Do you think the Sicilian mafia had much respect for the American version?

I can imagine there was a certain amount of respect years back when the American mafia was being led by Sicilian born bosses, but would they take the current yank mob seriously these days?

Yes there is mutual respect Nino Giuffre said the Americans send youngsters to Sicily to train them and US Mafia families are recruiting their killers in Sicily because Americans are seen as unreliable and indiscreet.

Mob families in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia need new blood after being decimated by turncoats and arrests, Roberto Centaro, the head of the Italian parliament’s anti-Mafia commission, said. “Soldiers from Sicily are considered less likely to end up collaborating with police,” he said.

Dozens of Sicilians aged between 20 and 30 are believed to have been sent from towns in the Palermo area to the United States to help to shore up the ranks of clans such as the DeCavalcante family in New Jersey and the Bonanno family in New York.

A Gambino member was heard a few years ago on wiretaps complaining that they need to build up their ranks like the 'ndrangheta has been doing for a long time.

Where did you see that Giuffre said this?

I read it in a book have to look it up it was in one of his 28 statements people were send to the Trapani countryside to teach them the true values of Cosa nostra.

Nope. The american wiseguys are only criminals with an italian surname. They forgot everything about the cosa nostra code of honour.

Many have a code of honor, and not all in Italy have one. You are stereotyping by country.

There is no honor among thieves , but i must agree that criminals in italy are very different than american,especially 'Ndrangheta and Sicilian mafia. Growing up and learning "mafia life" is very different in USA than in small village/town in south Italy that is in almost total control of mafia.

True the American mafia has always been more civilized Sicilians would go after your whole family lol.

I always find it strange that you have American guys who talk of their pride in their Sicilian/Italian heritage.

Yet most of them seemed to hate the zips because they were Sicilian/Italian!