Originally Posted by MafiaStudent
Then we both know how much westside1931 loves Button Guys, don't we Sully? Since you talk to him "relatively frequently"?

But back to the topic at hand...psychopaths...here's an interesting article on the subject. Granted, it's about Sicilian mobsters, but still interesting nonetheless:

Mafia mobsters are more sensitive, family-centred and less selfish than other criminals - Study finds convicted mobsters compartmentalise their feelings to separate mob business with positive feelings towards their loved ones

Heather Saul
Tuesday 15 April 2014

Members of the Mafia are more sensitive, family orientated and less selfish than other murderers, research looking into incarcerated Sicilian mobsters has found.

Members of the Mafia also appeared to have lower psychopathic traits than other criminals, a study lead by Italian researcher Professor Adriano Schimmenti concluded.

The research involved 30 inmates who were psychologically assessed using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) which measures psychotic characteristics.

Seven of the Mafia members had been convicted of murder, 17 for violent crimes and the remainder for crimes such as drug trafficking, sexual exploitation and kidnapping, according to Discovery Magazine.

Those who received a score of 30 or above are considered a psychopath. None of the Mafia members scored over 30 in the researchers' test.

Instead, they expressed more concern for their family than the group of 39 non-Mafia prisoners convicted of non-gang related crimes, and never ceased to write or call them.

Furthermore, Prof Schimmenti found them to be less 'manipulative', ‘Machiavellian’, ‘narcissistic’, ‘unemotional’, ‘parasitic’ and/or ‘impulsive’ and less likely to have a substance abuse problem than the control group.

Prof Schimmenti explained this by suggesting the Mafia compartmentalised their lives and behaviours to split Mafia affairs from positive feelings towards their loved ones.

The authors did note the research only involved low ranking mafiosi, because access to higher ranking members is banned in Italy.

The team concluded: “Our findings bring new hope for resocialisation of convicted Mafia members, because they showed significant antisocial traits but they maintained a capacity for emotional connection and greater likelihood of engaging with training and resocialisation programmes than other imprisoned offenders in Italy.”

The study Mafia and Psychopathy was published in the journal Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...elfish-than-other-criminals-9262482.html





Interesting article. Tnx

Back in the days (i think it was during the 40s) when Giancana was questioned by psychiatrists, he was instantly labelled as lunatic lol. Maybe the high level bosses were more narcissistic, more selfish and spread fear among their ranks with the help of animalistic violence.

Also heres one interesting quote...

"Sadism is complex in the sense that it requires an understanding of emotions.

If I'm cutting into my partners skins for example. I understand that I am causing pain. No matter how big or small that pain is felt.

I'm causing pain. I understand that I am hurting a person. I understand that the pain I cause is gratuitous, and felt in different intensities depending on who or what I hurt.

It requires an understanding of emotions, because I get off on knowing how much I've hurt someone or something. If I didn't understand emotions. I simply wouldn't do what I do. Since people who are sadistic enjoy others suffering and being the cause of that suffering.

A psychopath is described as someone who has no remorse or guilt or the ability to feel. They are emotionally crippled and blunted.

A psychopath simply wouldn't give a damn about torturing some poor animal. Or a person. They just wouldn't care.

Could they do it? Of course.

But anyone could do that. But a sadist does it because he gets off on it. A psychopath wouldn't, or I highly doubt they would or even could.

And so it's quite clear that sadists show signs of psychopathic behaviour. Yet not all psychopaths show signs of sadism."

He who can never endure the bad will never see the good