Well, I am sorry if this seems to be idiotic but I must disagree SirDuke. They should come to us,we do NOT go to them, This is the way it is in this world of ours. We can never know whether every small Civilian out there is a Fed or not, If he were to be a Fed, he would not come to us. If we just walk around throwing invites, then, our entire structure would be infiltrated.

William

Well Don Kerrrupt, such decisions are never easy to make. And are never pleasant for that matter. And especially when you are starting your own thing. But i must agree, rules are rules. Although i never like to see a button man die, i applaud your actions. As for the reasons... well what ever happened i am sure there was'nt any other option. Seems like you are off to a very good start, well done! It is good to see someone re-inforcing the member whoring rule. Now i see that better times are with us. Good work!

SirDuke. You say actively recruit. Everybody else says whore.

To actively recruit you make yourself 'big'. You appear everywhere. On the streets, in the bars and just by generally being here. People notice that. They can build an opinion of you upon what you say and the way that you portray yourself. These are the people who think about where they want to go instead of going somewhere for protection only. These people, and I might be wrong (but I doubt it), are the ones you want in a family. They have thought about where they want to go and why. As such they offer far more to the family as it's where they want to be and know where the leader wants to go. They will be far more loyal than someone who joined a crew just so they were not shot.

Actively recruiting is not mailing people and sending them an invite. Far far from it.

And just for the record. I missed his obit. But for those that heard what he said and agreed. It still applies..

Alls thats left to say is: oops.

Stepping over the corpse Tyrion still feels a clear point needs making.

Ok this is simple. Who, in all creation, has EVER seen the mob on street corners handing out flyers? Waving at passers by giving it the big "Oh Hai you wanna join the mafia?". No one.

You want to become a part of an underground crime network, you'd better get off your ass and find a way in. End of story.

He looks at Tyrion standing in front of a corpse - after Tyrion was done he speaks up

"I do not member whore nor do I recruit actively or whatever you want to call it, that's a rule which I obey but I kinda have to disagree with you there Tyrion."

"You know, we, the cosa nostra, are the finest in the whole world of crime. Nobody is a better criminal than we are, nobody. We exist because this is true, we manage to keep an own world with own laws running and this is because we are the best."

"I personally think - and that's my own sight on this - that it's up to us, to men/women who made their bones to look up criminals that caught our attention by their actions and not by their words because we need the best criminals to keep this world running. I find it more disturbing that civilians, who stole the purse of an old lady then having some chats with us and then thinking that now they can work for the biggest and best world of organized crime. These civilians/thugs/petty thieves shouldn't even (officialy) know that we're part of la cosa nostra."

it's up to us, to men/women who made their bones to look up criminals that caught our attention by their actions and not by their words because we need the best criminals to keep this world running.

I have yet to encounter someone who displayed outstanding potential or had the ability to catch our attention, who did not also have the aptitude to approach friends of ours and find out more about the life we live. People with ability generally find a way.

Sure I have pointed a few lost looking individuals in the direction of more information and had many conversations with uninitiated civilians, thugs and thieves. They have only ever been a little help where it would have been cruel not to. I have always drawn a very clear line on that point. I'm more than happy to help anyone with general information but I will never try to influence their decisions. Providing a few pointers is one thing, actively attempting to conscript someone is quite another.

I have to admit that I too haven't spotted a civilian etc. who caught my attention but I think that's because they don't get the chance to prove themselves. Those small-time-criminals get picked up right from the beginning. I think they should be looked at, seeing if they can make some good money, dealing with drugs even telling good stories or something else before they're introduced to friends of us.

But I also know that this is a hard, nearly impossible idea as it would start fights for the best criminals which would end up in member whoring.

I also give advice or offer help to those who need it without sending them to a certain family or sponsor. But I think it would be the right thing to select the strong from the weak based on actions as this is our world. Rules are made by the strong, the weak obey. Survival of the fittest bla bla and so on.

Scandia couldn't have put it better, it is about portraying yourself in the streets and other activities which should Spur a new mafioso to contact you. Not the other way around.

StefanoAdamo, how many civilians have you cut loose because they weren't making good money, dealing drugs or telling good stories? Any?

I bet you've tossed some people by the wayside for vanishing (IA), or breaking rules but I guess that is about it.

The problem isn't that friends of ours pick associates up immediately; the problem is that nobody is willing to change the formula - the last major change was when Deimne finally outlawed member whoring, how long ago? The standard of your members is completely governable by you and the other people capable of issuing invites within your organization. Have you turned many people down who could speak English to an adequate level? Have you turned people who only said "hey can I join you?" away or did you just send them an invite anyway?

I know for a fact that meeting the requisite requirements to join some families is being able to send a mail to the right person. I know this because I can recall various instances where I have told potential members to put more effort into their request or to conform to some type of standard and rather than doing that, this person sent the same 10 word drivel to someone else, who snaps them right up.

Member whoring is pathetic and completely at odds with what the Mafia should be. A very small step above the member whoring ways of old stands our current system. The only difference now is that you have to make the initial "effort". I'd love a survival of the fittest scenario, but to be honest it would have to be survival of the least moronic to keep most of the families on our streets above 15 members.

My suggestion is for the members you do pick up, adhere to your own criteria. You've suggest a complete change in procedure for ever family across America. Can you honestly say you do this? Demonstrate to the rest of the crime families why your way is better.

~G~warble.