Miriam sighed as she looked through the obituaries. So many lives had been lost, many good mafiosi. She set down the paper and sipped at her cup of chamomile tea, thinking about a few people she had known as she stared out into the street. Then she blinked in surprise. She looked back at the obituary. Yeah, there it was...but...gosh, who on earth was that walking down the street? They looked exactly alike. Timidly, she rose to her feet and called out the man's name. He turned in response, looking for who had called him. She hurried over to him, talking to him in a low voice.

"Oh, my God! I...I thought you were dead! The obituaries said...and I even went to your funeral! I swear, you were lying right in the coffin!" She hastily wiped the tears away from her eyes before hugging the man tightly. "God...I'm so glad you're alive..."

The man shoved her off abruptly. She spluttered in surprise and gave him an incredulous look. "What's the big idea?"

"Lady, I don't know who the hell you are. You probably have me confused with my father, who did die a few days ago."

"B...but, you have the exact same name...and look the same...and even have the same mannerisms...except that you don't remember me..."

"No, I don't have the same name. MY name has a hyphen in front of it!"

The man began to hurry away, calling over his shoulder: "I AM NOT MY FATHER!!"

Miriam stood on the sidewalk for a few moments, shocked, before making her way back to her table in the café. She thought for several moments before speaking out loud, hoping that people would hear her question and have an answer for it.

"Why on earth would you name your children after you? Even if it's a slight variation, like a nickname or an added, extraneous character like a hyphen or underscore. I mean, I suppose there's a certain amount of homage to be had in it, but...heck, it just seems cruel to do it when they look just like you, too! I know I don't want to doom my children to lead the same life I did, or dwell in my shadow...Of course, you may want it to be easy for your friends and your friends' children to look up your kid in the event of your death...but my bloodline hasn't had much of a problem with that. We've dropped off mails letting people know who we are, found people in the coffee shops...Of course, there's the fact that most of us have this characteristic red hair, and our Jewish faith has been passed down from generation to generation. Those that know my family know this, and are usually able to find a next-of-kin pretty easily. And I can't help but notice something...most of these people whose names are passed down through the generations have an alarmingly steady personality. I know that each of my bloodline has had a unique history and traits that distinguish them. Just like any other human being."

She gave a soft sigh, glancing down to the obituary once more and feeling herself deflate as she realized her friend was, indeed, gone forever...well, sort of. She could probably talk to his next-of-kin and get the exact same reactions, interactions, mannerisms, and expressions as his father.

"So I guess I just want to know...is there any real reason for having a kid that's exactly like you, down to the name?"

I agree with you, to a limit.

While it is surprising and quite annoying to try to strike a conversation with somebody who looks, talks and behaves like a friend of yours only they don't know you.You must also pay some attention to the other side as well. Some children grow up wanting to be exactly like their father, I for one, wanted to be a man like my grandfather after who I have been named but whatever said and done I have my own character and characteristics and I think that you saying that most bloodlines continuing the same characteristics is a  bit of an overstatement.

Anyway returning to the original question. It is my opinion that people name their children after themselves because they feel that they would carry their legacy better if armed with the same name.

~W~

Listening to Miriam speaking, Tyrion started to recall all the names of his ancestors and this he had read in the many journals his father left him in that old wooden trunk in his study.

There are so many reasons why a father or mother may give their new child their own name. These may cover an entire spectrum of reasons...

"Oh Christ this child is so profoundly ugly and unresponsive, I'd better give it my name to live off or it will have such a hard life!"
all the way to
"Can you believe how beautiful this child is? And look at the size of his wang! He simply must bear my own name as no other could contain such magnificence!"

A myriad of factors come into play. I know there have been many names in my own bloodline that have been the same or similar for generations, there have also been numerous generations that were given entirely new ones. My own blood tended more toward the variety than repetition but that's neither good nor bad, just my own family's preference.

You mention personalities of people who bear the same name and personality as their predecessor. This is something that gave food for thought when reading my journals. There are examples of my blood clashing with a particular name for almost their entire life, then later accounts of other generations having a good relationship with the blood of that same name. The pattern seems to have to occurred several times over the years. The only conclusion I could draw from it was that a person should always be given a fair hearing and as best as possible, taken without a jaded perception.

