We all know that every new comer has 48 hours to join a crew or perish. Most of us take this rule for granted but can we really expect true newcomers to know about this before hand? I mean, every once in a while we get the occasional novice that thinks it's ok to just leave a crew and go to another... Hell, I've had a Capo once take in a Wise Guy from another crew so I guess I am also to blame for that kind of thing. I play by the same rules as we all do, if a guy leaves my crew without permission he is as good as dead, but every time I see this happen, I can't help that a part of me thinks that we were partly to blame since we don't really tell them beforehand that they have to stay for life in the same crew.
A question I'd like to ask is the following. Do we really put it in the crew rules that you cannot leave the crew? I get the feeling we take that rule so much for granted that we don't even write it or say it anywhere. At least nobody I ever heard of, as far as I can remember, had a rule about it in their HQ walls.
Yet, as soon as we hear about a mere thug leaving a crew, most of us expect him not to receive an invitation or to be killed if he goes to another crew. Maybe we would make some exceptions for thugs, but would any CL expect anything other than death for, let's say, a goomba leaving the crew?
On the other hand, if we expect such level of loyalty from such low ranks, then why do we say that anybody under the rank of Made Man is practically dirt and not worthy of so much respect. In theory, they have the same level of commitment to the crew as any other member. Don't they?
Furthermore, a new bloodline that arrives to this place is expected to make a lifelong commitment in less than 48 hours. Why do we expect such a level of commitment when there is clearly not enough information available to make such decisions? Is it because life is not worth that much when you're not even a Wise Guy? You can just disappear and come back again as a thug under a different alias and join a different crew, so maybe that is why we become so territorial with our members.
Yes, I know, if you actually spend 48 hours non stop asking questions, reading transcripts, talking to people, 48 hours is plenty. But many of us will dedicate just a few hours and then expect to get the ball rolling. Is this one of those things that we sacrifice to make the world of ours more manageable?
I'm not going to claim to be very knowledgeable about traditional mafia. I am just doing my best to keep my boss Stallion happy and my own crew motivated and active. If any of you out there has some insight about these questions I have asked myself so many times, I'd appreciate if you took the time to stop by and share your opinion. |