A lot of people like to point out Chin Gigante, but I heard that he actually wore a suit under that bathrobe, which was revealed at meetings after removing it. And I've seen some surveillance shots of Gigante when he wasn't doing his crazy act, dude just commanded a lot of respect and exuded boss material, pajamas or no pajamas. But not everyone can pull off a Chin Gigante, that's important to note. The vast majority of guys out there will get spit on and scoffed at and treated like bums if they don't dress properly. I just don't think Gigante is the best example to use, he was one of a kind.
He did that as a "ploy." If you look at photos of him back in the 1950s and 1960s, he dressed in slacks and sports jackets, dress shirts, and suits like everybody else in the mob.
