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| A Rank Situation | Started by: LordofBiscuitTins on Oct 18, '08 20:03 |
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I should first add a disclaimer. I cite the following as a problem caused by not the current batch of leaders, but as a practise adopted without conscious thought, a practise that has become commonplace after years of slipping standards. Before I am accused of pointing the accusatory finger, my bloodline is as guilty as any for contributing to this steady decline. "But LOBT, what decline?" I hear you cry in slightly strangled voices. The decline, captivated hangers on to my every word, is in the act of promoting mobsters. To reiterate here, I am not trying to point out a fault in our current leaders, but more of a fault in the general concept which has been ingrained to the minds of a vast majority ob mobsters. An incorrect concept, for the record. I realise most of you are still probably confused by my mention of slipping standards in regards to promotions, particularly since we are in an era when increased attention is falling on HQ presence and street activity, do not fear, listen on and the mystery of my elocution will be revealed! Today, I spoke with some leaders, some upper structure members, and some friends whose bloodlines have held positions of power before. The almost unanimous consensus was that Made Man is symbolically the most important promotion; and that as a result, a great deal of thought should be put into this promotion, unwavering loyalty and commitment the bare minimums. Not everyone should get made. These sentiments, I wholly agree with. Probing the issue further, a little less than a quarter of the people I asked felt that, once one had 'passed' the strict test it takes to become a Made Man, the rest of the promotions should naturally follow provided the Made Man in question's work rate remained constant. Not a lot I'll say to this other than that I disagree with every fibre in my body. Slightly more encouraging, a vast majority who I discussed this matter with felt that Capo and the subsequent ranks following Made Man were still no given. Popular opinion here goes that whilst Made Man are to be given a certain degree of carte blanche; they must prove they deserve Capo, or more. Whilst this means Leaders may get a tasty increase in earnings, and the streets are alive with eager mobsters looking to prove their worth; it doesn't actually do much to satisfy one of the basest concepts of La Cosa Nostra. That concept, which only a very small minority of the people I conversed with seemed to realise; is that ranks are, or should be at least, literal. A Made Man is made for life. A man of honour, a prestigious achievement that is never stripped. The only escape from being a Made Man is to stop breathing. It is the gateway into the mafia. Most people understand this, it is the next step in the hierarchical ladder where things seem to go awry. I am a Capo. I take this to mean that, should push come to shove, my Leader would trust me to organise a group of soldiers for him. This is because Capo is an abbreviation of Capodecina or Caporegime. Translated to English, Head of ten, or Head of regime. This tells me that if you believe a Made Man incapable to lead a small group of mobsters, you should not elevate them to Capo. To do otherwise is to grossly disregard rank, at least in my opinion. The Boss. Ah, I fear this is where my speech become less theoretical given the recent "Vag-Gate Scandal" as I have so wittingly dubbed it. For what it's worth, I am still talking more generally rather than in direct reference to VagInATube's passing and the circumstances surrounding it; though I do admit this incident did get me thinking. Extracts a dictionary from the darkest depth of his tin. Boss (n.)[s] a person who exercises control and makes decisions In our way of life, this would normally manifest itself in a position of leadership, or certainly a high level position within one's own family. If you believe one of your Made Men, or even one of your Capos, is not up to the task of being a Boss, then don't promote them. And remember, no amount of street activity will make them better prepared for this; that's a stark truth. Finally, we have the Consigliere, literally a 'councilman'. These are the men you need to trust more than any others. They are there to offer counsel, and if you are not willing to trust absolutely the advice of these people, there is precious little point in their being your Consiglieres. I hadn't planned on such a rambling speech, so perhaps it's time for a well rounded 'in summary' statement. So, to conclude, I realise the leaders have not been the architects of the problem here. I realise that this has been a problem for years. I realise that only I and a select few of the community will even see this is a problem. Nevertheless, I beseech those in power to go back to the ways of the old country next time they open up the books for promotions Loves and biscuits. |
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Turns around and looks at LordofBiscuitTins I understand what you are saying and wouldn't mind it being like the old country but the leaders have what they have and don't want to lose it. I know if I was a leader I wouldn't want to lose it either. |
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| Reply by: Nelson at Oct 18, '08 20:15 | |
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Nice speech, but it will go right over the heads of many. Unfortunately, most here are retarded, and this speech will simply leave them scratching their heads in confusion. One thing you might have mentioned that would clarify things is that the rank of Boss is the highest rank attainable. The "ranks" of Consigliere, Don, and even Godfather are not ranks at all. They are described better as "titles". "Don" is a term of respect, much like "Sir" in English. "Consigliere" is as you described it, an advisor. It is not a rank. The Bosses' Consigliere can be of any rank, or not even a mafioso. "Godfather"...well, I think we all know where that term came from. If you revisit the source of that term, you might notice it was mentioned that it was a nickname given for one particular person. The true meaning of the term, as we use it here, is sometimes refered to as "Capo di tutti Capi", but even that term is seldom used by the mafia. I don't necessarily agree that these ranks should be used literally. I like the way our Bosses do business within their families. It gives those who may not be ready or able to branch out the hope that they might still attain some respectable rank. If these ranks were used literally, there would not be anyone with the rank of "Boss" unless they were leading their own family. I don't think anyone would want us to take that drastic of a measure. However, given that we are mafiosi, we should at least understand the true meanings of these terms. |
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| Reply by: Hi at Oct 18, '08 20:23 | |
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takes a draw from his ever present cigarette and smiles Ahh LOBT my friend, you've hit on something here that as of late has been on my mind. Up until a few days ago, the promotions I thought about were only my own. But now that I am a crew leader my thoughts have turned more to the promotion of my members rather than myself. takes another draw from his smoke The rank of mademan is something that I hold pretty dear to my heart, I'm a firm believer that to become made requires more than just what is set forth by the gods. You need to be able to prove yourself and I mean consistantly not in the few days when your approaching your allotted time to become made. goes to take another draw from his smoke and realises it's finished, stubbing it out he continues on Now once you get made, at least with me. It won't be a simple walk in the park to reach the other ranks. You will still need to prove yourself regularly to me. They are things that no matter who you are, how long your bloodline has known mine or someone I trust closely. Will only be given out if I feel you have proved that you are ready to handle that responsibilty. |
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| Reply by: Dante_Balboni at Oct 18, '08 20:29 | |
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