There is always a chance a generation bearing a name that caused distress, will wish to atone for the misgivings of their ancestors or simply adopt a different approach to their life. Of course there will always be cases of carbon copies as you pointed out. There is nothing anyone can do about that. I just try as best I can now to always give a person a clean slate and a chance to show their merits as a person and mobster in their own right.

Chuck was astonished for someone stood up to this very annoying way of life that we lived in. The dreadful trend of same name that has been passed by the past, present and future generations of mafiosos.

Add some Jr or the III or the 4th on it so that the people will not be confused!. Decorations in the name such as hypen and underscore is a bit confusing.

Unfortunately this is just the way it is. Some children feel intimidated by the world around them, and rather than build up a name for themselves through their own actions, they walk in the footsteps of their parentage, namedropping any inherited clout they believe themselves to be entitled to. Occasionally, their upbringing during their formative years and early exposure to this way of life equips them well for dealing with the trials and tribulations that our line of business provides, and they conduct themselves and their dealings in the manner they believe it to be done so, mimmicking a parental figure. They may have become acquainted with business associates when accompanying their father to the casino for the first time, or met them when they arrived at the house to lay low for a while.

As I say though, this happens occasionally, but is far from always being the default norm. So often we see people weilding their heritage as an easy way into the mob. I just trust that prospective leaders have the sense and foresight to realise that whilst a mafioso's offspring may share similar characteristics with their parents, they are not in fact their mother or father, and it is up to the child to prove himself. Regardless of what may have been achieved in his family's past.

The name a father gives his Son has no reflection on the man he will Become.

My father didn't even have a damn name.

No one is a carbon copy of their father or mother, no matter how similar their names may be. I share the same name as my father, even though he went by a nickname of Quirinus during his lifetime, and I am quite different from him.

The differences may be hard to spot in some people but I can assure you they are there. Experience is unique and once gained, transforms you from a blank slate into an individual.

While I fully acknowledge that a name is, in many ways, just a name, and the person would by any other name would still smell as sweet...or awful...independent of who has been in their bloodline, I would like to point out that my focus is really on those people who do pass on the exact same behavioral traits...heck, I've known a couple bloodlines that have a strange quirk that, as soon as the mother or father dies, the daughter or son assumes every single aspect of his or her parent's life, convinced that they are their mother or father...including the deceased's name (or a variant thereof) and sometimes even an incestuous relationship with their remaining parent!

And Mr. Giuscard, while experience does mold and change us, no matter how much we start out like our parents, I'd be hard pressed to find an offspring such as I've described that really, actually changes. You are quite obviously a different man than your father, because you started out without the desire to copy your father's actions. Many of the people that I'm talking about do quite the opposite: they don't want to start out with a blank slate; they want to, as Mr. Madejski mentioned, ride upon the work of their ancestors, however great or small that contribution may be. So they do not fit into this mold that you speak of. They don't get shaped by experience; they just build on what their ancestors have done in the past.

To say that a bloodline remains static is the height of folly, Ms Goldstein. While it is true that with the people you have mentioned, those that continue just as their father or mother has done, are nearly identical in appearance or mannerism I would caution against sudden judgment. Not every change is visible to an outside observer after all.

Many of the people that I'm talking about do quite the opposite: they don't want to start out with a blank slate; they want to, as Mr. Madejski mentioned, ride upon the work of their ancestors, however great or small that contribution may be. So they do not fit into this mold that you speak of. They don't get shaped by experience; they just build on what their ancestors have done in the past.

Now this has been shown rather recently, the attempt to build up oneself via an ancestor, with the supposed son of Don Recro. Seeing as the negative side of that type of behavior has already been discussed, I will take an opposite stance in this discussion.

Many generations ago, my bloodline did something quite similar while working for Detroit. The father died, from personal error, and his son took over every aspect of his father's life, continuing the work already done. This went on for three generations and what changes that occurred were invisible to everyone.

More recently, my father took on offspring of those that had died and wished to continue their bloodlines work with me. I could point out that sometimes a name may change but the person is an near exact replica of their parent, as my father witnessed far more than than what you bring up, Ms. Goldstein. With both cases presented, mannerisms didn't change all that much. Experience was gained, no matter if it was sought after. I can assure you that even the most boring, unchanged bloodline will not be the exact same It is just another path to building a legacy in this Thing of Ours.

As for incestuous relationships that have occurred...I could care less. As long as it doesn't affect any business I may have with the person, that could shag goats and I wouldn't bat an eye.