threw himself into the discussion by means of raising his voice and cutting through the group chatter. He stayed amongst the crowd, yet spoke up and directed his energy and attention toward Katra.

As his voice boomed over the incoherent ramblings Scriba pulled at his suspenders, gripping them tightly.

"I feel you may be a rare breed amongst many. I respect your questioning of this thing called Loyalty, yet feel it may have already been answered in the question itself. I don't believe it possible to be loyal to anyone if that isn't within the persons character. I think it's rather a question of what values one holds to, and does one really value loyalty in the first place if they can so easily pledge themselves to another. And if they do hold loyalty as a value to live by, are they really loyal to anyone beyond their own selfish ambitions?"

Scriba nodded a few times, affirming his own beliefs, before glancing over his shoulders to the men and women beside and about him.

Shizuo knew that searching for an interesting topic in the streets would be a hard thing to do at a time like this. There were a lot of new crews so the streets would be filled with musings declaring the establishment of these new crews and the messages of congratulations to the new CLs, and people would be very busy rebuilding everything from the ashes, so therefore, less people would be talking in the streets than usual. He was very happy to hear an interesting question from Katra which could turn into a good discussion.

He then stepped forward to voice his answer:

"To be honest, loyalty is a very delicate topic whether you are an honourable Mafioso or a normal citizen so I will talk about my bloodline's known definition of loyalty. Loyalty is something that is "temporarily permanent" to my bloodline.

What do I mean by temporarily permanent?

I mean that I will be loyal to my CL/GF until his/her death. After their death, I would honor them and their bloodline, and live in their memory for my own personal gain, compensate for my change of allegiance and still have their friendship. If I could get over their death quickly, wouldn't it benefit me that I can swear my allegiance to others and therefore, preserve my life by being under the protection of another crew?

Sounds evil, right? But that's what a lot of us do and I'm not an exception.

I am sorry if I have offended anyone but I am just saying my own viewpoint about loyalty."

Shizuo then looked at the crowd to search for any frowning faces and found several.

If a mobster has earned their button with a Family, and their city/allies fall alongside their crew leader (the war is lost) – then said folk need to bite the bullet and show some character. This is the honorable and respectful way. To join an enemy would be unfathomable to me. I'd rather die on my feet, than live on my knees. Those without values are often get their comeuppance, eventually.

Hearing the words spoken by Katra, Angel pauses and considers what was said. Knowing this is a topic that many took different stances on, Angel cleared her throat, and smoothed her dress, before stepping forward.

Personally, I feel that if your leader falls, you may join someone who was an ally with them, someone who worked with them every day and that helping them will be an honorable way to serve their memory. I do not believe that it is appropriate to join a family who they are not allied with, or who you know took out your family. Your bloodline is free to choose as they wish, but you yourself, should live to serve your family, not anyone who can get you further in life. especially if you got your button, you definitely should not jump to a family who is not a part of yours. For example, if (god forbid) something happened to my leader Utopia, I would look to my godmother for instructions, no matter my rank. As I feel it should be. Just my opinion!

Ignoring the bead of sweat going down her back, Angel steps back a bit to melt into the crowd, wanting to blend, but finding it hard in her signature red dress.

Katra's eyes lit up as she noticed someone heading towards the front of the gathering before her. She knew they would at least be bold enough to speak up rather than looking at her a bit strangely for questioning things. Hopping off the soapbox she used it for a stool so that she could focus her attention on what was being said around her.

"Scriba, Do you believe their are loyal people beyond their own ambitions? I know I would personally go down with a leader rather than disgrace my own line by being saved. Granted I may be ambitious but it holds no merit on my own beliefs on loyalty. I have pledged myself to that leader and if they go down, well so am I. Does this make me a rarity? Can someone who does these things really be so selfishly ambitious if they are willing to not look after their own interests for this value?"

She frowned slightly as she listened to Shizuo but she nodded along. She couldn't very well be pleased with the reply but it was a common occurrence so any insight into it was helpful for her to understand the thought behind it.

"Do you really believe it is honoring your former leaders memory by then taking a selfish approach and joining the enemy? I have a bit of a hard time grasping this aspect. I don't personally see that as honoring them unless your intent is to rogue and kill as many later on. Granted I would not endorse that on my own values but it has come up once or twice.

I am not sure it is evil exactly. As you pointed out and as I and my journals have witnessed that it is indeed a common occurrence."

She smiled slightly as she listened to Pippino_Habulis.

