In my humble opinion, the Mafia is just a mirror and a reflection of our larger society in general. I feel that in recent decades there has been a major breakdown of our society. And reflective of that breakdown is the sorry state of affairs that Cosa Nostra currently finds itself in.
Many of the hallowed mores of our society have been frayed around the edges. Modern technology and the “me, me generation” are very representative of that. Many young people today are only concerned with their own situation and worried about their own candied, pampered asses. There are very few true team players and durably built people nowadays. People want quick profits, luxury houses and cars, and vast wealth, but quickly collapse like accordions in the face of any real adversity. They’re criers and complainers. Too many folks today are made of paper mache and are mental and emotional weaklings.
Cosa Nostra is no different. Many young street guys seek to become so-called “goodfellas” nowadays and go into “The Life” thinking that they’re going to become instant overnight millionaires. They dream of “mob stardom.” Nobody is willing to slowly work their way up anymore. And as soon as problems hit them, they run for the hills, which in mob language translates into running to the FBI or another law enforcement agency, spilling their guts, and bailing out of their sworn prior commitments to their friends.
In fairness to some of these men is the fact that it is, in fact, a two-way street. And all too often, they have been betrayed by their fellow mob members and hierarchy bosses before they choose to “flip” to the government as informants.
What follows are my lifelong observations of why Cosa Nostra is in the sorry shape that it is, and my twenty top reasons for young recruits and older members alike to either retreat from the trenches or avoid the allure of the underworld before they dive into something they know little about and can do nothing to correct…before they ruin their lives.
1) One of the main problems facing mafiosi today is that it isn’t like years ago when there were so many great schemes, scams, and lucrative rackets available for ripe pickings as in years past. Today, there are very few solid racket opportunities out there to make the big money of yesteryear. Many of the vice operations that guys ran have been legalized, which, of course, has led to the loss of that activity and source of money. One of the biggest former moneymaking rackets recently legalized in New York State was sports betting. New York follows the lead of New Jersey, Connecticut, and many other states throughout the U.S.
