To be called Don or not to be called

Unlike The Godfather, I never heard or read anywhere the bosses were called Don whoever he is.
I never heard or read the gangsters call them Don Gotti, Don Castellano, Don Amuso, and It may not sound very well, the mobsters just called them by the name, John, Paul, etc

Do you know anything about it?

Don Carlo ( Gambino )

Don Vito ( Genovese )

Don Malta ( Geoff )


Don Cardi

I read somewhere that Puzo made a mistake in calling him "Don Corleone", when in reality they were called by their first names.

The Gambino famils definetly used to use "Don Carlo". I'm pretty sure John Gotti refers to him that way on wiretaps.

Gambino was definitely referred to as "Don Carlo." But few American Dons liked to be referred to that way--they regarded it as "old fashioned," and for some, a giveaway to law enforcement when they were trying to pose as "legitimate."

I heard about Don Malta and his family...
they were involved in the hit of Don Corleone...

Bush crime family were involved in the death of Pete Clemenza!!!

Jack Webb of "Dragnet" fame was known as "Don da-Don-Don."

Vito Genovese was refered to as Don Vitone..
A relative of Don Carlo Gambino was called Don Paolo, however, he never became a 'don' (boss).

And I thought (not sure) that Sal Maranzano was called Don Turridru by Bonanno is his biografhy.

But bossed were never called by their last name as in The Godfather. Don Vito, Don Michele and Don Vincenzo instead of Don Corleone.

First, sorry for post in spanish but I wouldn´t be able translate this text because my english is very poor. If someone understands it and wants to translate it... much better


El término Don es confuso. Se suele considerar como Dones a los padrinos sicilianos, sobre todo antiguos, que ejercieron una influencia notable económica y socialmente, más allá de la pura criminalidad. Por extensión, se aplicó el título de Don a algunos jefes americanos, aunque esta definición no encaje en el prototipo de Don.

La autoridad simbólica del auténtico Padrino y Don siciliano impregnaba toda la sociedad a la que éste pertenecía. Se unía con el carisma para el mando, otorgada, y por consiguiente reconocida, por las clases sociales dominantes. Con ello se consolidaba una institución "legitimada" para reunir en sí misma las funciones políticas (el gobierno el control del territorio), las funciones ideológicas (la defensa y la gestión de las costumbres y de sus correspondientes políticas "religiosas"). Esta institución será el llamado "padrinazgo". Se trataba de una estructura de poder de naturaleza totalitaria, basada en la capacidad de imponer obediencia y "respeto.

En América se debería de hablar de "boss". Lo que generalmente le falta a un boss para parecerse a un auténtico Padrino es estatus, puesto que viene asediado por una sociedad no siciliana y ultramoderna que reduce al mínimo sus pretensiones de dominio sobre el territorio, y su arraigo social queda circunscrito al limitado círculo de sus cómplices. El boss es casi siempre y exclusivamente un jefe de banda o bien, más concretamente, un gangster; suele ser criminal puro y simple.

I am going to translate into english:

the word "Don" brings some confussion. Sicilian godfathers are considered to be Don, generally the elder ones, who had social-economic influence beyond the crimes they used to commit.By extention, the Don title was used by american bosses, even though this concept does not fit the Don prototype.
The simbolic authority of the real godfather and sicilian Don worked in the whole society he belonges to. He joined to that society because of his charisma to get the position given by the higher social classes. With that a "ligitimate" institution is made to get the control of the political matters(The goverment, the control of the territory), ideologic matters(the defense and the deals of the customs and the respective religious politics).
This institution will be called the Godfathership. It was about a structure of power of a total nature, based on the way to make the people obey and respect that institution.
In America we should just call it "Boss", what a boss should have to be in an equal position with a real godfather is the status, because he is challenged by a non sicilian and ultramodern society making harder to take the control of the territory and his influence is limited within his gang. The "Boss" is often and exclusively a chief of a gang or, going to the point, a gangsters, he use to be a pure and simple criminal.

Thank you very much DPN
Espero que te haya contentado la explicación