"I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you for coming out to speak your thoughts."

A smile still playing on her lips as Katra listened to AngelEyes.

"Ah, that was delightful. You raised a point that I did not think of in my own speech, joining with allies. I do believe that it would be fine but more often then not if your leader is dying, a lot of their allies are in war. Now perhaps if the allies got lucky then there is a chance that they may not have been that great of an alliance to have? Or they were busy elsewhere and were not able to be located at the time. Sometimes these things happen. But I should think if it was a big enough thing that maybe the alliance were just not that loyal either.

The example you gave though would be something I could agree with. That is your own family and district. Something you should be able to rely on if something happened to your leader.

I appreciate your thoughts and for making me consider an aspect I hadn't originally."

Katra began to move around the gathering. Hoping to catch someone else that may wish to express an opinion or two.

I feel like the notion that is brought forth by Katra is most definitely honourable, but I do feel that it does come down to certain circumstances whether a person stays loyal until the red mist appears, or if they turn their backs on their allies and join the enemy.

If you are with a family where you do not agree with certain things that have transpired and desperately want to leave, it is a good possibility that you would pledge your allegiance to the opposite side. I feel that people may question this and ask why they don't just suicide and let their offspring join the enemy. Well, to be blunt, that is pointless.

In this day and age, and in our culture, you wouldn't end your life just because you disagree with things. One way is rising up and planning a coup d'état with your closest comrades, but these are highly risky and most of the time, will either be leaked or be highly unsuccessful. Another risk is just doing the plain old rogue route ('rougeing' for all those cool kids), but this is virtually suicide again. So the end result, is indeed waiting for a war and joining the opposite side.

Our society has always had a foundation set upon with rules and regulations about loyalty and certain topics associating with this, but rules are there to be broken, and are done so many a time. After all, we are the mafia, it's in our character and nature to break rules and laws. We are humans, we will do what ever we can do to survive. That is just pure and basic human nature.

I think I may have digressed slightly, Katra. I suppose to sum up what I have said is that the loyalty is a fantastic notion to have and is indeed honourable, but we can't apply it to individual circumstances, just the general masses, and even then it can be 'sketchy' at best.

Scriba smirks as he watched Katra turn the step ladder into a stool. Previously he had stood there and listened as others too joined the discussion. He nodded at points, shook his head and waved away notions at others, yet in all he made it a definite intention to stick around and hear what others had to say about loyalty.

He was schooled in this thing by someone loyal to his own, who was in turn schooled by many loyal to their own, as the latest war had reflected. He was taught about family. His only family in this thing of ours. Sure, people have kids. They have legacies coming and yet time and again going. Yet he was schooled in the ways of the old tradition. Family was the be all and end all. Without it, there was no thing of ours. Without it, no button. Without family, there was nothing to live an die for, in the truest traditional sense.

He tugged again at his suspenders and tipped his hat forward toward Katra after she had finished responding to his vocalization. He slid his hands into his pockets and shuffled his stance as she continued to address others that had spoken up and addressed the topic of loyalty.

When a cut in the crowd once again arose, just after Euphoria finished speaking, he felt it time to respond again and address Katra's initial response.

He glanced around momentarily, before directing his attention back to Katra and raising his voice for all to hear also in the ever growing crowd.

"I wish to answer and address your question, whether I believe there are loyal people beyond their own ambitions. I believe there are. My father was one and he grew to love and work for those that he could see are this way inclined too."

Scriba, still speaking, shuffled his stance and started to also address the audience more directly. His voice became louder and more emphatic and his hands jumped from his pockets and joined in, as emotions swept over him. That tingly feeling down the spine when something grabs at your soul and the heart joins the discussion.

"He would speak of loyalty and honour before self ambition. He would speak of what it meant to be received and included in a family. He would speak of those who deserved their merit, and those that should never have got it in the first place. Those that lived and died for their leaders, their family. And those that never truly lived at all. He lived and died an ambitious man. Ambitious to his family, as there was nothing more for him beyond the people he swore allegiance to. He lived and died for them, and that was both his ambition, his loyalty."

The crowd hushed and fell into a mindful silence, some nodding, others contemplating. He turned his attention back to Katra. His voice lowered a level as the emotions coursing through him died down. He was swept away by the moment and had returned to solid conscioius grounding.

