Why go to your death?
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eunos735 — 12 years ago(June 26, 2013 04:05 AM)
"Exactly. And the "no facial hair" rule was so that the Luciano-era Cosa Nostra could set themselves apart and appear more Americanized than the older generation of Mafiosi, known derisively as "Mustache Petes," who all came of age in Sicily and Southern Italy."
This is somewhat true. The "No facial hair rule" as you call it was more symbolic than an attempt to appear "Americanized." There was a saying "No whiskers, only rats have whiskers." I think the directors did a GREAT job of blending this into the movie. In the beginning Donnie has a mustache and Lefty tells him to get rid of it. I thought this was a brilliant foreshadowing and a show that the directors did take their time to really research this culture well beyond what is known in "pop culture" -
ladydesdemonna — 12 years ago(July 08, 2013 09:44 AM)
The rule about no facial hair is interesting. To go slightly off topic - a few people mentioned Sonny didn't have enough money to go on the lam. Why not? Aren't made men paid well for their "services"?
If you can't stand the heat in the kitchen turn off the stove -
cabal24 — 12 years ago(July 12, 2013 06:13 AM)
Its an interesting thing about mobsters. Most are broke and they just live score to score. SO they get a bunch of cash all at once, live high, blow through it and are broke again. The real Lefty was no different. He was a huge gambler and he was really bad at it too. There was even a little part of the book where he owed a bunch of money and it affected him getting made.
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schumithecat — 12 years ago(April 01, 2014 11:05 AM)
the movie shows how everyone has to pay the people above them. it is the guys at the very top who do well, the other guys have to always be passing much of their money up to their superiors. if a guy's schemes don't do well, the guy doesn't bring in any money. if his schemes do well, he has to share most of the money with his superiors.
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MIJACology — 12 years ago(July 28, 2013 10:32 PM)
Actually if you go back before the Luciano Era, the rule of having to report in when called probably pre-existed him in some form. How could a soldier in the old Mafia not come in when called by a Mustache?
Also, it wasn't Italians only. It was Sicilians only.
Big difference.
Sicilians made up the core of the original old Mafia.
For example, up until the reign of John Gotti, Neopolitans were not even allowed to be made Capos in the Gambino Family.
Carlo was Sicilian.
When Gotti was Boss, a Sicilian Capo named Antonino (Nino) Gaggi commanded him to appear before him at a meeting. Obviously Nino being a cousin of Paul Castellano (another Sicilian) did not approve of the Neapolitan Gotti taking over the Sicilian Gambino Family without Commission approval. Nino died in prison and was never able to fulfill his desire to take over the Gambino Family from Gotti as he (Nino) represented the old Sicilian establishment.
After Luciano, all Italians were recognized by Sicilians as eligible to become mafia members. Luciano's predecessors did not trust, nor want to associate with, Non Sicilians. -
spookyrat1 — 12 years ago(December 10, 2013 04:38 AM)
He has no way of getting out. No money. His entire life was all about the Mob all the time and nothing else.
HE wanted to die like a real mobster.
I think one of the real strengths of the film is it successfully demonstrates that for mobsters like Lefty and Sunny the Mafia was seen as almost a vocation in life. A call to a sit down meeting therefore is almost acknowledged as the natural completion of a cycle. -
Getoboy730 — 12 years ago(August 06, 2013 03:14 PM)
They also woulda killed Lefty's family if he fled. As stated Lefty didn't die. And the hit was called off because Lefty knowingly headed to his apparent death to his never talked. Never giving up his oath. They say he loved being a wiseguy and took the good with the bad. Hell, he (somewhat)fearlessy went to what he thought would be a hit on him early on. Lefty had balls.
Sonny Black took his hit like a man. And Anthony Mirra was killed a year later by his own cousin on the orders of Joey Massino. They is little mention of him though. The movie leaves him out, or he's Paulie.
Embrace Debate. -
Richie-67-485852 — 12 years ago(September 09, 2013 02:30 PM)
Richie PEARLS SERIES author
If you don't go, they wipe you and your family outThere is no love and honor among murderers, thieves and robbersPlus the people they send to take you out make their bones doing soThe cycle feeds itself. -
Getoboy730 — 12 years ago(November 01, 2013 11:20 PM)
If you don't go, they wipe you and your family outThere is no love and honor among murderers, thieves and robbersPlus the people they send to take you out make their bones doing soThe cycle feeds itself
Exactly, so it isn't a Hollywood ending, Sonny and Lefty both went to their deaths, but Lefty was intercepted by the feds and went to jail on the way.
Embrace Debate. -
Mattfinbell — 12 years ago(November 01, 2013 11:23 PM)
Getoboy730
If you don't go, they wipe you and your family outThere is no love and honor among murderers, thieves and robbersPlus the people they send to take you out make their bones doing soThe cycle feeds itself
Exactly, so it isn't a Hollywood ending, Sonny and Lefty both with to their deaths, but Lefty went to jail on the way.
Oh yeah it is a hollywood ending.
Oh Lefty died in prison! Sonny was murdered and Pistone is still in hiding -
Mattfinbell — 12 years ago(November 02, 2013 10:26 AM)
SidekickinWhiteFury
Pistone is not in hiding.
There's no 30 year bounty on his head, that is an urban myth.
Well not anymore but he sure is keeping a low profile!
Yeah there was. But the old time gangsters are either dead or in prison or near death.
where is the link about that Urban myth? -
knifeparty2004 — 12 years ago(November 29, 2013 09:09 PM)
The bounty might not be active but the families continue to operate even if most of the guys who knew Pistone are dead, Im sure there are guys in the organisation who still wouldnt mind taking him out. It says in his wiki profile he avoids places with a high mafia presence.
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Mattfinbell — 12 years ago(November 30, 2013 04:51 PM)
knifeparty2004
The bounty might not be active but the families continue to operate even if most of the guys who knew Pistone are dead, Im sure there are guys in the organisation who still wouldnt mind taking him out. It says in his wiki profile he avoids places with a high mafia presence.
Oh dont trust Wikiepedia and proably but there is more bigger hits to do!
Think about it
Sammy the bull Gravano!
Nicky Scarfo nephew! -
cabal24 — 12 years ago(December 04, 2013 09:16 AM)
There was a contract out on Pistone. But that was only for a very short time. Right after they pulled him out, FBI agents went to Paul Castellano who at that time was the most powerful boss and head of the Commission and warned him that if anything happens to Pistone, he could expect the full weight of the FBI to focus on the NY mafia.
Paul called it off immediately.
So yes at one point there probably was a contract but it was only for a few days. Then again, the whole thing could have been made up for drama. But I tend to doubt it. -
Mattfinbell — 12 years ago(December 04, 2013 10:46 AM)
cabal24
There was a contract out on Pistone. But that was only for a very short time. Right after they pulled him out, FBI agents went to Paul Castellano who at that time was the most powerful boss and head of the Commission and warned him that if anything happens to Pistone, he could expect the full weight of the FBI to focus on the NY mafia.
Oh didnt Paul get whacked by Gotti? Before that happened?
Paul called it off immediately.
So yes at one point there probably was a contract but it was only for a few days. Then again, the whole thing could have been made up for drama. But I tend to doubt it.
Are you going by the film!?!? Since the film is very different lefty never died by being killed he died of cancer.