Sprozz ran a hand through through his greying, thinning hair and sighed audibly before taking a cigarette from a handsome silver case. He didn't really need one, considering how thick the diner was with smoke, but he lit up anyway. It was for stress mostly; there was a lot that irritated him these days. Not least that guy he could see through the window, standing on a soapbox yelling like some harbinger of doom. And that guy was supposed to be a mobster? Forget it. Turning to the friend and colleague he was sharing breakfast with, Sprozz stubbed out his cigaratte and began to speak.

It's funny, you know. Now I've gotten older I've broadened my horizons, but narrowed my viewpoint.

His associate frowned as he tried to make the connection - or to see where Sprozz was taking the discussion. 

Well, rather than my exerpiences mellowing me - they've made that much more irritable. Some of the things I see don't mollify me, they make me think that we're taking the wrong track. You see, my position now allows me to rub shoulders with people a lot don't get the chance to meet. Sure, at the end of the day my role is clear in 'our thing', but thanks to my extra cirricular activities, charitable donations and such I've been extremely fortunate; I can count the Mayor, The Police Commissioner, a couple of Congressmen and various academics among my acquaintances, and sometimes it's interesting to see their perspective on things.

I'll give you an example. I had a high roller ticket for the Cubs game in one of the boxes andwhen I was there I ended up talking to some big shot Professor. He was telling me about his researchers that got back from the Amazon. Hooah, those guys nearly croaked it but there was some interestings things they found. The tribes there, they got their own rules. The broads there: if they ain't pushing out babies by 16 they're a drag on the tribe so they get the boot! If the guys don't bring enough meat from the hunt; well fuck, they get the boot too.

Sprozz paused for a moment to tuck into his over easy eggs. All the while, his colleague look at him with a quizzically raised eyebrow; unsure if there was a point Sprozz was driving at or whether he was simply listening to the excited rambling of an aging man.

The term this guy used was 'Social Norms', I made a crack about a few 'social Juliets' I know but the poe faced sonovabitch wasn't impressed, would you believe? Anyways, then he started harping on about social norms of the Mongol Empire but I stopped listening really, I was thinking about how applicable that is in our thing, you know?

I tell ya, it can't be denied we're a society within a society. You go over to that waitress over there, you ask her what she'd do if she saw a robbery, or a rape. Fuggedabout it, she's straight to the cops. That's her 'social norm', you see? That pretty little broad never even heard of a thing like Omerta I can tell you. But for us, it's different. we see a robbery or a rape, what's gonna happen. The cops? Haha. No, we take the vow of silence and, if necessary, we mete out justice ourselves. That's our social norm. You see? Different societies, with different rules and different codes of conduct. Both are prejudiced, whether it's our codes of honour, or Joe Bloggs' sense of what is right or wrong, its just a mindset drilled into us from youth; from birth even. No different to what those tree huggers the Professor spoke about are like!

I mean, look at us two. You're a good earner, but you ain't no friend of 'ours', not yet. If I shot you and told every motherfucker I know it's because you insulted my wife, what happens amico? Not a lot, I can assure you. I have to pay for a new .38 that isn't dirty, and some poor fuck who draws the short straw becomes my new driver. Other than that? nadda. That's our society, our way of life. See if this same scenario happens and we both have our jobs in General Motors, now we start talking words like innocence, guilt, arrest, trial, punishment. That's their society, their way of life.

Sprozz saw the apprehensive look on the associate's face and grinned. Leaning forward, he gripped the man on the back of the neck and kissed him on the forehead.

Fuggedaboutit, you dumb paisan! You think I'd ice you? I'm making a point, you stupid fuck, Marone a mia! My point is, you cant apply the rules of legitimate, civilian society to our way of life any more than you can go up to those folks in the Amazon and tell them they need to put their kids through college. It's a totally different society and it just won't fit. That's why anytime anybody, including this shitkicker over here, - Sprozz gestured at the man on the soapbox outside - starts harping on about 'decency', 'honesty' 'the right thing to do' or anything like that, should think about what they're saying. Concepts like this have no place in 'our thing' We took this path that brought us far from civilian life because we did not want to be governed by their society's rules.

Fozzy stands at the corner listening to the man relay his tale, silently nodding in appreciation of the understand they share on the topic

Very well said, Sprozz. Is this something that has been on your mind now for some time? I'm curious to know what brought you out here to this street to share your view with us all on this matter.

I like the analogy.  And the public soapbox speaking always annoyed me.  Especially if they're on a street corner, on a soapbox, talking about Omerta.  That's like championing abstinence while balls deep in a Vegas whore.  Have your talks about our life in a bar, a basement, as long as it's among friends and not in front of all the civilians going to punch the clock.

Sneaker overhears Sprozz in the diner. What he says makes sense. She has often wondered why a mobster would air their dirty laundry in the streets. While many of these speaches are noteworthy and worth the listen, could it be possible that there is a better venue for them?

FattyFats stands next to Fozzy listening to Sprozz ramble on. Nodding and smiling politely, he turns to Fozzy and whispers in his ear

Sprozz is amazing; what an all round great guy he is

Emilio, just walking into the diner overhears parts of the conversation going on, and thinks to himself:

"Well hell, I suppose he is right, after all any passer byer could over hear them speakin and turn them in to the cops."

After listening to some more of his conversation with the man next to him, he butts in as politely as he could

Sir I couldn't agree more with ya, although when I first arrived here in America, I figured that getting on a soapbox and sharing the speech with random people on the streets was normal.  I thought it was the Social Norm, but now that you bring it up to my attention, it makes absolute sense.  Although I guess if nothing has happened to those who do give their speeches about the things that go on behind the scenes of "normal society" I'd have to say that either not many civillians turn in those involved, or simply they are just to afraid to speak out against us.  Either way, it is a very interesting point, and very well put.

wanders past curious as she overhears words such as omerta, crime, death being mentioned curiously and shocked looks on.  tipping down her hat slighly so the black netting covers the top half of her face she frowns looking at the crowd.

Quite often I overhear things about rank, respect, democracy and honour; unfortunately for many of us these things simply are pipe dreams.  I work hard in the export business fully legitimate to safeguard my future,  now and again we have problems with vagrants and theives but these are tough times.  Some people will look and see a rank as a richer pocket to pick or a better target in these crime wars i read about in the paper. 

The truth is if the mob as have heared about it from the papers and word on the street followed the same model as the amazon would be no members idling for a family, people would have a test of worth to the tribe before association and maybe less would get bored or dissatisfied as all an integral part of a unit.  Could make interesting results on quantity versus quality down the line.

Leo wanders over to Spozz's table and places a folded note on his table.

"Couldn't agree with you more Sprozz, you should stop by our bar in Detroit."