"I believe ambition and loyalty can work hand in hand, if it is directed to something greater than the individual. When one's own ambitions become before that of the family, than that is selfish and should get any Mafioso killed. I heard from my father of an oath he took. He swore to die before focusing on his own selfish agenda. I believe if others become too self satisfied, than they should all get exactly what they deserve. No life is a life truly lived if it isn't lived for others."

Scriba's speech toward the end echoed off and became less emphatic. Less externalized. He had fell into memory of his father before him and those he came to know in AL's barbershop. He had come to know some inspiring individuals that he would no longer again see. Their lives imprinted in him and he echoed their words from beyond the grave. They gave spirit to his voice and the gods saw fit they should once again speak to the living.

As he stood amongst the masses he bowed his head upon completion and slid his hands back into his pockets, self consciousness now getting the better of him.

Getting tired of walking about Katra wanders back to her seat upon the soapbox. She was just in time to hear Euphoria speaking up. Tilting her head to the side as she listened. Thoughtfully she considered what was said and simply shook her head.

Breaking the rules may be one thing but you would rather the taint of ship jumper, betrayer and any other name that would go with it rather than doing the honorable thing? I find that somewhat hard to believe. Perhaps I just can't grasp working for someone that I came to despise. Clearly it must happen since I would not be here speaking otherwise. I just can't understand it.

Turning her head to listen to Scriba's story her smile grew.

Thank you for sharing that. I am glad that someone else is like minded on this topic.

Having spent the few days following his father's death making arrangements at the funeral director's, the lawyer's and visiting grieving relatives and family friends, Vic felt both physically and emotionally drained. Taking the opportunity to relax during the drive, Vic enjoyed several hours of rural scenery from the back seat of the sedan his father had considered his pride and joy; gently dozing off every now and again, occasionally being woken briefly by the odd bump in the road.

Vic wasn't really one for straying into unknown lands, he prefered to know where he was and who was around, however, whilst passing through one of Chicago's districts, even he had noticed there appeared to be more people than he was accustomed to. Whilst slowly coasting through the streets, Vic noticed a small gathering and instructed his driver pull to the side of the road before exiting the vehicle and listening intently to the growing masses, each offering their own insights into a subject which clearly had both opponents and proponents, each with their own passionate views on the matter.

Vic stood silently on the outskirts of the group listening intently; he had never been overly comfortable with unfamiliar faces or large crowds, a trait he appeared to share with his recently departed father. However, this time was different. He found himself agreeing with the notion of loyalty as Katra had described and, during a lull in the debate, started to share his own musings on the issue:

"Personally, I cannot find any sympathy for someone who trades sides during or shortly after a war and I know my father certainly wouldnt grant someone a position of slanty importance if they were once the button man of another crew in another city.

Trust is the by-product of loyalty and, for me, not only overlooking the brutal slaying of all those closest to you, nor simply ignorantly joining a crew for your own selfish protection, but actually accepting the proffer of a trusted position within the upper structure of your family's assailants, is not the actions of a man I would consider eternally loyal.

Furthermore, for me, it's a question of honour. To be honourable, you must hold true to your vows, pledges and promises and upon joining a family, we have all taken a vow of Omerta, pledged to work solely for our family and promised to uphold the traditions and duties of our home city.

Finding solace with the assailants who have slain those closest to you is, as much as I hate to repeat another's words, unfathomable to me.

Now, being a lowly foot-soldier, it is not my place to question the reasons or motives of anyone, so I would like to apologise if anything I have said has struck a nerve, however my father was someone who rewarded loyalty and to see cowardice rewarded is something I take umbrage with, for knowing my father, I know he would have fought tooth and nail for each and every member of New York, as he considered it would be an awfully big honour to live and die protecting the city he loved."

Feeling a chill working it's way up from his toes, Vic tipped his fedora, took a sip from his father's battered old hipflask as he quietly disappeared into the growing crowd of faces.

Not really one to judge, I feel if a member was made in a family then there fate should be tied to the families they made it in.

That being said, loyalty is not a switch that can be turned off and on. I would like to think loyalty and trust is earned, something the younger members of a family are learning and they are often not a threat or a target. Now, some would still go down with the ship regardless which is quite honorable in my opinion. But I do feel they should have that option to continue there young lives.

By that I dont mean a 100 day old wise guy either, maybe just a different perspective.

Barry decided to take a stroll away from the streets of Brooklyn and Factory's rapidly increasing sphere of influence, to frequent the ancient cobbles of the Streets and find out what was transpiring in the wider world. He brought his trusted second in command Batiatus along with him. The pair happened upon a conversation about loyalty and Barry decided to give his forehead a waggle on the matter.

