I've always wondered why didn't more bosses surround themselves with a crew of bodyguards? Examples that I am thinking of are Frank Costello (when Gigante shot him) and Paul Castellano, Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano. Were these rare examples where the bosses were caught off guard or am I right in saying that not having bodyguards is the norm, if so, why is that?

Bodyguards aren't always what they're cracked up to be. Just ask Galante and Anastasia.

That is a good point, bodyguards can be used against their own bosses. Im sure Capone and Carlo Gambino had their own bodyguards though. On a side note, are the bodyguards of bosses who choose to have them made men or associates? It seems like a waste of membership to have a bodyguard as a made man when it is basically just muscle work.

This sounds easy to say but in reality nobody wants to be the boss's bodyguard

1 it's a damn boring job
2 u don't get paid much
3 again money, u won't have much time to make money elsewhere

Hence bosses usually only retain one or two bodyguards

Take Gotti for example

He was always with Bobbu Borielli or Jackie Nose. He used to pay these guys few hundred bucks a week

And bosses are cheap mother fockers

To have more guards means they'll have to pay more

Now once Gotti was down at the club, he'll have Norman follow him round on walk talks too. Sometimes Tony roach would be with them

But mostly Gotti was surrounded by Bobby, Jackie nose and Pete.

Also factor in bosses can reign for yrs without any sigh of danger so they get a false sense of security

Scarfo didn't walk around with body guards either. It was mostly just him and Leonetti. Sometimes "the blade" would act as bodyguard but again that's just 1 guy

In Florida they had nicky crow and spike around