This is something that periodically floats around, typically after any large scale contest and questions are subsequently asked with raised eyebrows about those who have survived and what they did to engineer such a feat. In reality, most of the time, there is nothing untoward going on from the survivors other than a little bit of self-preservation mixed with opportunism and mercy from the victors.

I always categorise the implications of the actions taken by the circumstances encountered. If your family is alive, you have a duty to them and doing anything other than what your Don requires is a betrayal. However if someone has made their bones with a family and that family is in the ground, I don't really think anyone gains anything by that soldier following them into the dirt; certainly not the soldier and the dead can't feel anything anyway so why seek to appease them?

Our family does not require our members to swear to loyalty to us beyond our death. I therefore do not find it abhorrent, insulting or dishonorable for our surviving brothers and sisters to join someone else once we are gone. If the fight has been fought, don't toss your life away under a misguided sense of loyalty, because it avails us nothing and you even less.

I also think some speakers here are forgetting that "Made Man" status is universal; not family specific. Stating that you wouldn't appoint someone who was a Made Man in another family to a position of trust in your own family, purely because they were Made elsewhere makes little sense to me, especially with the implication they have done something wrong in the process. Take my own man here, Batiatus, he was made in Philly, in a family separate to my own and yet I was aware of him, his ability, his ceaseless social climbing and his unflinching desire to stop cock from continually ramming into fucking ass. These things made him a strong candidate for consideration as my number two, not as black marks against his character.

Barry looks over at his weaselly right hand man and thinks of all the other things he has done/failed to do which are black marks against him. Probably best not to mention them in the streets though. 

Anyway friends, I'll leave you with this. Should the Factory be closed down one day and any of our family survive the resultant flood from the tears of the masses at losing such a majestic thing, I would advise them to find shelter wherever they can. I wouldn't class that as a betrayal in any way, shape or form.

Scriba nodded, smiled and clapped at interjections during VicVega's speech. He liked when people saw things the way he did. He enjoyed the traditional views and those that echoed his own. Any man does. He also enjoyed listening to those that had an idea or opinion that stirred the mind and created a little rambling from the crowd.

As he continued to listen on further, his mind was aroused after both stitch and Barry's speeches. He remembered Barry as a man his father spoke highly and affectionately about. In the war's aftermath much had changed. Scriba went to work for Utopia and Factory had taken up residence in the blood spilled city of what once stood towering above the world of organized crime, New York.

He was yet to visit the newly re-populated and ever sprawling city. New York was never off the radar for long, and it was again in the rebuilding process.

Scriba gazed intently towards Barry and when his gaze was returned he firstly tipped his hat and lowered his head in respect to the newly appointed crew head, before raising his voice and jumping in again on the discussion as it stood.

"From what you say, Batiatus was once a member of the extended family that is Philly. He hasn't jumped ship, if this is the case. He's rather instead found solace amongst the same family that stood tall during and after the most recent war."

He wiped his nose with the back of his hand to wipe away a slightly runny nose before continuing

"I think loyalty in this way is still honourable. I think what this discussion is getting at is those that have been welcomed into a family and then in the aftermath of a streak of violence on these streets they are then welcomed into yet another family that once stood against their original leaders that embraced them as a made member."

Scriba then turned to the crowd and continued on, his hand movements emphasizing his words, all the while scanning the gathered group of Mafioso.

"Families seem to extend beyond districts, and sometimes they spill over into other cities. If someone of a high standing finds themselves without protection yet is welcomed by an ally to their existing family, would we not also see this as loyal and honourable too?"

Odwulf slinks out of a back alley adjourning the smallish group of mobsters that were in deep discussion. Making his way through the larger group of silent faces that were there to just listen, he jumps up on the recently vacated soapbox. Holding his head high, he shows the talking group before him a sheet of paper gently held between his teeth.

Loyalty. With your original message, Katra, I am assuming you mean of bloodline loyalty between bloodlines. While this may not be your aim, have no fear. I will speak also of other forms of loyalty, as it is not so simple a matter and I wish to be thorough..

In war, inevitably, one group will be wiped out by another. Whether it be a single crew, a district, a city, or a temporary alliance of districts and cities. Those that die and have their sons or daughters arrive to our shores should not be attacked or thought less of for attempting to gain influence in what was considered a rival organization to their parent. It is a new life for them. My own bloodline has wandered the various organizations. Sometimes switching from one hostile group to another as well as sometimes slipping in with a neutral party. Closing that option for yourself out of fear of being labeled “disloyal” or “lacking honor” is foolish and those that have those sentiments should consider adjusting their weak view.

Now, during war and it’s aftermath, it is quite different how survivors are considered amongst both leaders in the past, now, and the general criminal element.

While the “take no prisoners” mindset tends to dominate the thoughts of the victorious group, especially early on in my bloodlines time here, it is not the only option I’ve seen taken. Other times, more...progressive thinking leaders have spared those below Made arguing the view that they were not fully vetted members of a crew and therefore branded with a peculiar form of “innocence”. Obviously, active participants of war that are below Made are given no quarter.

Finally, I’ve seen (thankfully in fewer numbers than anything else mentioned) men and women of high rank and authority switch sides. To that, I can not fully express my disgust. It is, in some ways, more than just a slap in the face to every leader both currently and previously who did their best to honor our Code. It subverts it. Without our Code, we are nothing more than common thugs in chaos, desperately grabbing with dirty hands anything we can get away with. Order, in our world of calculated brutality and finesse, is the best way to have business run smooth.

For my opinion, which I’ve mostly withheld till now, I’m fairly straightforward and my line has kept to them through many a conflict when power and influence were sufficient to call for a certain course of action.

No survivors. A clean slate is best for everyone.

And if they do hold loyalty as a value to live by, are they really loyal to anyone beyond their own selfish ambitions?

There is no selfish ambitions, but there is what we all says the instinct to live. Loyalty is always be given to people who value their life and value their family.

Once you are apart of a family, you give your loyalty to it, will die for it and will kill for it, but once anyone has given a nod to lead his own headquarters his loyalty will definitely be change, His or her loyalty will be with his house, will protect, die and kill for it, even it means to attack the family he or she has gone if it threatens your own headquarters. Loyalty is to the family you are holding not to the other family. We can always look back where we had start, but life must go on, instinct to live instinct to rule.

Captious, no where have I stated that it is directed at the fallen's children/best friend/aunt/uncle. Rather those that did not fall at all but saved their own hides.

Katra turns to VicVega.

Thank you for your views. Although I wonder if someone can be honorable if they cannot hold a value on anything but alas maybe that will be a future discussion.

She nodded as she listened to Stitch.

I can see how younger generations should be allowed to change over. Not entirely sure I agree with it being Wise Guy and below. Wise Guys are the ones that should be most trying to prove they earn their button. So to think those people that wanted so badly to be apart of a family should suddenly change their minds baffles me. However, I would be one of those younger generations that goes with the ship.

We are not all the same that much is true. I just thought there was more value to Made Man and higher ranks with their loyalty claims once they have entered into the inner circle of high ranks.

Katra shook her head as she listened to Barry.

To each their own. However, I will never agree with that nonsense. We all know that in mass wars that most leaders will die in a first wave. So everyone should just stop there and stick up a protection order? I mean if the leader is dead, and no one should have loyalty to that leader then what's the point of continuing to slaughter? Oh wait forgot those pesky +1s. My bad.

Realistically that wouldn't work anyways. Look how many actually fought after their leaders were dead? Lots. Granted a few were shown some favoritism by the opposing side and got their hides saved. And one even got promoted to Left Hand right after. Funny thing about that one was that they were a hand previously to a leader that was taken out. So they should have died along with their leader.

Often times in this community we see the leader and their hands decimated while the rest get to find homes. Those are interesting enough I suppose.

Perhaps loyalty is just no longer a thing of value. Ambition may have replaced it. Or perhaps ass kissing. Really the options are endless are they not?

Katra listened next to Odwulf.

I am sorry but I don't mean bloodline loyalty throughout it. Your next of kin or best friend is not you. I simply refer to something of the now.

For instance I will use myself as an example... If I died tomorrow I would not expect my next of kin to be loyal to Kelly. However, if Kelly died tomorrow in a massive community war, I would expect myself to help in the fight and god forbid my side did not win, I would go down with it.

Turning to Husky, Katra nods.

Thank you for your point of view.

Jonathan Listens to everyone,taking notes and letting them argue with each other.Jonathan noticed no one said the 2 of the most important things about this topic.He waited and waited but still no good,maybe he was wrong or he was right.Maybe freedom of speech is about this that not much people allow,argument of ideas.There were parts Jonathan agreed and he didnt agreed,but he decided to join the conversation....

''Let me give you 2 words about loyalty,Power and Respect.I am not going talk blub like ''Respect gets you everywhere,disrespect gets you swimming'' or anything like that.Lets start with the first word,Power.Power decides everything,so who have the power also have the truth.That is how it has been for the whole history and still today.Power writes history,decides right or wrong and truth,Power corrupts you and eats your soul until you are left to nothing better than ashes.İf we talk about the other word,Respect,it is important in ranking up,getting cash and earning respect.You can buy everything with respect and cash,you can buy love,hate and power.3 of them are connected to it,in basics you need one for another.First you need to get the respect than when you get respect you get power than you will get loyalty but you yourself need to be loyal to power at start''

''You start as nobody and someone who have power takes you in a crew/gang/family,a group of people for the matter.You need to decide your loyalty to power right than.İf you set your loyalty to power,you will also stay loyal to people that took you in the group.İf you kill them when you get to power yourself,that means you are corrupted and the next owner or power will rid you from this world and no one will remember you and the ones know you will hate you.Loyalty than respect,you need to respect everyone even if you hate them so they wont have a weapon to use against you so you can keep your power later on when you need it the most,when people start to question if being loyal to you is going to do them any good''

''I have seen many people get corrupted by power and a lot ı dont know in history.You cant close your corruption by wars,peace,being a coward or money,so if you cant control the power dont take it from the others or dont get corrupted by these 3 things;money,power and authority.Those are your 3 best friends and worst enemies..................''

Jonathan walked back to his chair to get his jacket,scarf and coat than he walked to the balcony for a smoke than sits at a chair at balcony,watching the sun-set..........

It's been a long time since my bloodline left for the sunnier climes of Latin America, and since I skipped the border I've discovered a country barely recognisable from the one described in the diaries of my forebears.

Back in the old days, and I mean the old old days, loyalty was essential. You couldn't get along without it. It was, and I can't stress this enough, an absolutely vital pillar - a foundation, without which the whole structure of the mob would crumble. Why? Well, the power of the Leader was absolute. Comparable to middle-age Monarchies in Europe, the 'Divine Right of Kings' ruled supreme. Anybody who was anybody owed everything to their Leader. Bodyguards were so prohibitively expensive that to finance one's own protection was almost impossible; you needed the financial backing of your Leader. Targets were much harder to come by for budding hitmen; you needed the family's intelligence - the key-holder  of that cache being, of course, the Leader. And let's not forget that back in those days, a Leader and his Right Hand had absolute power of their members. They could wipe out every member of their crew in seconds, if they were so inclined!

Loyalty out of necessity, then. It was necessary to be loyal to your leader because they were the only one who could ensure your success and advancement. Necessary because there were fewer leaders back then and your bloodline didn't want to burn bridges unless they had to. Loyalty as an acknowledgement of debt. 'Hey Boss, I couldn't have gotten this far without you, so now it's time to reciprocate.'

Much like the middle-ages, though, our thing has developed. The Divine Right of Kings has slowly fallen out of fashion and the Barons and Earls wield much more individual power. How? Why? Well, a huge change in our thing is that many individuals are no longer reliant on the infrastructure of their family as their main source of income. If one individual can dwarf the earning ability of his leader (or in extreme cases, the entire crew!) then the dynamic is fundamentally altered. The relationship is not so much a boss/employee one as it is a business partnership. The individual may well have an opinion that goes something like:

'Hey, I'm giving you XXX dollars which is an insane amount, and because I'm a great earner I should enjoy certain freedoms and protections; and maybe if you don't like that my next of kin with all his inheritance will go elsewhere when I draw my last breath.'

I'm not, of course, saying this is the norm or even common - but it happens. Some individuals feel less loyalty towards their leader because many years ago they owed them everything, but today they owe them less.

Our thing was always about a set of values. It was about coming together and finding a justice which the bloated bourgeoisie could not, would not give us. We had leaders, of course, and a hierarchy; but these things only existed as a mechanism to deliver parity and equality to our class and community in a country that never wanted us.

This ideal is no more. It is sad. It is the corporatisation of the Mob and it makes me sick. 

Wake up, my comrades, and gaze into the eyes of the evil that this pig-dog capitalist nation has forced upon us before it is too late!

Katra; please elaborate upon which part of my response exactly, in your Earner wisdom, you deem to be "nonsense"? I'm extremely intrigued to hear you make a sensible argument as to why, with their family in the ground, you think it is wrong for people to join someone else. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing some examples which support your view of the Mafia being inhabited by lemmings.